Teaching Judgment: Michael Madison Teaches More Than Copyright Law

When Michael Madison left Silicon Valley to begin teaching law, he thought a lot about how to teach judgment:

“This was a question that was at the forefront of my mind because it was so much a forefront of my practice.”

Today, he offers an upper level copyright law course that teaches students judgment, along with legal analysis, factual investigation and analysis, confidence to express an opinion regarding what a client should do (or not), and the ability to express all of those things in writing.

“I want students to feel not just the responsibility but the unease that comes with forming and expressing a professional judgment and having a client rely on that. Good judgment or poor, the client's perspective comes first. If students can use those feelings to start to build confidence in themselves, then they are on their way to professional success."

Madison’s course, which includes student collaboration and a heavy legal writing component, debuted as our latest course portfolio this week. Click here to view the full course portfolio, including video interviews, materials, and description.