Gift To Help Expand DU Law's Experiential Learning Program | Law ...

Posted on 10 December 2012.

LAW WEEK COLORADO

The University of Denver Sturm College of Law has received a $2.25 million gift to expand the school?s experiential learning curriculum.

The donation will endow the new Mulligan Burleson Chair in Modern Learning, allowing professor Roberto Corrada to further incorporate real-life legal problem solving into his classes. DU Law has been a leader in the use of experiential learning tools as law schools grapple with criticism that they aren?t properly preparing students for the real-world legal community.

?We are committed to developing client-ready graduates who will provide value to their clients and to their employers,? said Dean Martin Katz.

The school?s experiential learning includes an expansion of opportunities in the school?s legal clinics, where students practice as lawyers in real cases, in real courtrooms, under the guidance of professors. Students will also engage in more simulations and externships, honing them for the practice of law outside the classroom.

Law schools have come under fire in recent years for not producing practice-ready attorneys. Under the traditional system, schools prepared students with case law and writing intensive classes, and firms were expected to teach the new hires the practical aspects of practicing law, often at the clients? expense. New teaching methods employed by some schools around the country, including DU, throws students into real-life situations during their schools.

The donation for the modern learning chair come from alumni Jim Mulligan and Joan Burleson. Mulligan practices real-estate law at the Denver office of Snell & Wilmer. Burleson has worked as a commercial and bankruptcy lawyer at local firms as well as in-house positions with national companies.

The gift is augmented by a donation from alumnus and trustee Doug Scrivner and his wife, Mary.

Source: http://www.lawweekonline.com/2012/12/gift-to-help-expand-du-laws-experiential-learning-program/

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