In this episode of Reimagining Law, we talk to Blake D. Morant, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the University of California Irvine School of Law and Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School. Blake discusses how to reverse the trend toward incivility, why he establishes rules of engagement in his classroom, and cancel culture’s impact on the legal profession.
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Timestamps
- 0:49 – You’ve been an advocate for civility for some time. Incivility in our society and specifically in our political rhetoric seems to be getting worse. What can we do to reverse this trend?
- 1:43 – Why should lawyers embrace civility? What’s in it for them? What’s in it for their clients?
- 3:16 – What have you observed about the civility of discourse in law schools and among law students over the last number of years?
- 5:27 – Are there rules of engagement that are expressly given to students during law school?
- 6:55 – Do you express expectations for student behavior in your class?
- 7:09 – How do the students respond?
- 7:59 – Have you found that when students get out into the world that those lessons are reinforced?
- 9:23 – How does a lack of civility compare to cancel culture?
- 14:10 – Lawyers are uniquely skilled at being able to put information out there. I hope they will listen to your wise words and act accordingly.
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Blake D. Morant
Blake D. Morant is the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law and the Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law and former Dean of The George Washington University Law School. Prior to serving as Dean of GW Law, he served as Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law, where he built a national reputation as an exceptional law school administrator, a tireless advocate for students, and respected legal scholar.
He speaks around the globe on pressing issues in legal education and professionalism, and has published extensively in his areas of scholarly focus, including contract theory, media law, and administrative law. Dean Morant has served in numerous national leadership positions at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and the American Bar Association (ABA), including as AALS President in 2015. He has served as a member of the ABA’s Commission on the Future of Legal Education and is president emeritus of the AALS Fellows.
About Reimagining Law
The Reimagining Law video series explores how legal and judicial professionals are adapting the delivery of services to meet the unique needs of today’s consumers. Reimagining Law is produced by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. This episode was recorded on August 25, 2020.