Innovative Curriculum

Indiana Law is part of a core group of law schools reacting to a groundbreaking empirical report from the Carnegie Foundation that calls for a model of education that integrates thinkers and professionals. The report breaks the legal profession down into three apprenticeships: learning to “think like a lawyer,” skills training, and the values of the profession.

In the wake of the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s, legal ethics became a required course at every American law school in the country. But because such courses are largely theory-based and didn’t have the chance to develop organically—and because many 1Ls still end the year thinking grades are more important to future employment options than ethics—students often come away from these courses cynical about the value of the time spent.

“Legal ethics and professional responsibility became kind of like an ugly stepchild,” says Indiana Law Professor William Henderson. “If I’m teaching legal ethics, I don’t want to foist my values on the student, so it becomes a death march through rules devoid of complexities of legal ethics or morality of being a lawyer.”

To address this issue and enhance the abilities of our students, Indiana Law is introducing The Legal Profession in the fall of 2008. This new ethics course is team taught by professors and professionals who share their perspectives on what it’s like to practice their particular field of law. The 4-credit-hour course, which is required for 1Ls, represents the most extensive first-year curriculum change at Indiana Law in more than 20 years. The course is so important to Dean Lauren Robel, she plans to teach a section of the course each year.

“Nine alumni came in to the class during the semester and, unscripted, they all basically said the same things,” says Henderson, co-author of the course. “They said it’s so important to watch your integrity—and to not cross over lines that you can never go back over.”

Henderson says the course will enhance students’ emotional intelligence by frequently calling upon them to analyze their own ethical stance on certain issues in light of many viewpoints. It will also satisfy their hunger for solid, empirical knowledge.

Having real-life practitioners in class has been “magical,” says Henderson. He says hearing from professionals from various legal careers with different perspectives—and not hearing and aping one professor’s perspective—forces students to reconcile their own beliefs.

“We haven’t had a law school context in which they can talk about their values. So if you can talk about your values and get course credit, it kind of legitimizes them,” says Henderson.

“This is really the professional, Carnegie-esque component of the course: students will begin to see that character, integrity, and a sense of professionalism are the things they can bank on to build their careers. They realize ‘It doesn’t matter if I’m a 2.8 student or 3.7 student; if I comport myself with respect and good judgment I’m going to have a fighting chance at being highly successful.’”

Henderson knew he was on to something with the course when, before he had sent thank-you notes to participating alumni, he started to receive thank-you notes from them.

“The letters said things like ‘It was really great coming down to Bloomington. If I can ever do it again let me know—it was really great to reconnect with the young students.’ There’s this synergy, this support network, bringing together the students and the alumni — the IU family.”