Helping Students Get it: How Law School Instructors Can Use Four Characteristics of Successful Second-Language Acquisition Pedagogy to Create Successful Law Students

Abstract

Law students may come to law school with no training in how to learn. While many new legal educators have strong academic and professional experience, they may have little, if any, training in how to teach before teaching their first law school class. Because learning the law shares epistemological similarities to acquiring a second language, legal educators should apply four characteristics of successful second-language acquisition pedagogy to help law students evaluate and improve their learning skills. This article explains these characteristics, based on language acquisition theories, and how each characteristic applies to legal education, providing specific examples of strategies and techniques legal educators can use to help law students succeed. These characteristics will help make law students metacognitive about their legal education, thereby making them more likely to succeed on law school exams, on bar exams, and as practicing attorneys.