The Early History of the Case Method in US Law Schools

The early history of the case method in U.S. law schools was fraught with controversy. Created by Harvard Law School Dean Christopher Columbus Langdell, it took decades for the case method to take hold in law schools across the country.

This short video was adapted from Bruce Kimball’s article “The Proliferation of Case Method Teaching in American Law Schools: Mr. Langdell’s Emblematic ‘Abomination,’ 1890-1915”
History of Education Quarterly
Vol. 46, No. 2 (Summer, 2006), pp. 192-247

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