Teaching Evidence – Cleveland

The AALS Evidence Section is looking for proposals about teaching evidence using new technologies, to be presented at the AALS Mid-Year Meeting Conference entitled The Future of Evidence: How Science and Technology Are Changing Evidence Law, June 3-8, 2008, in Cleveland. The full request for proposals is after the jump. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 1, 2007.

MEMORANDUM
TO: Teachers of Evidence

FROM: Planning Committee on AALS Conference on The Future of Evidence: How Science and technology Are Changing Evidence Law
Edward K. Cheng, Brooklyn Law School
JoAnne A. Epps, Temple University
Edward J. Imwinkelried, University of California at Davis
Tamara R. Piety, The University of Tulsa
Michael Risinger, Seton Hall University
Michael J. Saks, Arizona State University
Eleanor Swift, University of California, Berkeley, Chair

SUBJECT: Request for Proposals on “Teaching Evidence with New Technologies – Something for Everyone.”

As previously announced, we are planning an AALS Mid-Year Meeting Conference entitled The Future of Evidence: How Science and Technology Are Changing Evidence Law. The conference is scheduled for June 3-6, 2008, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Workshop will be part of the AALS Mid-Year Meeting, which also includes the Conference on Constitutional Law.

Many members of the AALS Evidence Section have expressed great interest in learning from their colleagues how to enrich and enliven their teaching of evidence with injections of classroom technology. We think this Conference presents a unique opportunity for the interchange of ideas and information on such teaching innovations. Therefore, we have planned to devote one afternoon of the Conference to demonstrations and discussion of the use of new technologies in the classroom. To make this afternoon a success, we need your help.

By this memorandum, the Planning Committee is requesting proposals for making one of the presentations that will be featured as “Teaching Evidence with New Technologies – Something for Everyone.”

Our Goal: Our goal is to offer between 6 and 10 demonstrations of the use of new technologies in teaching the basic class in evidence law. These demonstrations will be held concurrently, each in a separate room, during the afternoon of Thursday, June 5, from approximately 2:45 – 5:00 p.m. We are requesting proposals for these presentations because we want to offer a wide range of innovative uses of technology, and we know that we do not know who is doing what in the classroom and beyond. We want to offer an afternoon that is lively and fun, as well as informative.

What We Are Looking For: We are looking for demonstrations of how you use video clips, power point, CALI exercises, electronic voting by students in class, computer access to the internet, websites, podcasts, virtual courtrooms, you name it – or, some combination of the above. It can be something you do consistently or occasionally. We only ask that it be a teaching technique that you have used successfully for long enough to be able to demonstrate it and discuss it informally with your colleagues.

Format: We envision each presentation lasting approximately 45-50 minutes, with 15 minutes for the demonstration itself and your explanation of it, then having ample time for questions and discussion as follow-up. We may ask each presenter to give the same presentation twice, so that Conference participants can attend at least two different presentations during the 2:45-5:00 time slot. We also want presenters to be able to observe some of the demonstrations themselves. We will fine tune our ideas about this format when we review the submitted proposals.

Selection of Presentations by the Planning Committee: Are you interested in giving a presentation? We hope so. Please submit a written proposal to present your classroom technology that is no more that one single-spaced page in length. The proposal should include a description of how you use the particular technology in teaching; briefly, why you think it is successful; what kind of demonstration you could give at the Conference; and what special equipment would be needed for the demonstration. A resume should accompany the proposal. Please submit these materials by e-mail to Gehan Girguis, AALS Executive Assistant, at ggirguis@aals.org, by October 1, 2007. The planning committee will make selections shortly thereafter.

Your Reward: The faculty members chosen must register for the Conference. The registration fee will be waived, but presenters will be responsible for their own travel and other expenses. This same policy applies to all law faculty speakers at the Conference.

Questions? Any questions about the program or proposals should be directed to Professor Eleanor Swift, Chair of the Planning Committee, at eswift@law.berkeley.edu.