LESSONS FROM THE WEB

The classroom looks different than I remember. The information projected at the front of the room is a lot more interesting. The use of the Internet has allowed law school to be taught in ways that few, if any of us, experienced in law school. The key is in using this new technology productively in the classroom. For many people, this is a challenge, although for different reasons. If you've taught certain material for a long time, you've spent a lot of time and energy in preparing it, and are used to a certain presentation that you have learned works for you. Changing your methods can be difficult. If, like me, you've never taught certain material before, you don't have a method of presenting material worked through. And so, in some ways, incorporating innovative ways of presenting materials can be easier when you are starting from scratch.

One of the courses that I teach is Lawyering Skills and Values, a version of first-year legal writing that includes more skills, putting the writing projects into both practical and ethical context. The Internet is an invaluable tool in this setting, allowing students access to far more information than I might be able to distribute by lecture, overhead, or paper.

Our students are required to have laptops throughout their law school education, and we use that technology in the classroom in a variety of ways. In our LSV class, we often require students to bring them to class, and use the computers to access the Internet (through a wireless connection in our building) for in-class exercises. Even if a law school does not have this technological capability, a professor can still use the Internet in class by hooking up to a projector. However you use Internet technology to convey information, whatever your limitations or subject matter, it will still bring about three major benefits to your teaching.

1. Material Otherwise Inaccessible in the Classroom

Some information just isn't available through traditional textbooks, such as current ethical opinions and rules posted by the state bar and courts, Internet-based research options, and maps and documents from the court system. Sure, all of these resources may be available in the library for research, but to bring them into the classroom daily may be impractical, expensive and inconvenient. Web-based materials may also assist students in improving their writing -- Internet based materials can enhance published textbooks, through articles and guides, advice on good writing organization, or the posting of examples of good work in this area.

Whether it's a database that is truly impossible to bring to a classroom, or pages and pages of material that are impractical to copy for everyone, these materials should not go unused in the classroom. Good teaching requires knowing when someone else has created a good resource, and accessing that resource. The Internet provides a practical, cost-efficient way of doing just that.

2. Don't Break the Law

Often, we may encounter wonderful resources, which we know would be perfect to copy and distribute in class. Have you forgotten about this little area of the law called copyright? The Internet often can alleviate concerns in this area. For example, instead of copying periodical articles of interest (which certainly can enhance education in addition to textbooks), a professor needs only to link the article to an on-line syllabus. This easy Internet-based organization of material allows students to find the article, know exactly where it fits in the course, and read it at their convenience.

I recently found this particularly helpful in my teaching of Sales Financing. Article 9 of the UCC was recently extensively revised. Although the published code is available, and some textbooks have changed their problems to account for the new code, some of the most important updates and interpretations of the law are coming from practicing attorneys who are the ones really grappling with the changes in the law. These legal articles were a wonderful resource in my attempts to help the students understand the impact of this new code, and to orient them to the challenges of it. By assigning these articles on-line, I didn't even have to worry about the potential of copyright infringement, or spend time obtaining permission, and brought exciting new materials into the classroom.

3. Save the Trees

Even though we have an entire field of practice devoted to environmental law, legal practice has never been known to hug the trees. Legal practice, as we know it, is a paper-based system requiring innumerable copies, drafts and exhibits, using reams of paper daily. Thankfully, the practice of law is changing to an electronic format. Recently, law.com (a wonderful internet resource) posted an article about the competition of West Group and Lexis Nexis over electronic docket access, demonstrating the importance of paper free practice for attorneys. If the practice of law is changing, so too should the teaching of law.

Using Internet resources -- instead of printing and copying -- can make a huge impact on the environment. Will students still print and save the articles with their notes? Maybe. But some won't, saving some paper, and even more, there are no extra copies, mis-copies or taken-and-discarded copies adding to the problem of already stressed resources. It may seem like just a few pages to you-but add that up every day and among every professor and it equals some serious paper.

When they get out into practice, our law students will be practicing law using the Internet, one way or another, and by teaching them to use it properly now, we not only enhance the legal ideas encompassed within those resources, but we enhance students' potential practical skill and show our students what they will need to do upon graduation.

Yet the Internet can be intimidating as a teaching tool if you are a beginner yourself. And so, here are some practical tips for those considering this important step:

Make sure that you have a reliable Internet connection: if you're going to use it in the classroom, you want to be sure that it will be there when you need it. Although the best of connections experiences difficulties at times, understanding your regular technology limitations is important. In addition, it is important to remember that Internet sites can be "captured" onto PowerPoint for presentation, if needed.

Check your sites before assigning them, and then continue to re-check them throughout the semester to make sure that the link has not expired. Keep one hard copy printout of the link just in case the information provider purges it from its server. Just as you might check that a campus bookstore has your proper resources before your assign it, you must assure that a site exists. If a link has expired, don't automatically rely on the hard copy you may have---the site may have been removed because the content is no longer good, or other problems with it have arisen.

Know the source of the information. Just as you would want to know something about the author and/or publisher before using a textbook, knowing something about an Internet site can help you use the site in an informed way. The publisher of the site is probably the leading indicator as to its reliability, but other information, such as contributors, editing, and updating may help you evaluate the information to determine if it is appropriate for your classroom.

Contact the author of the site by e-mail. If the information is so wonderful, Internet sites usually allow for an easy way to contact the author or publisher, which may lead to other useful information on the subject, or useful information to help you evaluate the site itself.

Make sure that your students understand that Internet reading is a required part of the course. Be sure that you let your students know that, even though these readings and sources of information may be in a different form, they are just as valuable and important to their work in your class as any other. Sending the right message about the Internet will encourage them to use it in responsible ways as well.

It is important when considering the use of the Internet in your classroom that you take the time to incorporate this, as well as all interesting and appropriate materials, to help you meet your goal of serving your students' educational needs.

Debra Moss Curtis is an Assistant Professor of Law at Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Her courses include Lawyering Skills and Values I and II, Law Office Management, Sales Financing, and Criminal Procedure.

JURIST's Lessons from the Web series is edited by Professor Patrick Wiseman, Georgia State University College of Law.

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