After a more lively and interesting discussion in class last night, I feel better about my teaching abilities. Granted, I had to use a controversial hypo about mosques in the U.S., references to bitterly-contested local political races, and even had to bring in Elvis. Elvis, you say? Sure. The subject was the tort of misappropriation of identity -- and very few people under the age of 40 know who Bette Midler is anymore. The King, however, seems to have a little bit more staying power in the cultural zeitgeist (at least, here in Tennessee he does). But, hey I kept 'em awake and engaged for three hours.
I'm grateful that I didn't have to resort to slipping amphetamines into my students' diet cokes. That would probably have made the top ten list of 2006's Questionable Pedagogical Procedures. Next week will be easier -- employment law, which I know like the back of my hand, and teaching them how to fill out and serve subpoenas and summonses. These are paralegals I'm training here, not lawyers. They need more nuts-and-bolts and less theory and law.
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*Everyone* needs more nuts and bolts for that -- lawyers included. I'm on the third "legal secretary" to whom I've had to explain what a proof of service is, and how that's different from a summons. Learning all the ins and outs of service myself was not easy or simple.
I think paralegal programs rip off their students with all those legal theory classes. They should focus more on *preparation* of motions and other documents, and legal office organization. What are they telling these (mostly) women that makes them think "legal research" a) is their job and b) is a desirable task, rather than just another legal chore?
But don't tell me what to put in my chicken salad, Julia Childs.
Ew! I am not eating your chicken salad, ever. No offense, but if you're going to insist on the right to include that particular ingredient, Fatburger is the way to go.
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