What the Best Law Teachers Do:
Nominees

"A Professor who cares about the students. He makes time for all his students. He challenges all of us to think critically about the law. No law or case is beyond challenge and no position on either side of the political spectrum is beyond consideration. His skills as a teacher are great. He gives over the material in a clear and concise manner."

"I took Professor Young's Federal Courts course when he was visiting Harvard Law School in the Spring of 2005. That course was by far the best I took while at HLS, and Professor Young by far the best teacher. His command of the material and the outlines he prepared for his students made the very difficult subject of federal courts easier to learn and understand. By simply giving students "the basics," Professor Young created the opportunity for in-depth discussion that I frequently found absent from other courses in which students merely had to focus on discerning the law. His friendly personality and the stories of his experiences clerking on the Supreme Court also helped to make the material (which can by dry) much more interesting. The understanding of the federal courts and federal jurisdiction that I gained from Professor Young's course has proven invaluable to me on a daily basis in my current job as a law clerk for a federal circuit judge."

"I took Dean Worthen's Legislation class. He is very good at bringing out all perspectives from members of the class. He is not a lively Professor but it is obvious that when he teaches everyone is engaged in the topic. It was obvious that Dean Worthen's wasn't wasting our time trying to teach us his preferred method of statutory interpretation. Instead he made students understand the different methods so that we could feel comfortable using the best method for the needs of our clients. It was exciting to feel like we were learning something very useful. Dean Worthen had the ability to bring us from the ethereal level of classroom philosophy to ground level attorney practice. Through Dean Worthen's class we gained a desire to learn not just what people said but why they said it the way they did. We learned to seek for the value in other methods of research. I always wanted to do well in Dean Worthen's class."

"Professor Whitehead teaches corporations and securities regulation to huge numbers of students. Gets near perfect evaluations in the notoriously difficult Sec Reg, mainly because he offers extraordinary organization and clarity in a fiendishly complicated subject, spends endless amounts of time with his students outside of class, invests the time and energy to offer an optional midterm exam--in short, demonstrates an impossible level of commitment to his students. He is the latest proof that students will love a class in which they're made to work extremely hard if the professor works just as hard to make it worth their while."

"Prof. Weber demonstrated expertise in the all of the subject matters he taught, but particularly in disability law. He emphasized the need to sharpen one's substantive knowledge of the law in order to 'practice the law.' It was refreshing to see a professor bring the law to life by sharing his experiences with actual legal cases and work in the community on disability laws." "As a teacher, he was thorough and always patient with questions from students. He made sure we all understood the material oftentimes so well that many of my colleagues and I felt he was preparing us right then and there to practice in the field of disability law." "Prof. Weber also took time to mentor and counsel students outside of the classroom. I remember many times approaching him to ask questions about his own career path and what avenues I should take and how candid and open he was with his responses. He was always willing to help whenever he could." "I think the combination of substantive expertise and practical real-life legal experience in disability law is what made Prof. Weber a great law teacher. He demonstrated time and time again what a big difference in the community "scholar-attorneys" really can make and this still inspires me to this day."

"I took Prof. Warren's bankruptcy class because I had heard she was a great professor, but was dreading it because I generally hate any finance-related subject matter. It became my favorite course, and one of the ones from which I learned the most during my time at Harvard. One thing that was very helpful was her assigned "homework" problems, which she went over every class and each student was required to complete. Going through those problems made us actually internalize the course material before cramming season and made the class discussions much more interesting because everyone - not just the gunners - was up on what was going on. And she would not let you off the hook for slacking. She'd call students' bluff who tried to improv an answer, but was always humane in doing so and kept the tone humorous."

"Professor Walker teaches Corporations and Tax to huge numbers of students, many of whom say they refuse to take these courses from anyone else. Her gets near perfect evaluations in Tax, of all things, even while teaching sections of over 100. He maintains his reputation as an extremely humane professor even while working his students as hard as anyone in the school."

None provided by nominator.

“I took Prof. Volokh's Free Speech class while he was visiting at Harvard. The most striking thing about that class was how well Prof. Volokh's organization of the subject matter aided our learning. It helped that we were using his textbook, which is unique among texts I used and I consider a model for usability and logic. It included an outline of major areas of free speech that always kept the student grounded in how a particular area fit into the whole system. His well-organized textbook reflects his skills as a teacher, not hiding the ball from his students but helping them understand the subject matter better. Prof. Volokh also was excellent at forcing the students to think logically, stopping people who used mushy language or thinking. For example, rather than simply letting students say that a rule of law would "chill" other speech, he made us articulate the fact that the rule would not limit protected speech itself, but would make other people less likely to engage in protected speech. Working from our premises through each logical step in our arguments forced all of us to think and write more clearly and to analyze cases or statutes more rigorously.”

"Professor Upchurch engages students in active learning during every class session, and commands the attention of every single student in the room. She also constantly explores new and different teaching methods to teach complex legal concepts. Professor Upchurch demonstrates an extensive knowledge of the subjects she teaches, but she uses it to push students in their own exploration of law, instead of coming off as pretentious or lofty. She can read students extremely well, and always adjusts during class to get at what students are struggling with so that everyone is keeping up. Professor Upchurch is also what I would consider to be a very holistic teacher. She very clearly is concerned about us outside of the classroom. She realizes what concerns and issues students are having, especially first year students, and she makes a point of being available outside of class. Despite her extremely busy schedule, she makes a point of getting to know her students outside of class and is very supportive in helping everyone with questions or concerns about being a law student in general."

"Although she has been at GW for less than 5 years, Professor Amanda Tyler has already won our annual Outstanding Teacher Award, recognition of her stellar teaching and mentoring abilities. She has already earned a reputation as one of GW's best teachers, and this at a school where teaching is ighly valued. Professor Tyler teaches Civil Procedure, Federal Courts, and other public law-related courses. Students appreciate her ability to explain complex material, at the same time as she is able to challenge them to think critically about the cases. As part of her teaching style, Professor Tyler asks students the difficult questions, prompting them to learn more deeply about the subject matter. Although students mention the heavy workload, they don't complain; instead, they compliment Professor Tyler on her ability to convey the material to them clearly and with passion and enthusiasm. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of learning to argue from different perspectives, to understand the arguments that litigants might make. . . Students feel 'honored' to be part of Professor Tyler's classes."

"Professor Travis was an extremely successful teacher for two different reasons: First, she was able to break apart complicated areas of law into sensible and easily flowing paths of reason. She did not simply present law to memorize, she walked us through the reasoning behind law in a way that made the material 'stick.' Her repetition of foundational concepts, is what made it easier to learn the exceptions and oddities of the law, which is what is really so difficult to master. She would constantly bring the class backwards to where we had started, so that students would never lose track of how we had gone from point A to point Z. Every one I have spoken with from her Torts class agrees that she taught the material in a way that will stay with us for a long time. Professor Travis has a unique ability to make the pieces of an enormous jigsaw puzzle of information fit together just right in a student's mind. Secondly, Professor Travis allowed for discussion sessions every day in class, to debate either the reasoning or policy concerns behind law. She reminded us daily to push at the holes in an area of law -- especially to see where a law might apply unfairly to certain groups of people. Her policy discussions were very helpful for engaging us in the rules, so we could see how they are practically applied. Additionally, she helped us to think analytically about the words in a rule, to consider what impact the wording will have in real life application. In these ways she made the law of Torts very clear and memorable."

"Prof. Thomas makes me interested in property law. Other professors I've had don't get into the practical aspects of what they teach. Prof. Thomas doesn't "hide the ball" or leave us to figure things out with no help. He makes sure we understand the concepts he's teaching by quizzing us in class and giving practical examples of each concept he teaches. I entered las school interested in media and entertainment law, but after one semester in his property class, I'm leaning more toward real estate. Prof. Thomas is just plain nice, and anyone who takes his class will see that he truly cares about what his students are learning."

