On Trying to Teach Judgment

What does it mean to be a “professional?” The question lies at the heart of any attempt to teach professional ethics. Yet, despite its undeniable centrality, there is remarkably little consensus among the current generation of legal ethics teachers about what this term actually means beyond its obvi...

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Main Author: Douglas N Frenkel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bond University 2001-01-01
Series:Legal Education Review
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.53300/001c.6138
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author Douglas N Frenkel
author_facet Douglas N Frenkel
author_sort Douglas N Frenkel
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description What does it mean to be a “professional?” The question lies at the heart of any attempt to teach professional ethics. Yet, despite its undeniable centrality, there is remarkably little consensus among the current generation of legal ethics teachers about what this term actually means beyond its obvious historical and descriptive connotations. Few would deny, of course, that lawyers have traditionally been considered “professionals” or that, in the minds of many, this designation carries with it certain normative implications about the relationship between lawyers and society that links the “legal profession” to the small number of other occupational groups (for example, doctors) that are also considered professionals. What has become quite controversial, however, is whether these normative claims are either true or, if true, socially desirable. Moreover, even among those who believe that the concept has some independent normative value worth preserving, the claim that “professionalism” can be taught remains deeply controversial.
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spelling doaj-art-dc9f856a0a8648fb9a58bbaf0cb85cb72025-08-20T03:22:29ZengBond UniversityLegal Education Review1033-28391839-37132001-01-0112110.53300/001c.6138On Trying to Teach JudgmentDouglas N FrenkelWhat does it mean to be a “professional?” The question lies at the heart of any attempt to teach professional ethics. Yet, despite its undeniable centrality, there is remarkably little consensus among the current generation of legal ethics teachers about what this term actually means beyond its obvious historical and descriptive connotations. Few would deny, of course, that lawyers have traditionally been considered “professionals” or that, in the minds of many, this designation carries with it certain normative implications about the relationship between lawyers and society that links the “legal profession” to the small number of other occupational groups (for example, doctors) that are also considered professionals. What has become quite controversial, however, is whether these normative claims are either true or, if true, socially desirable. Moreover, even among those who believe that the concept has some independent normative value worth preserving, the claim that “professionalism” can be taught remains deeply controversial.https://doi.org/10.53300/001c.6138
spellingShingle Douglas N Frenkel
On Trying to Teach Judgment
Legal Education Review
title On Trying to Teach Judgment
title_full On Trying to Teach Judgment
title_fullStr On Trying to Teach Judgment
title_full_unstemmed On Trying to Teach Judgment
title_short On Trying to Teach Judgment
title_sort on trying to teach judgment
url https://doi.org/10.53300/001c.6138
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