Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times

Law is a text-based discipline. The comprehension and interpretation of the written word lies at the core of legal reasoning and underpins legal writing. This article argues that developing the skills of critical legal reading is fundamental to all aspects of legal education and ultimately, to the p...

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Main Author: Penelope Watson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bond University 2012-01-01
Series:Legal Education Review
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.53300/001c.6261
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author Penelope Watson
author_facet Penelope Watson
author_sort Penelope Watson
collection DOAJ
description Law is a text-based discipline. The comprehension and interpretation of the written word lies at the core of legal reasoning and underpins legal writing. This article argues that developing the skills of critical legal reading is fundamental to all aspects of legal education and ultimately, to the practice of law. Law teachers have mastered and internalised the processes of legal reading, and sometimes therefore overlook the need to teach them explicitly to law students, who are novices. This paper examines the necessary mechanics, techniques and dispositions of critical legal reading in an overall taxonomy, contending that teaching these aspects in explicit and concrete ways is essential for students who are acquiring legal reading skills. Drawing on education, psychology and linguistic research fields, we offer a contemporary account of critical legal reading as a teachable skill and a core component of the undergraduate curriculum in law.
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spelling doaj-art-763123e3e5dd4ac5879762ea7fbd4adc2025-08-20T03:22:30ZengBond UniversityLegal Education Review1033-28391839-37132012-01-0122110.53300/001c.6261Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting TimesPenelope WatsonLaw is a text-based discipline. The comprehension and interpretation of the written word lies at the core of legal reasoning and underpins legal writing. This article argues that developing the skills of critical legal reading is fundamental to all aspects of legal education and ultimately, to the practice of law. Law teachers have mastered and internalised the processes of legal reading, and sometimes therefore overlook the need to teach them explicitly to law students, who are novices. This paper examines the necessary mechanics, techniques and dispositions of critical legal reading in an overall taxonomy, contending that teaching these aspects in explicit and concrete ways is essential for students who are acquiring legal reading skills. Drawing on education, psychology and linguistic research fields, we offer a contemporary account of critical legal reading as a teachable skill and a core component of the undergraduate curriculum in law.https://doi.org/10.53300/001c.6261
spellingShingle Penelope Watson
Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times
Legal Education Review
title Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times
title_full Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times
title_fullStr Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times
title_full_unstemmed Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times
title_short Leading Change in Legal Education: Interesting Ideas for Interesting Times
title_sort leading change in legal education interesting ideas for interesting times
url https://doi.org/10.53300/001c.6261
work_keys_str_mv AT penelopewatson leadingchangeinlegaleducationinterestingideasforinterestingtimes