"[Professor] Teeter is always the best professor in teaching evaluations, no matter what he teaches. He is thoughtful about his methodology and absolutely caring in his attitude. Students do not want to disappoint him. He is truly extraordinary in his ability to reach students at all levels. Students respond to him regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, or other diversity issues. Students remember the material, use it sophisticated fashions now and later. He also reaches the students on a personal level. I wish I knew how he did it . . ."

"He is truly a gem at the Howard School of Law, always engaging and challenging our class to dig deeper beyond the text of the law. His passion for teaching and the Howard Law community makes him someone truly deserving of the distinction as one of the nation's best law professors."

"My most treasured memory of law school is that of the first day of Torts. Professor Steve Swanson who, sitting casually on the front row of desks in a t-shirt and jeans, managed to brush past the posturing and pretentiousness of law school and invite us into a challenging but exciting new world." "I went on to take three more classes with Steve and now count him as a dear friend and a valued colleague. Without a doubt, Steve has one of the most probing minds I have ever encountered. But his gifts as a teacher have far more to do with his deep respect for people. Steve inspires students, catalyzing their own legal interests and ambitious. He gives students plenty of room to grow and explore, thoughtfully picking opportune moments to offer advice or, when necessary, redirect efforts. In this respect, Steve is a minimalist. But like all great minimalists, he does more with a few brushstrokes than most do with an entire pallet of paint." "As a new teacher, I am often awed by how easy Steve makes it all look. He never seems to force a conversation in class; he never struggles for meaningful participation from students. Students have fun in Steve's classes. The fun comes from Steve's genuine enthusiasm and the ways in which he gets students to trust themselves and each other as they test and prod the materials at the heart of their studies. Perhaps most fundamentally, Steve sees students as his collaborators."

"Professor Sonia Suter, who teaches Torts, and Genetics and the Law, is one of the students' favorite teachers. As one student explained in an evaluation: `In no way a slight to the other members of the faculty, Professor Suter's level of instruction exists on an unrivaled plane of comprehensibility and accessibility. Altogether, a pitch-perfect balance between controlled progress through the doctrine and receptiveness to students' questions.' Students appreciate the organization of her classes, and find her explanations of concepts thorough, detailed, and very helpful. The way she structures her class makes learning both enjoyable and much easier than students had anticipated. Her torts students appreciate her clarity. They also find her very approachable, and she consistently (and constantly) counsels students on their personal and professional choices. She is well-known as a very `caring' professor, who, as one student explained, was our section's `mother hen.' She also mentors other professors, providing insight into the teaching process, giving them advice on exam-drafting, and discussing difficult pedagogical issues with them."

[Nominator's comments withheld upon request of the nominator.]

"Jeff Snapp is a professor that is not only engaging in his lectures, but he genuinely care about his students and his students' progress. He integrates real world examples and assigns projects that will be useful for students in the real world. He is also available to students outside of the classroom, and sees to it that each student understands the material. One example that sticks out is Professor Snapp's method of teaching us how to work through the elements of a trial. He did this by describing a case that he was quite familiar with--the death of his best friend. He did not share that information until the end of the lecture, but he really got into it and engaged the students in learning the process through his own personal experience. He likes to incorporate real world examples into each of his lectures, which not only helps the students learn more, but it actually helps us understand why it is important to be learning such things."

"Professor Smith was my torts professor during my first semester of law school. His course was exciting and interesting in a way that few other courses have matched. First, his obvious brilliance as a practicing lawyer lent credibility to his often unexpected insights into the cases we read. The text of the cases was always a jumping off point for a fascinating discussion of what actually happened in both the courtroom and in the factual scenario. Second, Professor Smith taught black letter law without ever letting us lose sight of the flexibility and nuance of the law. In class discussion he kept the sought-after simplifications and generalizations just out of reach until we had explored the full range of possibility. But then, he would always explain the doctrine. Third, Professor Smith is extremely kind to students and understood our plight as 1Ls. Finally--and this is an aspect of great teaching that probably could never be taught--this professor is extremely funny, extremely smart, and he has a remarkable way with words. There was never a dull moment."

"I have sat in on Prof. Slater's class. He combines wit, humor, and insight, pushing students to think at a level many have never operated on before. He employs innovative methods (group work, etc.), adheres to high expectations, and offers courses and scholarship in areas of law that have often been neglected in legal academia."

Not provided.

“For many years, the Dean of Students Services has informally polled students as they prepare for the bar exam by asking them whose voice or voices they heard as they were preparing for the bar. Three faculty at Touro are always mentioned. Professor Seplowitz is one of those teachers. She is recognized as an extraordinary classroom teacher who always makes time for her students. She is involved with the students in many ways outside the classroom as well.”

"Dean Schizer is an outstanding person as well as lecturer. He displays tremendous respect for his students. His clarity of teaching as well as his ability to draw the students into discussion made him by far the best professor I had at Columbia. What was particularly interesting is that he has a strong tax focus, which is not known as the most engaging of topics. Nevertheless, Dean Schizer's classes are always full and well attended. Despite his outstanding intellect, Dean Schizer is very approachable. His natural humility marks him as an exceptional human being."

None provided by nominator.

"Professor Scharffs is without a doubt one of the finest teachers I have had in my lengthy career as a student. I am not able to pinpoint one specific thing; it's some combination of conduct and effect. . . I have had three classes from Professor Scharffs, but the one I enjoyed most was probably international business transactions. The class was structured around several themed "problems" in the textbook, and our assignments involved mainly reading and trying to understand the concepts and laws at play behind them. In class, we did not necessarily go over a detailed explanation of the reading, but rather we discussed it, picking out issues not necessarily highlighted in the text. Driving every discussion was the professor's skill and experience, and in particular his extreme familiarity with each obscure concept we mentioned. Never did we have a "this is what you do when you see this type of a problem" lecture, yet somehow, I came away from the course understanding exactly what to do, what to look for, and what to consider in a wide variety of business situations. The class was such that I actually learned useful skills, not obscure doctrines, and the masterful presentation was such that it encouraged me to develop these skills by myself and facilitated such development. Perhaps that doesn't make much sense. So let me try a more abstract approach at describing why I think Professor Scharffs is an excellent teacher. First, take his classroom style. On one hand, he is more relaxed than the traditional, stuffy law school professor: he is much more approachable, much easier to talk to, and much less intimidating. I am personally not one who enjoys in-class participation, yet there is something Professor Scharffs's manner that made me want to join in the discussions. On the same token, there is something about the way he presents the material that makes the student want to learn. Secondly, he is genuinely concerned about his students, and he lets them feel that: he is the kind of professor I would feel comfortable taking any problem to, and I would know that he would gladly help me resolve it. Thirdly (and perhaps most importantly), he has a great deal of knowledge and experience, but rather than wearing it on his lapel as a badge for stude nts to gaze at in awe, he keeps it neatly tucked away, letting his skill speak for him instead of his degrees. . . [H]e is someone who enjoys teaching, interacting with students, yet treating them as equals rather than trembling peons."

"I have taken multiple courses with Professor Sargentich, and he is by far the best teacher at HLS that I have encountered. Professor Sargentich does three things better than anyone else: 1) Course Structure: A course with Professor Sargentich is just like the best book or article you've ever read. The whole story/argument is there on that very first page, yet it becomes more and more exciting as it unfolds. His courses have clean lines of argument running through them from beginning to end, and every piece is clearly situated within a broad story, outlined in the first week of class. 2) Simplicity: I don't think I'll forget the four or five most important issues in any of the areas of law I studied with Professor Sargentich. He presents the materials in such a clear, well thought out way that everything is simple and memorable. He helps the students discover conflict and opacity, but all while allowing us to keep our bearings. In law school, it is sometimes frustrating to deal with professors seemingly intent on confusing students. Sargentich makes everything clearer. 3) Secondary Materials: HLS is known for great scholars. It's no wonder that these scholars incorporate secondary materials into their courses. But no one is a match for Sargentich--he edits the materials down to little golden nuggets, and he explains them perfectly. I do not exaggerate when I say that he teaches Kant better than my undergrad philoosphy professors, using only two pages of text!"

