CELL Blog | Center for Engaged Learning in the Law

As my previous (and only other) blog entry suggested an exercise for a first class in a Civil Procedure course, it seems fair for my second entry to describe how I typically conclude a course in Evidence.

For some years I have ended courses by bestowing my version of the Academy Awards on deserving students. Using a list of award categories that you can easily find on movie-related websites, I conduct a brief awards ceremony during which I bestow “awards” (if Tootsie Rolls and the like can be considered awards) on a few students whose classroom efforts merit them.

By way of example, here are a few awards I handed out at the end of my Fall 2007 Evidence course:

Student A received an award for Best Public Service Short Feature for starting one class with a riveting promo for a student organization’s upcoming activity.

Student B received an award for Best Foreign Language Short Story for remembering 2 of the 3 elements of res ipsa loquitur.

Student C received an award for Best Animated Feature for waving his arm in the air more often than any other student.

Student D received an award as Best Supporting Actor for reminding me on two occasions during the semester that I had not yet assigned a problem to him to discuss in class.

Students E and F received an award for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing for most in-class whispering.

The categories are of course fluid and they vary from course to course depending on classroom happenings and my ability to remember them. (Keeping track of award-worthy events as they happen is obviously a good idea, but apparently beyond my capacity.)

Last classes are generally poignant events for me. Our little community, artificial and brief as it may be, will never exist again. An awards ceremony is upbeat, and an enjoyable way to review some of what took place while sending almost everyone out of the classroom with a smile on their face.