Lawyers, Law Students, and People.

Despite the myths and the movies, law teaching does little more than the most obvious things for its students. It is a sometimes clever, often boring, initiation rite for the legal profession, and it serves up reams of information about the law. However, the materials of law are the materials of human beings, and these experiences have to be measured in terms that go beyond winning or losing law suits. It is this essential human component that is neglected in legal education. If law is not humane, it is not just. This theme is illustrated in a study of legal education and law students the students' personal and social background; their attitudes, skills, and problem-solving abilities; the relationship between certain personal influences and professional behavior; the classroom experience; and the law school climate. An extensive bibliography is included. (Author/MSE)