Consulting Services
Co-Directors Michael Hunter Schwartz and Gerry Hess and Consultant Sophie Sparrow have years of experience providing faculty development and curriculum design consulting.
Teaching and Learning Sessions
The Co-Directors and the Consultant have presented sessions on teaching, learning, and curriculum development at national and regional organizations, including:
- American Bar Association
- American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Professionals
- American Association of Law Schools
- Association of Legal Writing Directors
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction
- Center for Engaged Learning in the Law at Elon University School of Law
- Center for Transactional Law and Practice at Emory University School of Law
- International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- Institute for Law School Teaching
- Japan Law Foundation
- Legal Writing Institute
- National Judicial College
- Practicing Law Institute
- Southeastern Association of Law Schools
- State Bars of New York and Kansas
- United States Agency for International Development
Workshops for Law Faculties
The Co-Directors and the Consultant have designed and delivered workshops for law faculties in the United States, Japan, and Canada. The workshops have ranged from an hour or two, to a half or full day, to multiple days. The law faculties have included:
- Albany
- Alberta
- Appalachian
- Baltimore
- Brooklyn
- Campbell
- Capital
- Charleston
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland-Marshall
- Denver
- Dickinson
- District of Columbia
- Faulkner
- Franklin Pierce
- Florida Coastal
- Gonzaga
- Hastings
- Hawaii (Richardson)
- Hofstra
- Howard
- Illinois
- John Marshall (Atlanta)
- John Marshall (Chicago)
- La Verne
- Lewis & Clark
- Loyola (Chicago)
- Marquette
- McGeorge
- Mercer
- Miami
- Michigan State
- Minnesota
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Nanzan (Japan)
- North Carolina Central
- Northern Kentucky (Chase)
- Nova Southeastern
- Pace
- Phoenix
- Queens
- San Francisco
- Santa Clara
- Southern
- Southern New England
- Southwestern
- Tulsa
- University of Missouri Kansas City
- Washburn
- Western State
- Whittier
- Wisconsin
Faculty Development and Curriculum Design Topics
The Co-Directors and the Consultant have presented on the following topics:
- Active teaching and learning methods
- Teaching law students to be self-regulated learners
- Teaching law by design (instructional design and learning theory)
- Variety to engage students and improve learning
- Assessment (formative, summative, large and small classes)
- Creating effective learning environments
- Course webpage design to maximize learning
- Implications of the Carnegie and Best Practices studies
- Maximizing your limited instructional time with students
- Principles for Enhancing Legal Education
- Cutting-edge teaching techniques
- Collaborative course design
- Curriculum review process and product
- Washburn's first week curriculum
- Gonzaga's Skills and Professionalism Curriculum
- Design options for academic success programs
- What the best law teachers do
The Co-Directors and the Consultant are also comfortable working with your organization or faculty to design a session or workshop on an appropriate topic.
Consulting With Individual Law Teachers
The Co-Directors and the Consultant have consulted and are willing to consult with individual faculty members on teaching and learning issues.
Workshop and Consulting Fees
Workshop and Consulting Fees vary with the length of the workshop or consultation and the amount of preparation and travel required. Please call or e-mail any or all of us for more information.
Gerald F. Hess
Professor of Law
Co-Director, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning
Gonzaga University School of Law
PO Box 3528
Spokane, WA, 99220-3528
(509) 313-3779
ghess@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
Michael Hunter Schwartz
Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Development
Co-Director, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning
Washburn University School of Law
1700 SW College Avenue
Topeka, KS 66621
(785) 670-1666
michael.schwartz@washburn.edu
Sophie Sparrow
Professor of Law
Consultant, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning
Franklin Pierce Law Center
Two White Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 513-5205
ssparrow@piercelaw.edu