"Irma innovates. She proposes new ideas for approaching material and seeks out interesting ways to engage students. I will offer just one example. She suggested that we could enrich first-year students's experiences by teaching them outside the Torts and Property and Contracts boxes. She proposed that she (teaching Contracts to our joint section that year), I (Torts), and the third Property professor engage in a debate on surrogacy with the students as our interrogators/judges. Each of us took the position that issues involved in surrogacy arrangements would be best handled by our particular area of law. The students reported that this exercise, more than anything else they studied, made clear different doctrinal approaches. Irma's wealth of knowledge in such a variety of transactional and litigation courses undergirds her willingness to experiment. She also recognizes that teaching is about continual communication--she was using TWEN and other ways to hold electronic discussions with entire classes when some of us were just learning how to program our VCRs. She knows how to have fun in the classroom--and she conveys that sense of excitement about learning to students."

"He inspires students and colleagues alike. He has the unique ability to bring out the best in even the most challenging student and to support the most gifted students in their quest to reach their highest potential. His teaching evaluations were always glowing and students often clapped at the end of particularly inspiring classes that he taught. He is a gifted teacher and lawyer but is humble—a rare combination . . . He has been honored for his public service, and deserves national recognition for his extraordinary contribution to teaching and his unwavering devotion to his students."

"Carol Rose is my ideal law professor. She loved her subject, knew everything about it, taught with great good humor and respect for every student, and didn't take the law too seriously. She trusted her own judgment about what was important to teach -- imagine, skipping the rule against perpetuities in a property course! And she always managed to harmonize the policy underpinnings of the law with the doctrine."

" . . . He has the unique ability to take information that you would normally think was incredibly dull, and turn it into something fascinating. It's ironic, when I was a student I had NO desire to do anything that even remotely dealt with corporations or the business world, but his class made me see the relevance of this industry. It's no coincidence that a few years after graduating I joined the Securities and Exchange Commission - somehow with Prof. Rogers class, it didn't seem so intimidating anymore. And he's not afraid to make a fool of himself to teach a concept. Often, you will see Prof. Rogers, _literally_ jumping up and down in his class in order to keep students engaged in what they were learning. Being on the other side of the podium now, I understand how difficult that can be in our profession, yet as a student I remember how effective that was when Rogers did it. But as much as his classroom performance makes him an excellent teacher, it's his dedication to the students that makes him extraordinary. It manifests itself on many levels. For me, it was Rogers deciding that I had excellent potential but the ability to get distracted (a very accurate assessment I may add) so he assigned me an unknown mentor/guardian angel - someone to check in on me both during and after law school. I didn't even discover the arrangement until much later - and probably never would have from Sherm - it was my mentor who told me that Rogers had taken him aside and asked him to "look after me." . . . And I know that I'm not the only one because I know of many alumni who have maintained close ties with Prof. Rogers for years (and decades) after they've had him class. He is genuinely proud of his students, and it shows in how he looks after them, long after they've left his classroom."

None provided by nominator.

"I have been studying his textbook and teaching website with an eye toward adopting it for my Crim class. An amazing combination of in-depth case studies, background readings assigned to select students who must present the material to the class, online mechanisms for voting on the resolution of cases before class, a nice combination of cases, problems and treatise like materials. Really cutting edge."

"Professor Robertson extends himself in order to ensure students learn. In the first year contracts, he posts - daily - questions on TWEN for studentsto work through in anticipation of class. Students report that if they work through those, they are well prepared for class. Students whose learningstyle requires that they think before they talk greatly appreciate this opportunity for reflection. . . He gives three exams in [his survey UCC course], helping students learn from each one, even though it again places demands on his time. He also has students work in "law firms" for this course, thus encouraging collaborative learning and ensuring better classdiscussion because of the level of pre-class preparation in a 3L course."

"Professor Robbins enjoys a wonderful reputation for teaching excellence among her students. She is known for her fierce commitment to her students as well as her willingness to address their individual concerns. The 2005 graduating class voted her ‘Lawyering Professor of the Year’ the first time the school granted this award. The Women’s Law Caucus honored her with its annual award in 2004. In addition, her evaluations consistently reflect the student’s high opinion of her outstanding performance. Her evaluations are consistently higher than the law school average score. Many [of her students] [have] called her ‘the best teacher I had in law school.’ Professor Robbins’s time in the classroom is a fraction of the total time she spends working with students. She holds regular office meetings including, when better for the students, on weekends, early mornings and even nights at her house. She provides detailed written and oral feedback on all student assignments. In doing so, she is patient, kind, and congenial. She is renowned for her purple pen and her comments are just as likely to explain why she is praising an effective part of the student’s writing as they are to suggest better ways to handle a particular legal or persuasive strategy.” “Professor Robbins’s teaching is innovative in that she regularly develops course materials in a variety of interactive formats so that students with different learning styles are equally likely to learn effectively from her. In any given class period she appeals to visual, kinetic and auditory learners. She also respects the experiences and autonomy of her students, and understands that their individual life experiences guide and shape how they learn. In this respect, she employs role play and a variety of scenarios to encourage students to interact with material instead of merely memorizing it. In her clinical courses, she asks students to do quick creative visualization exercises to help demonstrate the kind of assumptions that attorneys may unknowingly bring into a client’s case. Similarly, she also has been known to bring in board games to help teach legal synthesis and to use popular magazines to demonstrate that the best and most persuasive writing employs similar techniques of appealing to a particular audience.”

"I have Prof. Raphael as a Constitutional Law instructor. His even-handed approach to nuanced Constitutional questions ensure that the individuals in the class argue relevant points so as to avoid any sort of false liberal-conservative dichotomies. Prof. Raphael keeps his students up to date on any changes in Constitutional law and engages the class in thought-experiments about how certain precedents and rules were developed."

"From the day she gave the best job talk I'd ever seen (content was good, presentation was amazing) to last year's 'workbook' for her contracts class, it's been clear that she is an amazing teacher. She's gotten one kudo after another for her teaching. She uses a range of teaching methods aimed at different learning styles, she is amazingly creative, she personally mentors students and connects them with each other and with professionals. She started a volunteer project, Immigrant Families Advocacy Project, in which about one third of the 1L class are participating this year. I particularly love her new contracts workbook, a series of assignments in which she asks students to identify and work with their contracts in the real world -- e.g. try to negotiate the terms of a form contract."

"Professor Pouncy doesn't discuss case law. He doesn't analyze it. He dissects it. He rips it apart, exposing the viscera to his students. And then he sews it back together. Perhaps no other teacher in my law school experience has asked this simple question more consistently and effectively: "Who is the plaintiff? Who is the defendant? What do they want?" That's what our adversarial system is all about. In the search for rules of law, legal doctrine, narrow and broad holdings, the real controversy is often lost in the arcane analysis. But not in Professor Pouncy's class. Professor Pouncy takes great pride in teaching Professional Responsibility, calling it 'the most important class in law school.' I guess he's seen and heard of enough lawyers who have ruined their careers to know that issues of professional responsibility are paramount. PR is an umbrella hanging over the entire practice of law."

"Students in her class learn contract law on the pragmatic level while at the same time being exposed to legal theories. The practical approach is important because, quite simply, we need to learn the law. Yet the theoretical approach gives us the unique opportunity to develop a critical perspective and learn how to inform our own decisions. In Professor Post's classes, most often topic discussions continue long after class has ended. . . [If] a professor can engage her students to such an extent that they independently continue to delve, question, critique, research more, well, in short, isn't that the measure of a teacher's success? . . . As Professor Post once commented, 'class is a journey we take together.' And an incredible journey it is."

"He produces exceptional learning by bringing real world experience to the classroom. He commands respect from his students because he is not just an academic, but rather he is actually practicing the principles he teaches everyday in his successful law practice. He brings this professional attitude to his classroom, teaching his students how to cut through the non-sense and write like a lawyer. In my personal experience with him, he always was willing to give me extensive, substantive, highly helpful feedback. Simply put, I entered law school with a long-winded "liberal arts" writing style, and I left Professor Pinguelo's classroom with a direct style that has won me nothing but praise from my Appellate Advocacy professor and my Supervising Attorney at my Summer 2007 internship. What I believe he is most successful at getting across is how to condense a massive amount of facts and case-law into a clear and concise brief. This was something I had real trouble with prior to his class, and he worked with me on this topic extensively throughout the year. I give him much of the credit for why I was able to make the Seton Hall Law Review."

