Comments on: Law and economics and the future http://thebricks.ricardobascuas.com/2009/12/law-and-economics/ Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:07:42 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jake http://thebricks.ricardobascuas.com/2009/12/law-and-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-722 Jake Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:22:16 +0000 http://thebricks.ricardobascuas.com/?p=1212#comment-722 I don't necessarily disagree with your conclusion, but I think I oppose it. The adage that law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer (but not how to actually be a lawyer) sounds scary. Imagine a young electrician arrives at your house who has only had training in how to think like an electrician. You might not want him running wires. But we're not running wires. We're thinking. Very few of us are going to step out of law school and into a court room. We have plenty of time to learn the skill of lawyering after law school, and in a much more appropriate setting. Teaching a skill is relatively easy. Rewiring the brain is tough. And, frankly, three years ain't much time. I think any law firm is going to be better served by a new associate who is highly capable of complex legal reasoning than one who has a semester of clinical experience. The law firm is positioned perfectly to provide the real-world experience needed to complete the education. The law school is positioned perfectly to teach us how to think. These roles strike me as rather effective. I don’t necessarily disagree with your conclusion, but I think I oppose it. The adage that law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer (but not how to actually be a lawyer) sounds scary. Imagine a young electrician arrives at your house who has only had training in how to think like an electrician. You might not want him running wires.

But we’re not running wires. We’re thinking. Very few of us are going to step out of law school and into a court room. We have plenty of time to learn the skill of lawyering after law school, and in a much more appropriate setting. Teaching a skill is relatively easy. Rewiring the brain is tough. And, frankly, three years ain’t much time.

I think any law firm is going to be better served by a new associate who is highly capable of complex legal reasoning than one who has a semester of clinical experience. The law firm is positioned perfectly to provide the real-world experience needed to complete the education. The law school is positioned perfectly to teach us how to think. These roles strike me as rather effective.

]]> By: Sergio J. Campos http://thebricks.ricardobascuas.com/2009/12/law-and-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-711 Sergio J. Campos Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:41:53 +0000 http://thebricks.ricardobascuas.com/?p=1212#comment-711 Hi Ricardo, Great post. I just arrived in Miami and hope to meet you in person really soon. I thought I would share this post, which is related to your thoughts here: http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/01/too-many-lawyers-but-also-too-many-cartels.php Best, Sergio Hi Ricardo,

Great post. I just arrived in Miami and hope to meet you in person really soon. I thought I would share this post, which is related to your thoughts here:

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2010/01/too-many-lawyers-but-also-too-many-cartels.php

Best,
Sergio

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