Page 12 - Manual on Teaching Methods of Law 2023

doctrinal legal research as well as non- the student basic skills of identifying
doctrinal legal research or socio-legal research problems, planning and executing
research. Thus, research methods (both legal research projects, and appreciating the
doctrinal and non-doctrinal) can be used by a problems associated therewith. It aims at
Law teacher as a tool for teaching instilling in them basic research skills so that
effectively. In furtherance of this objective, they can plan and pursue legal and socio-
research methods work as a medium through legal research in the future.
which legal research can be disseminated
among law students. CRITICAL THINKING METHOD

The use of Empirical Research enables Critical Legal Studies (CLS) can be defined
students to understand the practical aspect of as a method of legal analysis that argues not
law and its dimensions. Qualitative research only that law is indiscriminate, but that it is
is concerned with the qualitative used to conceal and justify unacceptable
phenomenon, i.e. phenomena relating to or hierarchies of social power. All legal
involving quality or kind. For example, when theories, concepts, and doctrines deserve to
a researcher is interested in investigating the be examined through a CLS approach which
reasons for, or motives behind, certain would result in a critique. Examples of this
human behaviour, say why people think or can be „property ownership‟, „human rights
do certain things, or in investigating their obligations of corporations‟, „economic
attitudes towards, or opinions about, a goals of bankruptcy law‟, „social
particular subject or institution, say adultery ramifications of artificial intelligence‟,
or judiciary, his research becomes qualitative „Impact of Patents on access to drugs, etc.
research. The tools available for the The teaching of these topics by the CLS
Quantitative method are SPSS and MS-Excel method would mean outlining a critique of
while Qualitative research tools are Atlas-ti, the existing theories by deconstructing them
content analysis, and case study method. to find out the deeper reasons behind them.
behaviour. This method strives to instill in Thus, the construction of new theories
relating to a topic would be done by

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