"Professor Pierce goes a step further than just reading from the case book. He puts in practical application to what he's teaching. He also is not afraid of hands on learning and in large seminar situations solicits drafting examples from students and corrects them. This is entire format for the Advanced Oil and Gas class. Professor Pierce is so involved in the Oil & Gas community that there is a general respect for him in the industry. He really may be a genius. However, when asked questions that may seem unintelligent he always responds respectuflly, humbly, and with genuine understanding that law school and the classes he teaches are difficult. He treats all students the same. Any student that goes into his office looking for help finding a job will get help. He pulls out the blue book of Kansas attorneys and starts listing names that you should call that work in your area. He takes a genuine interest in the sucess of his students. I have never met a more unassuming, kind, and intelligent person."

"I had Prof. Petit as a visiting Contracts professor while I was at Harvard. He is, of course, very entertaining, but more than that, he is excellent at stimulating discussion of even fairly boring topics. He strongly encourages students to look deeper into contracts topics, and was unusually accessible for office hours, even compared to professors who were on campus full-time. Both for students who were struggling and for students who were excelling, Prof. Petit made this the class we looked forward to every week and gave us a great grounding in contract law. He really motivated students to try their hand at either writing contracts or writing good restatements of doctrines (I wrote a shrinkwrap license for a stuffed chicken - don't ask...)."

". . . [Professor Pareja]'s courses require students to actively learn material. His teaching style incorporates problem-based learning, quizzes, written exercises, class participation, student teaching of material, along with his own creative and practice-based presentation of materials. His courses are rigorous and challenge students to grapple with new material in a way that ensures they understand and are able to apply the material. Student comments regarding [his] teaching demonstrate that he is well-regarded by his students for his high expectations of their performances. Because of his teaching, several students have decided upon tax as their area of concentration and practice, a decision which even surprised some of them."

"Dean O'Rourke, who is still teaching Secured Transactions, is a winner of the university-wide teaching award. She is a real no-nonsense teacher whose 2-credit course feels like a 4-credit course to the students, but whose clarity, thoroughness, and high expectations leave all students extremely grateful by the end of the course."

"Professor Oliver is the very model of a concerned educator. She is patient but firm, thorough but flexible, concerned but not doting . . . Students say that she takes complex material, like the Immigration statutes, and conveys it to them without oversimplification. Professor Oliver manages to set high expectations for her students and to treat them with the utmost respect at the same time. Never haughty but always professional, her students respond by not just learning the law but also learning how to be a legal professional. Students leave her elective classes knowing the law and also being fluent enough to feel comfortable as practitioners. Students leave her first-year courses not only knowing how to write but also with a deeper understanding of sophisticated legal analysis. Finally, Professor Oliver is one of the most accessible and helpful faculty I have ever met. Outside of class, she will work for her students and spend whatever time a student needs to master the material."

"In 1996, Franklin Pierce Law Center conducted a nationwide search for a 'Visiting Professor of Teaching Excellence' to assist their faculty in improving its teaching. They selected Professor Occhialino . . . As a student of Professor Occhialino, I wanted to say a few things about why I believe he is one of the best legal teachers in the nation. -First, he devotes more time to preparation than any other professor. That much is clear from his classroom performance. He scripts out every class down to the minute, highlighting the parts of cases that he wants to address, and then determining which questions will be asked. -His expectations for students and for himself are very high. He is extremely ambitious in terms of the amount of material to be covered and the depth of understanding he expects from students, and that pushes students to do more. . . -He brings out class participation in a very unthreatening way. Instead of shaming students who aren't prepared or who answer questions the wrong way, he will gently correct them with a quip like, 'what I think you meant to say was....' This makes students less afraid of answering questions in class and ensures a few laughs. He also tends to ask leading questions, which (surprisingly) lead to better, more focused discussions than broad, open ended questions. -He sets up class discussions in a very evenhanded way - when he wants to have a discussion on whether a certain rule is good policy, he is always quick to point out the benefits to both sides and jumps in to support students who take unpopular positions. This is not by accident. - He scripts these policy debates beforehand and looks to bring out the best arguments on both sides. He is also quick to shut down tangents and irrelevant comments, sometimes by telling students that their points would be better discussed after class. -All of his classroom management skills would not be enough to make him a great teacher without his ability to present a methodical approach to working out legal problems. He does not hide the ball from students - instead, he provides them with a systematic approach to analyzing problems that he repeats as often as possible throughout the year. For example, if he is teaching the tort of negligence, he will preface nearly every case with a recitation of the elements of negligence and, if any of the elements are in doubt, a recitation of the rule regarding that element. By the end of the semester, students know all of the rules down pat. -He is extremely accessible outside of class, responding to both emails and unannounced drop-ins by students."

"Professor Laurel Oates creates an interactive classroom where students are fully engaged. She selects her teaching methods (class discussion, role plays, lecture, small group work) very deliberately, matching what it is that she wants her students to learn with the teaching method most likely to accomplish that learning. She has studied educational theory extensively and has paid particular attention to the work done on "transfer in learning" as she believes that the real measure of her students' success is whether they can transfer what they have learned in her class to the multiple and different challenges they will face when practicing law. Professor Oates has also applied the "spiral curriculum" theory to the legal writing program at Seattle University School of Law: students begin with smaller and simpler research and analysis and move to progressively more difficult and complex issues, always returning to the earlier skills as well so that they can review and master them."

"He's a spectacular teacher and a wonderful writer and person. He always gets rave reviews from students and others. Tim was also named one of the 10 best law professors in Illinois by the Law Bulletin two years ago."

"Jeffrey O'Connell was my Torts professor in the 1993-1994 academic year at the University of Virginia School of Law. Professor O’Connell’s lectures were lively and engaging. He was clearly animated by a love of the subject, and he quickly charmed our class. In addition to being intellectually challenging, his class was fun. We spent more time outside of the classroom thinking and talking about Torts than any other class because of his teaching. Due in part to his influence, I practiced torts for several years. Due even more to his influence, I became a legal academic. I teach and write in tort law and theory."

" . . .[Professor Noble-Allgire] devises exercises to be done in small groups to help students learn future interests. She helps them learn the importance of facts by assigning them to prepare a closing argument on nuisance. These are instances of integrating skills with doctrine to enhance learning. In Trusts and Estates, she has students work in small groups to write a will, after giving them several challenges to master in drafting. They learn collaborative learning as well as the doctrine of will and drafting techniques. She also devotes a great deal of time to exam reviews with students and offers to read practice exam questions throughout the semester."

"Prof. Neeleman does not confine his tax course to a case book. He has developed additional problems to flesh out the relevant cases and code sections. Instead of using the traditional Socratic method while reviewing a case he uses the Socratic method with the problems. The problems create a teaching opportunity and are not merely short cuts to dispense the black letter law. The problems are usually not simple and require applying common law, relevant code sections, and previously covered materials. In addition, the problems usually have multiple parts and each part adds an additional layer of complexity. Prof. Neeleman is also a well-spring of legal ethics. Not only does he teach what is permissible under the law, but he also points out what permissible behavior is not necessarily ethical. It is refreshing to have a teacher that doesn't just teach what you can get away with. Finally, the fascinating thing about Prof. Neeleman is that even though he brings his case book and tax code supplement to class, he never opens them. It is all in his head. He remembers every detail about the cases, about his own problems, and the code text. Amazing!"

"[A] legend here. One of the most thoughtful people I know about pedagogy. I have observed his class and adopted his model for my seminar. Is supremely student oriented. Sometimes has his class draft briefs and outlines collectively in class using his computer and LCD projector. His seminar model requires the students to research and choose the class readings in the areas of their papers."

