Title

Lawyers and Learning: A Metacognitive Approach to Legal Education

Abstract

The article discusses how the current methods of teaching law students hinder their ability to transfer the knowledge and skills learned in law school to the practice of law. I propose integrating learning theory into the law school curriculum, with a specific focus on teaching metacognitive skills. Generally, metacognition refers to having both an awareness of and control over one’s learning and thinking. Professors can help the students gain an awareness of their learning by focusing the students on which learning preferences and experiences they bring to law school and how they can match them to the skills required of a lawyer. The professor can then foster the control of learning by using several technological tools (ie., learning blogs, message boards, and other online tools) to help the students plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning more effectively. By integrating these steps into the law school curriculum, professors are more likely to help students “learn like a lawyer.”

Disciplines

Legal Education | Legal Profession | Legal Writing and Research

Date of this Version

September 2005