B. Law (1 Viewer)

[erawamai]

That's what we do most of the time, some people do like it, but personally, I still prefer lectures.

the point was that the socratic method invovled the teacher confirming what the student said as correct or confirming some kind of correct interpretation.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Thats not the proper socratic method. A teacher who employs the socratic method well is many many many times better than lectures. The teacher should confirm or deny what the student says. At the end of the discussion of the teacher should clarify etc. I also think its a better method of assessment. A teacher can probhe a student to see it he or she really did do the reading and actually understands the case.

My experience of the socratic method is the teacher explaining the case and then discussing it or asking someone to volunteer to speak about a certain part of it or asking students on ideas of how

The lazy/bad teacher will rely on the students to get the answers. If your teacher is like that it is time to run and change classes.

What does the teacher do when you get a class full of rambling social liberals that resort to being extremely vague in order for their belief to not be shot down?

 

[Rorix]

What does the teacher do when you get a class full of rambling social liberals that resort to being extremely vague in order for their belief to not be shot down?

I CAN RELATE, MY FRIEND!

 

[Raiks]

What does the teacher do when you get a class full of rambling social liberals that resort to being extremely vague in order for their belief to not be shot down?

You're assuming that the teacher isn't a rambling social liberal themselves...

 

[santaslayer]

That's what we do most of the time, some people do like it, but personally, I still prefer lectures.

I was talking to some of the UTS law students, they mentioned they still had lectures for Law, can anyone confirm this?

It isn't suprising. They may incorporate something like two hour tutes/seminars with one hour lectures. They're usually non-compulsory but I find it to be of good help. The method asqy is describing is still taught in the two hour classes. Lectures are less than formal. But then I still tend to find that less formal trend in other non law related lectures as well...

This is UoW bTw, but UTS may involve the same method.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

The substantive law classes that I've been in have been very apolitical. Discussion is generally black letter law only since its a law class not a politics class. In depth discussion of the politics would leave no time for the black letter. I've never had a teacher in law who preached politics all the time (perhaps the exception is crim 1).

Well so far i've only done introductory classes, but most/all of them have had an element of politics in them as they ask us to discuss the merits of such legislation.

 

[erawamai]

Well so far i've only done introductory classes, but most/all of them have had an element of politics in them as they ask us to discuss the merits of such legislation.

UNSW foundations of law was very black letter focusing on learning to read cases and writing case notes. The most political subjects at unsw are public law (Whitlam dismissal) and Criminal law 1 (politics cannot be avoided here).

The merits of the legislation of a case should be discussed from a legalistic POV. Partisan politics should be left out of it. I haven't experienced any overt political preaching by any unsw law teachers with the exception of Crim 1 (politics cannot be avoided in this subject)...

 

[neo o]

My ethics lecturer was terrible, he shoved a 15 page guide to "Non-violent protest" into our reading brick just for the hell of it.

 

[erawamai]

My ethics lecturer was terrible, he shoved a 15 page guide to "Non-violent protest" into our reading brick just for the hell of it.

um...what does that have to do with legal ethics?

 

[Not-That-Bright]

In Law foundation we discussed problems with the tort system... and some other crap. We mainly focused on the social liberal, neo-liberal and communist perspective of law.

 

[erawamai]

We mainly focused on the social liberal, neo-liberal and communist perspective of law.

We never did that at unsw. I mean there were feminist readings of tort law in the reading brick but no one bothered.

 

[neo o]

um...what does that have to do with legal ethics?

My point exactly

 

[erawamai]

You know, I don't think that anyone has actually asked that before!

From what I've seen so far there are three main types of readings/references that you'll refer to:

1) Cases and Statute

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/d.../29.html?query=title(cole+ near+ tweed+heads)

http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/d...519.html?query=title(cole+ near+ tweed+heads)

Cole v Tweed Heads is a fairly short HCA judgement, and it's quite funny. Usually you wouldn't read so much from one case, but maybe a few pages worth in a casebook. The first link is to a reported judgement, which basically summarises the relevant facts and points of law, while the second is a transcript.

You won't really "read" statutes, but you will be using them as references in exams etc. The NSW Civil Liabilities Act is a good example of one that you'll be using fairly early on during your tenure as a law student, it's available from http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/cla2002161/

2) Journal Articles (for policy questions or silly subjects like ethics)

Essays written by academics. These are usually found in academic journals, but can be published as thesis, books or in a collection of essays. Unfortunately I can't attach anything, because the limit on the size of attachments is fairly small, but if you know someone at university they could log you into their library resources page and from there you could look up a few journal articles.

As an example, some recent ones that I've used are:

Kronman, 'Contract Law and Distributive Justice' (1991) 89 Yale Law Journal 472.
Michael J. Trebilcock, 'An Introduction to Law and Economics' (1997) 23 Monash University Law Review 123.

The number before the journal name refers to the edition that the essay is in, the first number after the journal name indicates where the essay starts.

3) Readings from Textbooks (and Casebooks)

Generally summaries of points of law, nothing remarkable. If you want an example of a law textbook, buy Laying Down the Law. There's a 99% chance that you'll be using it next year in your foundations course. Some people (Frigid ) also think that Tradition and Change in Australian Law by Patrick Parkinson is quite a good first year textbook. Good examples of case books are Principles of Contract Law by Paterson, Robertson et al and Torts Cases and Commentary by Luntz and Hambly. Casebooks are just extracts from cases with commentary. They often deal with policy questions and other random bits and pieces. Have a flick through one if you go to a university library or a co-op bookstore over the next couple of months.

I dont have a scanner so I took some pretty pictures!

 

[hfis]

I dont have a scanner so I took some pretty pictures!

Looking at those pictures was the wrong thing to do on Christmas day... *shudder*

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Whatever faggot, cry more.

 

[hfis]

Whatever faggot, cry more.

... Excuse me?

May I ask what brought that on? Seems like a bit of a harsh response for a lighthearted comment.

 

[Lundy]

I'd learn to just ignore anything NTB says. He's just trying to take out his raging homosexual frustrations on other people.