"Professor Morse is an exceptional teacher. First, he has an incredibly deep understanding of the tax law. Second, he has a true passion for the subject matter he teaches and is able to instill that passion and interest in his students. Third, is a very well respected professor. The first thing that strike as a student of Professor Morse is that he truly knows 'his tax stuff.' He doesn't just know the answers to the problems he has assigned and merely recite that limited bit of information when teaching. He takes you beyond the shallow water of superficial explanations and gives you a deep, well rounded understanding of the complicated principles of tax law. When sitting in Prof. Morse's Taxation of Business enterprise class, each day I was truly impressed with how excited he seemed to be able to teach our class. You could tell he truly enjoyed the subject matter and wanted his class to understand the concepts and develop the same level of interest. His enthusiasm along with his positive reinforcement which he provided his students when they didn't quite grasp a concept, he me realize that I too could learn and someday practice in this complex area of law."

Not provided.

"I took Professor Moll's Business Organizations course and Secured Finance course over the last two years of my law school program. I loved both of them. I was working part-time during the time I was in your secured finance course and it taught me great lessons that I could apply to my job. Professor Moll is so inspiring and so easy to learn from I have requested that he create a list serv to notify interested persons of when he is teaching or speaking. After working in the corporate world for just eight months I used the lessons Professor Moll taught me so many times--I often find myself turning to my business organizations books. I can only imagine how often I will turn to his teachings for guidance as my career progresses."

"His passion for IP law and patent prosecution was infectious. After 40 years in the field he still got excited about the IP field and took great pride in the accomplishments of his students. It is because of Professor Milton that I am where I am today. He has provided me with the tools I needed to be successful as a IP attorney." "It is his passion and energy that provide such an exceptional learning environment. While many in Professor Milton’s position have since retired, Professor Milton still takes great pride in mentoring young IP attorneys. . ." "Professor Milton trains his students to efficiently draft high quality patent applications, a skill which many patent attorneys are never properly trained to do. He has spent years developing a systematic method and a software program which lays out the specific steps to follow when drafting a patent application that can be filed in any country's patent office. Professor Milton's course gives students a strong basis for their career in patent law, which will benefit them throughout their entire career. His students are repared to make a beneficial contribution to the field of patent prosecution, just like Professor Milton has done throughout his distinguished career. He has trained some of the best patent attorneys in the country, and I am fortunate to be among the future attorneys to learn from him." In addition to providing students with invaluable technical training, he also shares practical lessons related to patent litigation, attorney-client relationships, and patent-related economic issues." "Most importantly, he truly cares about his student's progress and future success, which is why he deserves to be called one of the best law professors in the country. He drives students to be the best they can be and to settle for nothing less than perfection."

None provided by nominator.

"[H]er students report an exceptional classroom experience. Some have related to me that she is incredibly firm and sometimes intimidating, but that her method prompts them to prepare and commit to the course in an unusually significant way."

"Professor Greg Maggs, who has won our outstanding teacher award numerous times, is consistently one of our most highly respected - and highly evaluated teachers- Students appreciate how well prepared he is for each class, including the brief review of the previous class and outline of the current class. He teaches his courses with humor - and with PowerPoint slides, and makes the students enjoy attending class. Students repeatedly report that he transforms what could be awfully dull and dry material (he teaches contracts and commercial law in addition to constitutional law) into vivid and interesting and engaging material. His courses remind students that the law involves real people with real problems . . . He manages to convey his knowledge in the clearest way without being intimidating or unpleasant."

"Professor Maclin is a Crim Pro teacher known for his intellectual ferocity in class. He is a winner of university-wide teaching award. Not everyone will sign up for the Maclin experience, but those who do frequently report that they've never learned so much from any professor anywhere."

Not provided.

“I earned degrees from Princeton, Oxford, and Stanford Law and Lopez is easily the best teacher I ever had. The expectations he has for his students are beyond any I have ever seen and yet he manages to inspire them to meet and exceed those expectations routinely. It is not at all unusual for him to assign 3000 pages in a semester and students not only read the assignments, but do so, enthusiastically, critically and thoughtfully because they know Lopez has culled the best, most diverse materials available. He consistently challenges his students to new ways of conceiving their work for social change. The number of students who have studied with Lopez and gone on to teach law and practice in the public interest is without parallel. The most extraordinary thing about Lopez's classroom is the way he creates an environment where students wrestle with difficult material from across ideological and disciplinary boundaries and feel safe enough to challenge and agitate each other to achieve ever higher levels of learning. He creates the space and raw material that allows students to teach each other. His students work so hard -- and learn so much -- because they don't want to disappoint him, each other, or themselves. Would that all teachers could achieve a small portion of his success."

"Year after year, students rave about Professor Levit's classes. First, she understands how students learn and gears her teaching accordingly. [S]he brings her nurturing personality into the classroom. She is goal-oriented and goal-driven. Prof. Levit uses innovative teaching ideas in her classroom. From setting up moot court arguments in the classroom to using poems and song lyrics to get the point across, Prof. Levit is constantly searching for new ways to reach her students."

"Having taught at four law schools, Andy Leipold is the best and most highly regarded teacher I know. The University of Illinois College of Law, where I taught for eight years, is a school that takes a great deal of pride in its teaching (as does my current institution). Each year the third year class at Illinois votes for the Outstanding Faculty Member. Professor Leipold has won the teaching award there NINE times, a majority of the years he has been in teaching. Years ago, he visited Duke Law School and won the teaching award there. I'm sure I do not fully understand the depths of his skills or I would be a far better teacher than I am. But I can say a few things about his teaching because I have had many discussions with him about the subjects we have in common and I have heard many students sing his praises. First, in countless ways in the classroom and out, he communicates respect to his students, even when correcting or criticizing them. Second, the students respect him because he is clear, rigorous, and enthusiastic about his subject. As an example, for a large number of the cases he teaches, Professor Leipold has located and conversed with at least one of the lawyers involved in the case. He is thus in a position to give background information, clarifying points that may mystify those of us who only know what's in the casebook, and making the issues and people of the case more real and compelling to the students. Third, he is flat out funny."

"I went through law school in my fifties and have seen many teachers and professors of all stripes. He is as good as they come. He takes current events and relates them to the legal topic of the law. Professor Leibson makes the law come alive. He makes it easy to see the relationship between the topic and its practical application. Every classs is exciting. Never missed one and I had several classes with him. An outstanding professor. Also active in the community and totally approachable outside of class."

"[W]hat I think is the best thing about Prof. Lee is his teaching style. He is able to teach complex subjects efficiently, while at the same time keeping a sense of humor. He maintains his position as a professor, but is also very easy to relate to and down-to-earth. He is able to challenge students and ask probing questions, but supplements the socratic method with appropriate lecture and summaries. He takes a multi-faceted approach to teaching, combining in-class questioning with short out of class assignments that allow the student to develop writing and reasoning skills. He also provides opportunities for students to present oral arguments in front of the class to develop advocacy skills. Prof. Lee is just an all-around good teacher."

"Professor Mark Lee has an exceptional ability to engage students and make them think for themselves about the issues they are confronted with by a case of a particular set of circumstances. While many students are focused on getting the "right" answer, Professor Lee asks students not so much for the answer, but to think about what questions are salient to the issues at hand. The 1L student could be lulled into thinking that Professor Lee teaches first year Crim Law . . . Professor Lee though uses that subject as merely a vehicle to engage first year students in the process of thinking and giving them tools through which to analyze issues and make judgments, comparisons and differentiations. Professor Lee's exceptional teaching reaches an apex in the Law and Economics class: a class that is conducted in seminar style and allows the student a great deal of one on one time with Professor Lee. By the end of that class the students are asking more questions than the Professor. On a personal note I used the skills I learned from Professor Lee not just in the practice of law; but as a Soldier serving in Iraq."

