Language of Law School: Learning to "Think Like a Lawyer"

During the first year of law school, students are reputed to undergo a transformation in thought patterns—a transformation often referred to as “learning to think like a lawyer.” Professors and students accomplish this purported transformation, and professors assess it, through classroom exchanges and examinations, through spoken and written language. What message does the language of the law school classroom convey? What does it mean to “think” like a lawyer? Is the same message conveyed in different kinds of schools, and when it is imparted by professors of color or by white women professors, and when it is received by students of different races, genders, and backgrounds? This study addresses these questions, using fine-grained empirical research in eight different law schools.