Publisher's Synopsis
Critical thinking is essential for lawyers, judges, and law students. Yet law schools have never systematically taught critical thinking to their students. The main purpose of this book is to help law professors teach lawyers, judges, and law students how to become critical thinkers. It first explains critical thinking to professors, and, then, it shows how they can teach this knowledge to students. Lawyers, judges, and law students can also use this book to teach themselves critical thinking.Chapter One introduces the reader to the need for critical thinking in the law, and it will give two methods of evaluating how critical thinking works within legal education. Chapter Two helps the reader understand the basics of critical thinking. Most scholars think that critical thinking is domain specific, so Chapter Three presents the domain of the law. Chapter Four applies critical thinking basics to law's domain, and it shows how to teach critical thinking to lawyers, judges, and law students. Chapter Five shows how critical thinking processes can improve the use of the Socratic method in legal education. Chapter Six discusses how critical thinking can make law professors better teachers. Chapter Seven demonstrates how critical thinking can produce better legal writing professors. Chapter Eight focuses on judges and critical thinking. The final chapter brings everything together and highlights the most important aspects of teaching critical thinking to lawyers, judges, and law students. Two appendices contain sample Socratic dialogues that employ critical thinking. I have included exercises and problems on critical thinking throughout the book.
Reviews: "In February 2020, Scott Fruehwald released How Teach Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students Critical Thinking: Millions Saw the Apple Fall, but Newton Asked Why. In that book, he reminds us that critical thinking can help overcome superficial and biased thinking; help determine when more information is needed; help understand multiple perspectives; and help recognize manipulation. Consequently, helping students master critical thinking is a powerful tool to promote candor."AALS President Darby Dickerson, Dean, UIC John Marshall Law School "How to Teach Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students Critical Thinking is a helpful guide
not only for law teachers but also lawyers, judges, law students, and other legal
professionals seeking to improve their critical thinking skills. The author calls attention
to a lack of focus on critical thinking skills in multiple areas of traditional legal education
and provides suggestions for how to incorporate an increased focus on critical thinking
skills and processes in the law school classroom. He provides exercises and problems
throughout each chapter and additionally includes two appendices with sample Socratic
dialogue to be used for such purposes. How to Teach Lawyers, Judges, and Law Students Critical Thinking is an interesting
read that will benefit legal professionals seeking to more effectively teach critical
thinking skills and/or improve their own critical thinking skills. With a host of exercises
and problems throughout, it serves as a reminder that, while too often neglected,
critical thinking remains a crucial part of the study and practice of law, and thus further
reminds us that we must seek to delve deeper and ask "why" as we continue to study
and/or teach law ourselves." Reviewed by: Ashley Arrington, University of Houston Law Center, in 2020.