"The students at Cleveland-Marshall quite simply adore Professor Lazarus. . . Several common themes emerge from [his] student evaluations. 'Professor Lazarus is an amazing professor.' 'Best professor at Cleveland State University.' 'Excellent instructor! I would take Lazarus for every law school course if at all possible.' 'I would recommend Professor Lazarus for all bar courses. You walk away well prepared.' 'This professor is excellent—THE BEST. I’ve taken him 5 times now. Explains things clearly and in an interesting manner. Great sense of humor, seems to really enjoy teaching.' 'TAKE LAZARUS. YOU WILL LEARN.' . . . He is a demanding instructor, insisting that students master the materials. One student wrote: 'Tough teacher, but I learned evidence.' Another opined: 'You probably could get a better grade with a different professor, but Lazarus is a must.' . . . Professor Lazarus gives multiple quizzes throughout the semester. According to his teaching philosophy . . ., students need to master the material as they progress through the course rather than wait until the end of the semester to begin studying. . . He is smart, dedicated, kind, and a man of impeccable reputation.

Professor Lanier, a Marine in every sense of the word, gave us his insight and the benefit of his experience in a "mistake free" environment, preparing students for the courtroom. He took what was an otherwise dry subject and made it come alive. He settled for nothing but the best from his students, challenging us toward excellence. He made no bones about it; if you came to class unprepared, he was as merciless as a Marine drill instructor. But for those who made honest efforts toward learning the law, he would give you the shirt off of back to propel you toward success. I was an average student, working full-time during law school, attending the night program. Professor Lanier always had words of encouragement (as long as I had done my reading) and I have to give him credit for helping me attain the success I have had in my practice."

"Professor Kull teaches Contracts and various aspects of commercial law. He is a winner this past year of a University-wide teaching award. Frequently praised by students as one of the best professors they have ever had at any level, sometimes the very best, Professor Kull is known for bringing out the law's connections to the real texture of people's lives, never allowing his students to think that the artificialities of appellate opinions are all that a professional lawyer needs to think about."

"The best thing that can be said about Professor Krauss is that first year law students at George Mason spend more time debating and talking about Torts outside of class than all other subjects combined. Professor Krauss combines a demand for intellectual rigor with an engaging classroom style. He has successfully integrated a TWEN discussion board into his first year Torts class that provides another forum for learning, debate and passion for the study of the law. Professor Krauss also teaches Legal Ethics. His class is not an MPRE review course. Instead, he combines traditional case discussion about important ethical issues with nontraditional teaching mechanisms such as a viewing of To Kill a Mockingbird. In practice I think about some of the lessons I learned in this class. Professor Krauss allows students to attend frequent office hours. The best thing about them is that you leave with more questions than you had coming in. That is the best thing about how Professor Krauss teaches - he makes you question your assumptions about the material and critically assess your own beliefs. It was a real treat to be in his class at Mason."

"[Dean Koh] is one of the two best law teachers I have ever encountered (or witnessed: I've done teaching assessments for tenure and other institutional purposes of many faculty). He has pedagogical method: demands a great deal from students and yet is encouraging and positive about their efforts, teaches on several dimensions at once, always addressing everything from information about the "players" to black letter law, policy, theory, and academic writings/players, is unafraid to express his own views and positions but with an openness that encourages challenge, and one cannot help but enjoy oneself while learning, and try to give one's best. He has a truly rare talent. I wish I could teach as he does, and clone him!"

"I was in Professor Knaplund's Property and Wills and Trusts classes, and was her research assistant. . . I was not a top student in these classes. I found that material exceptionally hard to grasp, and she had a wonderful way of making it easier to understand. She is very aware of how difficult and staggeringly large the body of material is for each of these classes, and she explains it thoughtfully, without giving the sense that she is dumbing it down. She cheerfully makes the principles accessible to even the most clueless 1L . . . However, perhaps stronger than her exceptional intellectual development skills are her personal development skills. Of anyone at Pepperdine, she is my strongest mentor and champion. She encouraged me to become a law librarian, a field she somehow knew I would love and thrive in (all true). She . . . always has an encouraging word and sound advice for me as I make the transition from student to professional, offered kindly and graciously (never lecturing). She strongly deserves this honor."

"[Teaching is a] role she excels at as much as any other. . . She has a way of making cases forever memorable through wit, anecdotes, metaphor and incisive questions. It's is impossible to attend a lecture of hers without laughing at least twice, and without feeling like the material has been brought to life. She combines this, though, with the most effective use of the Socratic method I've ever seen. I'll never forget once raising my hand to ask a question [about] the presentment clause, which she answered with a series of more questions to me. Exasperated, at one point I said, 'you're right.' That was not sufficient, as she asked me, 'Why am I right?' And worked with me until I understood the issue."

"Ashley Kane is outstanding inside and outside the classroom. It is no secret that legal writing can be hard for a first year law student to adapt to, but Ashley Kane worked endlessly in order to ensure that every single student in class was on the same page. In class, she kept us motivated and excited about learning through a highly interactive and upbeat classroom environment. Her in-depth knowledge of the components of great legal writing and oral advocacy was apparent, and there was no question she could not answer. Ashley Kane has an incredible ability to connect with her students and to translate the material in a way that makes sense to each one of them. I have never seen a professor so dedicated to ensuring each one of her students succeeds. Students were encouraged to call her whenever they needed help or guidance, and she was always more than willing to meet with students as well. I know no other professor who gives out their personal cell phone number. I cannot even begin to imagine how much of her own personal time was spent working with students. She is an extremely compassionate and caring person and is always concerned with the well-being of her students. She understands how difficult the first year of law school can be and wants to be there to help students adapt or to offer a shoulder to cry on. I spent a great deal of time in her office where she helped me cope with the emotions I was feeling from the pressure of my first year. Ashley Kane was instrumental in helping me make it through my first year of law school."

"Professor Jonakait structured his course to facilitate comprehension by diverse learning methods. I had him for torts and his course covered all the substantive areas (including products liability) in a clear and structured format. At the same time, he challenged students to move beyond their own perceptions and to begin to analyze the issues from a myriad of perspectives. He demanded students to act like lawyers in the classroom, making them speak with conviction and clarity on the topic even if they were unsure of the answer. His class was filled not only with the substantive knowledge, but the wisdom of a litigator. I came away from the class not only feeling like I understood the common law tradition of torts and the rise of legislative means to alter tort decisions, but also what it means and how to be a zealous advocate for my client."

"Dr. J, as his students affectionately call him, is an invaluable asset to our law college, and I consider him the single most important educator, mentor and counselor to myself and other students. His teaching style evolves as his students evolve, from an intimidating, yet approachable Contracts professor for first year students, to a trusted and wise advisor and teacher to second and third year students. His humble and methodical approach teaches his students to think as practical lawyers while appreciating the legal concepts that provide such thinking. He treats his students as equals and never lets the confines of political correctness or academic arrogance stand in the way of providing a challenge to any student that wishes to learn from him. Dr. J is someone that students look up to as a leader and also look to for candid advice as aspiring young attorneys. I am confident that I speak for the vast majority of student s that have had the opportunity to be educated by this pillar of our law school."

"Professor Hylton teaches tmployee benefit plans, insurance law, and a seminar called Law, Work, and Poverty. While enrollment in these sorts of courses is modest, students almost universally love Hylton's clarity and engagement with the subject matter. She always makes the ERISA class into a law school favorite for many students, and her Law, Work, and Poverty seminar always prompts some students to say it was their best course in law school. In Insurance Law, virtually everyone loves her, and a large minority write that she is the best and clearest professor at BU and/or would take any course she taught."

One of our legendary teachers here. Wins the teaching award so many times in a row that we should rename it for him. Weaves in high concept interdisciplinary stuff with vivid examples to make arcane environmental regulations not just interesting but exciting."

