Responding to concerns of the somewhat tiresome nature of ethics classes, the University of Chicago Law School altered its approach last fall, turning instead to more of a case-based course.
Said J.D. ’09 Brad Humphreys: “People go into [ethics class] with a certain amount of dread. The concern is that the class won’t represent what actually happens in practice.”
As a result, Chicago reformed its offering, “Legal Profession: Shades of Gray.” Feedback thus far has been more positive and, according to the article in the Chicago alumni magazine, The Record, other law programs are inquiring about the new approach.
Typically, ethics classes, which are required for all American Bar Association-accredited programs, review established standards of conduct. Chicago’s new iteration features “more nuanced real-world situations” and role-playing opportunities so that the students can view a dilemma from both the attorney and client angles.
