What the Best Law Teachers Do:
Make a Nomination

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We are looking for nominations of law professors who produce "exceptional learning" (please see tentative definition below). We are excited to hear about anyone you believe changes the lives of her/his students. Because we believe a nomination itself to be a great honor, we are publishing, on this website, all credible nominations (including at least one or two comments from the nominator about the nominee).

Thank you for your willingness to participate in this study by nominating someone for it.

NOTE: Two questions on this form ("Basis for your belief the nominee produces exceptional learning" and "Your definition of 'Exceptional Learning'") require answers that are somewhat longer. You may wish to compose your responses in a word processing program and then paste it in the space provided.

To complete this form:

About the Nominee
About You (The Nominator)
Area Code:
  Number:

Extension:

    If 'Other' please specify:
Yes   No
Nominator Definition of "Exceptional Learning"

We are interested in getting a sense of each nominator's definition of "exceptional learning." For now, we have adopted a working definition based on Ken Bain's What The Best College Teachers Do (Harvard University Press 2004):

Exceptional teachers produce exceptional learning. Exceptional learning, for the purposes of this project, has two main components: exceptional intellectual development and exceptional personal development, although a qualifying law professor need not necessarily produce equally exceptional learning in both categories. (See id. at 189.)

Exceptional intellectual development includes:

  • "understanding a sizeable body of material," (Id. at 189)
  • developing greater skill in learning within the field and in reflecting on the learning process (See id. at 189),
  • "ask[ing] sophisticated questions," (Id. at 189)
  • developing general lawyering skills (e.g., legal analysis and reasoning, case reading, legal research, legal writing, policy analysis and synthesis)
  • developing specific law practice skills, such as drafting legal documents (e.g., contracts, pleadings, briefs and memoranda) and interactive skills (e.g., negotiations, client counseling, oral advocacy, mediation, trial advocacy, arbitration, fact investigation).

Exceptional personal development includes significant growth in:

  • "understanding one's self (one's history, emotions, dispositions, abilities, insights, limitations, prejudices, assumptions . . .) and what it means to be human;
  • the development of a sense of responsibility to one's self and others (including moral development);
  • development or enhancement of the capacity to exercise compassion;
  • enhancement of the ability to understand and use one's emotions." (Id. at 189-190.)
Consents
Yes   No
Yes   No
Yes   No
Yes   No
Yes   No

Evidence of Excellence: If your nominee is selected for further investigation, we will ask you and/or the nominee to supply evidence of the nominee's success in producing "exceptional learning." A wide variety of evidence can and will be considered, including

  • student evaluations,
  • overall student results on exams (or even on the bar exam)
  • specific examples of student work,
  • syllabi,
  • learning objectives,
  • student or alumni testimonials,
  • methods of providing opportunities for practice and feedback,
  • performance on departmental exams,
  • performance in subsequent classes,
  • survey results, and
  • anything else you and the nominee believe supports the nomination.

Project Investigators


Michael Hunter Schwartz
Washburn University School of Law
1700 SW College Ave., Room 309
Topeka, KS 66621
(785) 670-1666
michael.schwartz [at] washburn.edu

Sophie M. Sparrow
Franklin Pierce Law Center
2 White Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 513-5205
ssparrow [at] piercelaw.edu

Gerald Hess
Gonzaga University School of Law
PO Box 3528
Spokane, WA 99220-3528
(509) 313-3779
ghess [at] lawschool.gonzaga.edu