"Professor Hillinger teaches in the areas of commercial law and bankruptcy. She is legendary at BC Law School for being devoted to her students, both in and out of the classroom. Several years ago the students at the annual talent show (the “Law Revue”) performed a skit where Professor Hillinger gave up a kidney for one of her students. That image seems to capture it all. There is no one here at the law school who is more committed to ensuring the intellectual growth and future professional competence of her students than Ingrid Hillinger. Bankruptcy practitioners all over this country attribute their start in the field to her tutelage and mentoring. The genuine warmth and compassion which she shows for her students—and they for her—is inspiring." "I suspect that some faculty members achieve excellent course evaluations by either pandering to their students or spoon feeding them. Ingrid does neither. Her courses are rigorous and demanding. She heaps work on the students, requiring them to complete several problem sets throughout the semester in addition to the normally required final examination. She is a master at getting students to parse complex statutory language and caselaw interpreting it, and then to apply legal doctrine to hypothetical problems that she carefully constructs. The students refer to her classes as “bootcamp.” They sweat blood in Ingrid’s classes, but the hard work pays off not only in grasping difficult material, but also in earning Ingrid as a mentor and ally for life. Ingrid Hillinger is a modern day Kingsfield, without the sarcasm or the attitude." "During Academic Year 2007-2008 Ingrid Hillinger taught an amazing 1000 student contact hours. Excluding sabbatical years, she is consistently in the top quartile of law faculty in terms of teaching load. Her classes are almost always fully subscribed. Her teching evaluations are even more impressive. On a scale of 1-5 on Question 1 “Effectiveness as a Teacher” the students consistently rate her at or near a perfect 5." "Professor Hillinger maintains this consistently excellent performance in the classroom while achieving an impressive scholarly record and performing exemplary service to the community and the practicing bar. She is the faculty advisor to one of our student law journals (the Uniform Commercial Code Digest) and the faculty advisor to one of our national moot court teams (The Bankruptcy Moot Court team). She serves on the advisory board for Lexis/Nexis, one of the major legal publishers in this country. She is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy, and, this year, participated in the Federal Judicial Center bankruptcy education program." "It is not an exaggeration to say that Ingrid Hillinger is both a legend in the classroom and a luminary in the bankruptcy field."

The "velvet hammer." That is the nickname students have given Gerry Hess. It's a wonderful image, a combination of compassion, respect, strength, and high standards. It doesn't begin to describe the many attributes - tangible and intangible - that contribute to his teaching, but it suggests many, as I know from having spent a semester observing his civil procedure classes. In class, Gerry's focus is on the students. While it was clear from the outline, questions, handouts and many active learning techniques that Gerry had spent hours preparing his class, in the classroom itself, he served as the guide, not the expert. Students' voices dominated class discussion; class after class Gerry structured learning exercises that enabled students to solve problems, figure out how to apply rules, and analyze complex materials. Gerry also provided students with an extensive variety of learning activities each class, allowing students to shine according to learning styles and strengths. Gerry's students were also deeply honored. When students spoke, Gerry listened as if the student was the most important person in the world. He knew all their names within a few classes, no matter how large the group. He made them feel special. But there was no mistake about his high expectations - students knew what he expected and worked hard to master material. Listening to them talk outside of class, they clearly cared about him and wanted to do well - not from fear, but from a sense of not wanting to let him or themselves down. Gerry brings remarkable energy, enthusiasm, humor and humility to teaching. Rarely before have I seen a teacher who so clearly enjoyed the role, even while not making himself the center of attention. Gerry made jokes at his own expense, regularly encouraged students to see themselves as the experts, and to laugh with him about his mistakes. The affect in the classroom was playful - students were there to work hard and learn complicated material, but they could have plenty of fun doing so. They laughed frequently and often. They were having fun learning to be lawyers.

“I have Prof. Haney as a Contracts instructor and I must say that his methodology is unbelievably effective (at least to me) in conveying what I heard was one of the more difficult subjects to master as a first-year student. Prof. Haney is an obviously well-rounded teacher who demonstrates the clear modern applicability in everyday practice of what seem to be confusing rules. Additionally, he is a very warm, charming individual who strives to ensure his students are well-served and interested both in the particular class and law in general."

"I was a student of Amos Guiora's where I took part in his innovative counterterrorism prosecution course. I later became a colleague of his and watched as his courses continued to blend theory with real world experiences. This isn't just a catch phrase--Amos actually created in class counterterrorism simulations for his students where they needed to bring together advisory and decision making skills in some contexts, and advocacy skills in others. Outside the classroom Amos was a fantastic mentor. He could be consistently counted on to put the interests of his students and colleagues ahead of his own. Law professors have flexible schedules, but you wouldn't know that from observing Amos who consistently arrived well before 9am and left the office well after 10pm. He created internship and employment opportunities for students and treated them like colleagues, entrusting them to attend national security related conferences and symposia funded by donations he personally raised. His motto always was 'students first' and that was clear in both word and deed."

"In her academic work, Lani Guinier seeks to provide robust meanings to turns like "democracy" or "diversity" where other people fall flat. The same is quite true of her pedagogy. She approaches every student with the same decency and respect for opinion that makes them each feel like a scholar. In a world of legal pedagogy that often asks students to learn the professor's framework of thinking, she instead encourages students to develop their own framework. Having now graduated a couple of years ago, I see clearly the rewards of taking her courses. Her life's accomplishments -- both in and out of academia -- are a treasure to the legal community; her legacy, however, will most certainly be the accomplishments of the lives she touched."

"Prof. Gordon is a true Renaissance man who combines real-world experience, exceptional knowledge, and superior teaching skills to explain concepts, convey information, and impart knowledge. His classes are always entertaining AND informative. Furthermore, he genuinely cares for his students! An impressive combination."

"I am nominating Leigh Goodmark as a law professor who produces 'exceptional learning.' Her syllabi and case plans are masterly crafted with specific goals for each seminar. More importantly, her execution of the class is done to maximize the students’ learning through experience, discussion and reflection rather than simply lecture. Because it is the students’ voices that matter so much to Leigh and because they are the ones who have experienced the learning, I am providing some reflections from Leigh’s former students." "One recent student told me 'After I spent the first year of law school learning about all the things that I was not, Leigh helped me to discover all that I am. Her careful guidance and undying encouragement as a supervising attorney in the Family Law Clinic allowed me to discover my greatest strengths, face my deepest fears, and feel extremely confident about myself as a lawyer and a human being. . . . Leigh reaffirmed my abilities as a writer by praising my written work and my creativity in meaningful and thoughtful ways.' Finally, this student remarked 'Leigh’s approach to teaching sparks in her students a genuine love for the practice of law and a sense of confidence that will stay with each of us as we go on to become leaders in the legal community. While I prepare to graduate from law school, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of confidence in myself and excitement about my future as an attorney. I know I owe that to Leigh. Thanks to Leigh’s magic touch and her unwavering support that I know will continue long after I graduate from law school, I am excited to be a lawyer and I know that I, like Leigh, can be the kind of lawyer that makes a difference in the lives of others.' "Another former student wrote me that 'Professor Goodmark’s teaching and my year-long experience as a clinical student serve me well as a new attorney. . . She gave me knowledge, but more significantly she gave me confidence. . . . In the haze of exams, personal struggles, and countless hours of studying, I forgot that I was a young, capable attorney-to-be. Leigh reminded me of this and believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. . . I rely on Professor Goodmark’s teaching everyday, hope to continue learning from her as a colleague, and plan to call Leigh a life-long friend.'" "Similarly, another student stated that 'Leigh G. has an incredible comfort level with her students and her approachability makes her stand out amongst the faculty. . . . She treats students as her colleagues and is genuinely eager to learn from them, creating an environment where I felt comfortable, for the first time in law school, to actually voice my opinions and participate in class. . . . It is her non-traditional style of teaching family law that really gets people interested. She can take an article from People magazine or U.S. Weekly or an anecdote from her own life and make it relevant a topic being discussed in class. Even better you remember the concepts!'"

"Professor Goldsmith was my most intimidating and most exciting law school professor to date. He infused evidence with real world examples from his own practice as a prosecutor. He kept the class on their toes by asking questions not about cases or examples read in class, but about applications of the Federal Rules of Evidence to real life situations. I entered class always slightly in fear of being called on, but left feeling validated in my knowledge and like a competent, can-do attorney."

