Saturday, December 25, 2004

Science in Legal Education

David L. Faigman, Legal Alchemy: The Use and Misuse of Science in the Law xi-xii (2nd Paperback Printing, 1999, 2000):
... The average lawyer is not merely ignorant of science, he or she has an affirmative aversion to it. ...

...[L]aw students feel no sense of urgency in learning about science. It is not tested on state bar exams. ... From [the students'] vantage point, science is not a necessary part of legal education.

Most of the fault for this misperception lies with the law schools. ... Law students have no sense of urgency about science because their professors do not. ...

...

Without question, law schools will eventually respond to the overwhelming presence of science in the legal process. They have no choice. For now, however, an entire generation of lawyers is being trained without the critical or practical skills to understand what is and what will continue to be an essential part of the lawyer's job description.

No comments: