Socratic Method for the Right Reasons and in the Right Way: Lessons from Teaching Legal Analysis Beyond the American Law School

Socratic method is associated with law school teaching by which students are asked questions in class that require them to analyze cases and derive legal principles. Despite the method's potential benefits, students usually do not view it as supportive and enriching but rather as a kind of survival ritual. As a pedagogical approach for use in any field, teacher-led dialog can encourage learning that deepens and broadens knowledge and develops analytical and decision-making abilities. The observations in this article stem from the author's experience with students who had never before been taught with a Socratic method and initially resisted it, but who responded eagerly when its benefits were made clear to them. The courses in which the method was employed include an undergraduate political science course, a graduate introduction to law course, and courses in Polish law schools. These observations illuminate the nature of an effective Socratic method that addresses criticisms of variations often encountered. This article also discusses how effective engaged dialog comports with research about learning to think analytically.