"Alex Glashausser embodies those traits that produce exceptional learning. First, he cares about his students, comes to know them as individuals, and understands their unique problems, needs and interests. Second, he demonstrates a passionate interest in the subjects he teaches (in spite of the fact that he teaches civil procedure). And third, he works tirelessly to improve his teaching, experimenting with new techniques, and constantly finding ways to engage his students. Whether it is 'clickers' or movie clips or partially-created graphic organizers or any other innovation, he thoughtfully finds ways to inspire and stimulate his students. I am not aware of a single time when he has turned away a request for counsel or assistance from students or colleagues. Even with his heavy workload as academic dean, he has chosen to provide individual support to students who need it. He treats everyone with non-judgmental respect, helps us to see the best in others, and never becomes defensive when challenged. His interpersonal intelligence matches his analytical skills, and he models professionalism."

"Joseph Glannon is known nationally for his ability to explain complicated concepts in a way that students can understand. His book, Examples and Explanations: Civil Procedure, is one of the most widely used law texts in the country, because of the way in which Professor Glannon makes the complicated subject of civil procedure accessible to his students. Professor Glannon is equally skilled in the classroom. He has won teacher of the year honors twice on a faculty of over 80 professors. Professor Glannon's students consistently rave about his ability to make the law and its many ambiguities understandable. He not only helps students to learn doctrine, but even more importantly, he helps them learn how to think through the law's many grey areas. Professor Glannon is, quite simply, an extraordinary teacher."

"My standards are high (doubtless to a fault), but I can tell you that Susan will take your breath away if you watch [her] in or outside the classroom. On a good day, I can "carry [her] lecture notes."

"It’s the atmosphere of the classroom that sets Prof. Gianelli apart from other Professors I have had. I believe this atmosphere produces exceptional learning. The atmosphere is that of an action film rather than like many of my courses: a bad rendition of "Gone with the Wind." The latter being lengthy and verbose, with a lack of animation. Professor Gianelli engages the material with the vociferous tenacity that is only seen in a hungry child getting carte blanche access to the candy store. His passion for the material and the study of the law of Evidence has keened not only my interest, but more importantly my intellect into the study of this omnipresent area of the law. Along with the passion he brings to the classroom a balance of sincerity and levity captures the students attention for the entire period. I have never encountered a person that is able, in one breath, to tell a joke and deliver a profound thought on evidence with seamless stride. This ability makes the student active in his course and holding on his every word. Finally, a teacher is not complete without his ability to serve his students. Professor Gianelli maintains an open door to the students, and they procure it. He told the story one day of a student that felt comfortable enough to tell him of her rape incurred the previous weekend. A sad truth to be sure, but I am not surprised she turned to Professor Gianelli to seek guidance."

"Professor Gerken has only been at YLS for a short time, but she has already made an incredible impact (unsurprising, given that she was already known as a fantastic teacher on the basis of one visiting semester). She is the Platonic ideal everyone has in mind when arguing that high expectations lead to high results--from day one of a seminar she taught on election law, she treated all the students as though we were professional colleagues evaluating and grappling as equals with a swathe of recent election law scholarship. I think every student in the class expressed to her at some point that he or she felt like they were the only person not performing at the same level as everyone else in the room, but Professor Gerken is so talented at eliciting further thoughts in a nonpatronizing way that she pulled every nervous student out of their shell and made them feel like they had something to contribute not just to discussion in the class, but to the broader discussion among aca demics. I would not be surprised if ten years from now, all the best election law scholarship is being published by students who were in her class." "Professor Gerken is one of the most enthusiastic law professors you will ever encounter. She truly, truly loves what she teaches, whether it is election law (where she is an expert) or civil procedure. She demands excellence from her students, asking very difficult and sophisticated questions, but always relating them back to the greater themes of the course. She is also creative in her teaching methods, holding a poetry competition and hosting a jeopardy-like game show in order to teach dry civil procedure concepts in dynamic ways. She is also extraordinarily dedicated to her students, taking a tremendous amount of time to mentor them and talk to them about potential career paths. I am not sure how she manages to be an amazing scholar, teacher, mentor, and parent (to 2 young children) all at once, but she is the perfect model for how a young professor can do it all, and do it well."

"Professor Gedicks has an excellent approach to his Constitutional Law class. His approach is probably more difficult than others but produces a deep appreciation for the Constitution. Rather than approach constitutional issues topic by topic and doctrine by doctrine, Professor Gedicks approaches it from a historical perspective. By doing so he was able to bring in more of the external elements that influenced constitutional interpretation. As a result of this the Constitution really came to life. In addition to the historical approach that he took, his ability to stretch his students through the Socratic Method was bar none the finest I have personally experienced. Students knew that if they were to participate in his questioning they must come prepared. His unique line of questioning required not only familiarity with the text but also a great degree of personal analysis and idea formulation. Last of all, Professor Gedicks excellence is seen in his personal attributes. He maintains a proper humor in the classroom yet at the same time a seriousness about the law that impresses upon students the importance of the law. This was exemplified, in particularly, during his final lecture on the Gettysburg Address in which he shared with his students life’s lessons that we should take from the happenings on the battlefield of Gettysburg and in President Lincoln's address. He would be an excellent candidate for any award for superiority in teaching.

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"Steve Friedland produces exceptional learning through the belief that student understanding is the paramount objective of a professor. To that end, Friedland constantly seeks to improve his own teaching style and to figure out what will maximize student understanding. He regularly employs several teaching techniques, such as hands-on learning, in-courtroom trials, visual aids, and traditional question-and-answer methods. He also regularly gives practice questions to his students to better prepare them not only for his own exams, but for the Bar. If that's not enough, he regularly does "Extra Optionals", which are extracurricular classes doing nothing but answering student questions about a given subject. If a student submits a writing sample, Friedland reads and responds to it. . . He is always willing to give advice and help with student and school projects. . . He is constantly encouraging and engaged. Seriously, no one deserves this award more than Friedland."

"Professor Freiwald is USF's biggest asset. As a First Year Contracts professor she pushes you to master concise yet powerful articulation. In cyberlaw, she encourages thoughts that challenge the state of the law. Though a brilliant scholar, Professor Freiwald puts her students and their mastery of the law first. We are lucky to have her."

"Professor Freedman's influence has touched his law students for over [fifty]years. He exemplifies all that is right with law school teaching and creating a positive and realistic learning environment. I have emulated his pedagogy in my own college law classes. Professor Freedman is one of the greatest civil libertarians of our time."

"Paula Franzese gives students academic information but she also ignites or rekindles a passion for learning and zeal for knowledge. She makes complicated, archaic material come to life . . . She uses what would otherwise be mundane life experiences to impart wisdom, compassion and hope in her children, her students & everyone whose lives she graces. She won Student Bar Associations' Professor of the Year award an unprecedented 8 times. One of the most important things Paula Franzese teaches is that those who are given great gifts, the kind of gifts that have been bestowed on every lawyer – intelligence, leadership, entrepreneurial drive, economic bounty, and the ability to solve problems – those gifts come with obligations. She teaches us to follow in her footsteps & to reach out & better the world around us because we can, especially working together."

"Professor Elizabeth Foley exemplifies all the qualities we seek in an extraordinary teacher. She is extremely bright yet down-to-earth and approachable. She is passionate about the material she teaches, yet welcoming to divergent points of view. In fact, her passion is so strongly felt that it has rubbed off on me and I attribute my passion for Constitutional law to her. . . More importantly, Professor Foley has inspired me to shoot for the stars and to challenge myself far beyond my own expectations of myself. My esteem for her has instilled in me a commitment to proving that I too have what it takes to be in her shoes. It may be a dream, but its a dream worth aspiring to."

"When I first signed up for Dr. Fish's Jurisprudence class, I was anticipating an interesting class due to the subject matter, but I honestly did not expect how engaging and student-oriented Dr. Fish is. A lot of students lazily default to the misconception that an accomplished academic is something of a bore in the classroom, and I was doing the same thing." "Dr. Fish is probably as student-oriented a professor as I've had--from elementary school on. He will make sure you understand the concepts--which are not the light stuff you learn in torts or property. He's been known to keep his students in class beyond the schedule end when he feels t