Attorneys representing families and children face ethical dilemmas that are largely unaddressed by the rules of professional conduct. Where rules do address ethical issues in this context, they tend to appear as exceptions to the general rule. From the business aspects of crafting fee agreements for divorcing couples to the heart wrenching counseling dilemmas when an attorney faces family violence issues, the rules of conduct recognize that representing families and children is different than representation in many other areas. Family law attorneys serve in a variety of roles that have unique ethical demands: whether acting as a mediator, collaborator or guardian ad litem, attorneys must craft a set of standards for themselves out of a patchwork of ethics opinions, voluntary guidelines and occasional court decisions or rules. In Ethical Issues in Family Representation, Professor Barbara Glesner Fines provides an important resource to fill the regulatory gaps and resolve the ethical dilemmas. Through a combination of problems, readings, and primary source materials, the text examines the most common dilemmas of family law practice. The text is divided into seven topic areas: * Practicing Family Law -- Good Ethics is Good Business (fees, unbundling & working with other paralegals) * Competency (dealing with emotion, interdisciplinary practice) * Clients and Conflicts (identifying the client, resolving common conflicts issues) * Confidentiality (client capacity, dangerous clients, the client in danger) * Special Issues in the Representation of Children (Resolving ambiguities in models of representation) * Dispute Resolution -- Advocacy (litigation ethics, the special problem of the pro se litigant) * Dispute Resolution (Negotiation, Mediation and Collaborative law) An appendix contains specialized standards of practice for the field. The text is an excellent resource for family law teachers to use in their courses and clinics and for the development of specialized courses in this field. For the family law attorney, the text will make an excellent deskbook resource for answering common dilemmas.

Using extensive and novel new research, this book explores one of the long-standing challenges in legal education - the prospects for bringing legal theory into the training of future lawyers.

Are you struggling in law school, or are you going to law school soon? Then, this book is for you. It was written by an expert in legal education, who has taught at law schools for 15 years and who has written six books on legal education.The book shows you what works, and, equally importantly, what doesn't work for succeeding in law school. The book begins by helping you develop a growth mindset and self-motivation. Then, it gives you study techniques that will help you learn efficiently and effectively, such as self-testing, interleaving, and spaced studying, as well as study techniques that are a waste of time. It explains how to read a legal text effectively and how to brief cases. It introduces you to the nuts and bolts of law school and gives you context for law school. It also explains wellness, which will help you survive the rigors of law school. Finally, it helps you become a self-regulated learner, which is important for doing well in law school and as a lawyer.

The 19th century saw dramatic changes in the legal education system in the United States. Before the Civil War, lawyers learned their trade primarily through apprenticeship and self-directed study. By the end of the 19th century, the modern legal education system which was developed primarily by Dean Christopher Langdell at Harvard was in place: a bachelor's degree was required for admission to the new model law school, and a law degree was promoted as the best preparation for admission to the bar. William P. LaPiana provides an in-depth study of the intellectual history of the transformation of American legal education during this period. In the process, he offers a revisionist portrait of Langdell, the Dean of Harvard Law School from 1870 to 1900, and the earliest proponent for the modern method of legal education, as well as portraying for the first time the opposition to the changes at Harvard.

Learning the Law is unique among law books. It does not say what the laws is; rather, it aims to be a Guide, Philosopher and Friend to the reader at every stage of his legal studies.