It was a GOOD week for:
Settling sensationalist sex cases, after Case Western Reserve University announced it had settled a lawsuit with a professor who alleged retaliation for reporting alleged sexual harassment of students and staff by former dean Lawrence Mitchell. Raymond Ku, a former associate dean, alleged that Mitchell potentially had sexually harassed law school faculty and staff. Mitchell resigned from the university in March.
The details of the resolution are confidential, per the statement. However, Ku is now director of the law school’s newly created Center for Cyberspace Law & Policy. The center had previously been an office, created in 2008, as a joint entity of other law school centers.
Unique ways to study for the bar exam, with the release of Study Songs, an app that helps students memorize bar exam material by turning the content into songs.
Study Songs offers 70 original songs that cover a variety of topics from the Multi-State Bar Exam, from contracts to torts. The songs were all written by lawyers who have graduated from Ivy League schools, and co-produced with a singer from “Glee.” Each song comes with an interactive readout of the lyrics, which include definitions that the student can click for more information as they’re studying.
According to the company, the idea is based on the philosophy that we easily recall information that’s set to music, such as song lyrics and grade-school lessons. The creators applied a similar principle when creating the app, which is marketed as both a contrast and a supplement to conventional study methods.
It was a BAD week for:
Legal education, after President Barack Obama tried to steer students away from a career in law. The president hosted a video chat interview from the White House in which Tumblr users posted questions for him to answer. On the topic of future prospects for humanities majors, Obama admitted that a changing economy made the opportunities bleak.
“We have enough lawyers, although it’s a fine profession,” Obama said. “I can say that because I’m a lawyer.”
Obama instead encouraged students to study STEM fields to better prepare them for higher-paying jobs after graduation. The president went on to acknowledge that students will most likely do best in a field that they’re passionate about, but added that there will be times when they have to take a job just to pay the bills.
