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Associate Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School |
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Associate Professor of Clinical Instruction, University of Minnesota Law School |
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From the Casebook |
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Full Faculty Resources |
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Course Materials
Integrated and on-line course material is an important component of the Law in Practice course. Students are presented the following three types of materials:
E-Book. The e-book presents concepts and examples of theory that informs the skills students engage in during the simulations. The e-book is available at VitalSource for $95.00. The e-book looks to research from multiple disciplines and professions in explicating each area examined. For example, chapters on negotiation theory present scholarship from the fields of psychology and business and law. Click here for the Table of Contents for the e-book and here for a sample chapter of the book.
Videos. Students watch a series of short videos (about ten minutes each) based on a case in which a bicyclist leaving an airport is arrested and files a lawsuit accusing the police of using excessive force. The four videos precede the client interview, the deposition, the chambers conference and the mediation simulations. Students are provided a background reading before each video stating the law related to the matter and updating the student on the progress of the case.
The videos start by identifying the objectives given to the student for the upcoming simulation. Each video consists of excerpts of attorneys performing the skill related to the simulation and periodic narration or on-screen summaries that explain how the attorney has or has not fulfilled the simulation objectives in the performance of the skill. View a sample video below.
Weekly Simulation Documents. As the simulated case files progress through the semester or academic year, students receive time-released information on a condensed schedule designed to mimic the patterns of case development in legal practice. Each week students receive a packet with the following documents:
- The Assignment provides a general description of the simulation and sets forth the specific task and roles of each participant. The Assignment includes a list of the objectives and evaluation criteria for that simulation. Click here to view an example Assignment. The Assignment can be adapted by faculty who adopt the course to fit the needs of the class using the materials.
- The Update provides the official record for the fact development of the case following each simulation. It specifies all the facts needed for the student to engage in classroom discussion about the strategic position facing the client and for the student to perform the next simulation. Sample Updates are available in the Teacher Resource materials.
- Case Documents include key documents provided by or to the client, documents collected in investigation or discovery, or documents issued by the court that are appropriate to explain the development of the case. Sample Case Documents are available in the Teacher Resource materials.
- The exclusive source of law for the simulation is the Law File. The law file includes case law, statutes and condensed secondary material. Students also are given appropriate readings from the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
Instructors in the course are provided with weekly Faculty Materials that are not accessible to the students. These materials include classroom plans, summaries of the case files, instructions provided to the mock clients and witnesses, and PowerPoint presentations or other audio-visual supplements. Samples of these documents are available in the Teacher Resource materials.
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