Lawprof Amy Cohen spent a semester-long sabbatical from Western New England College School of Law working at a law firm practicing IP law, an area of law she has taught for many years. On her return she wrote an interesting article: The Dangers of the Ivory Tower: The Obligation of Law Professors to Engage in the Practice of Law, 50 Loy. L. Rev. 623 (2004) (not available online). Cohen writes that the experience of working at a firm was quite useful both to her and her students:
What I learned from this experience was more valuable than I had expected. First, I learned quite a bit about the practical aspects of copyright law and trademark law that I had not and probably never would have encountered in the ivory towers of academia. For example, I learned how actual trademark searches are done and what issues are frequently raised by trademark examiners who evaluate trademark applications. I also learned how to search for a design mark and where to look for descriptions of goods and services that are acceptable to the trademark office. These may seem like simple and perhaps even trivial matters, but in reality these are the type of matters about which students often ask and with which I previously had no direct experience.
Furthermore, I was able to do research on a number of cutting edge, substantive issues that I might never have realized were of practical significance had I not been there to see how such issues arise in practice. As an illustration, I did some research on the copyrightability of a magazine layout and learned that the Copyright Office has been quite strict in its interpretations of the standards of originality, despite a contrary Supreme Court decision, which had led me to assume otherwise. . . . The fact that th[is] issue came up in the context of a real client’s problem, as opposed to purely academic meanderings, made it much more exciting and interesting for me to try and understand the underlying issues.
These experiences will also undoubtedly enrich my teaching. For one thing, I have a new appreciation for what kinds of issues arise in practice and how practicing lawyers resolve them. I am hoping to modify my syllabi to emphasize those issues and to illuminate for my students why such issues are important on more than a purely “academic” level. Additionally, I can develop a whole set of “hypotheticals,” problem sets, exam questions, and paper topics from the actual case files that I reviewed and discussed while at the firm. To be able to use materials that are based on real client problems and to be able to talk about the arguments made by the lawyers, clients, and the decision-makers in the actual cases will add a level to my teaching and to the understanding of my students that I could not have provided without this experience.
This experience observing the world of practice will also make me a better scholar. Although legal scholarship has moved in a more theoretical direction in the years I have been teaching, I continue to believe that much good can be accomplished by traditional scholarship. Lawyers and judges can still benefit from thoughtful analysis of case law and statutes. My experience at the firm made me aware of a number of questions in copyright and trademark law that scholars should address, and it has provided me with the inspiration to write about such questions, knowing that in the world of practice there is still a need for the analysis and insights that a traditional scholar can provide.
Just a few quick (and probably unoriginal) observations on my part —
As a general matter, I think there is a lot to this. Although I don’t think law professors have an obligation to practice law, an awareness and understanding of the issues that arise in legal practice can be tremendously valuable for professors both in terms of teaching students and writing scholarship. In most cases, understanding the real world can make academics much better at what they do. Even those who bring a more theoretical bent to their work can benefit, as it always helps to understand the real world details that you’re theorizing about.
At the same time, it’s important to note that the usefulness of practice expeience depends on the subject. With a few exceptions, a couple of years at a firm won’t help you teach or write in the area of constitutional theory or jurisprudence. Law schools host a wide range of subjects and approaches, and some are less related to legal practice than others.
Thanks to Out-of-the-Box Lawyering for the lead.
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