CELL Blog | Center for Engaged Learning in the Law

Over the course of my career in legal education, I’ve developed positive relationships with colleagues at other schools. Several of my distant colleagues have become my friends. But for purposes of this post, my focus is on my professional relationship with them as teachers.

I speak monthly or so with several law teachers from around the US and Canada. My “teaching partners” teach a wide variety of courses – first-year requirements, upper level electives, clinics, legal writing, and seminars.

My teaching partners facilitate my professional development in several ways.

•    First, each of my “teaching partners” is a dedicated, thoughtful legal educator. In every conversation with them, I get insight into teaching and learning.
•    Second, since they teach at other schools, they often have a perspective that is shaped by the culture at their schools, which may be quite different from the culture at my school. Their perspectives give me a broader view of legal education.
•    Third, because they are not at my school, I can whine and vent in ways I may not want to do with colleagues at my school.
•    Fourth, when I hear about their interactions with their students and colleagues, I learn more about my relationships at my school.
•    Fifth, we help one another brainstorm potential responses to the professional challenges come with being a teacher.
•    Sixth, they offer generous feedback on my scholarship about teaching and learning.
•    Seventh, they have become my co-authors for books and articles on legal education and my co-presenters in faculty development activities.

I could go on. Suffice it to say that my teaching partners are highlights of my professional life.

For those committed to continuous improvement in teaching, like-minded colleagues at other schools can be a wonderful asset. Our willingness to connect and support one another on a regular basis is a gift we give and receive.