Page 10 - Manual on Teaching Methods of Law 2023
P. 10

PROBLEM METHOD                     on a variety of legal and non-legal materials
                                                            either  provided  to  the  students  or  readily
               This  involves  a  hypothetical  problem     available to them.  The materials which can
               containing  a  factual  situation  on  which  the   be  utilized  to  solve  problems  are  court
               students   center   their   analysis   and   opinions,  statutory  materials,  administrative
               discussions.  It  contains  facts  in  varying   regulations,  legal  documents,  articles,  and
               detail  and  complexity.  They  resemble  the   other materials relevant to the solving of the
               type  of  cases  lawyers  face  in  real-life   problem. Students may be required to submit
               scenarios.  The  students  are  given  the   written  answers  to  problems,  prepare
               problem in advance and they are directed to   outlines  of  answers,  or  merely  prepare  to
               come  to  the  class  prepared  to  discuss  the   discuss the problems in class. Students may
               issues  involved.  In  essence,  the  problem  is   be  assigned  to  argue  against  each  other  in
               the focus of the class discussion. Evidently,   class or to serve as judges. They may work
               requiring  students  to  present  their  solutions   alone  or  in  teams.  Problems  can  require
               to the class and then discuss those solutions   library  research  (even  into  non-legal
               in  class  is  an  integral  part  of  the  method.   materials)  or  simply  some  assigned  pages.
               There can be many variations of the problem   Problems may cut across two or more fields
               method.  The  problem  may  be  simple,      of legal subject matter.
               complex,    or   something   in   between,
               depending on how advanced the students are   The     problem    method    has   several
               and  how  experienced  they  are  in  problem  pedagogical  advantages  over  the  traditional
               analysis. The problem may be framed in the   case-recitation  and  lecture  methods  of
               context  of  litigation,  negotiations,  drafting,  teaching. First, it simulates law practice and
               or  planning.  The  student  may  approach  the  is  contemporary.  It  encourages  active
               problem  in  a  specified  role,  such  as  participation    which    increases   class
               advocate, judge, advisor, planner, legislator,   engagement. Further, it helps students learn
               or law clerk. Students then select a course of   important  skills  which  are  relevant  to  law
               conduct  or  predict  a  court's  decision  based   practice. For instance, it teaches the skill of





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