5. Transcending Boundaries in Legal Education: A Vehicle for Teaching Students to Think Critically

Abstract

Legal education has traditionally been defined by many boundaries.  Characterized by taxonomic structures and doctrinal categories, legal education is, for the most part, still seen as inextricably linked to a particular political geography and state normativity.  The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the pedagogical benefits of shattering established boundaries in legal education.  It will assess how teaching from multiple perspectives in an integrated curriculum inculcates critical thinking skills in students, better enabling them to question assumptions, uncover hidden assumptions, and graduate as independent and innovative legal thinkers.  Focusing on the transsystemic McGill Law Program, this paper will discuss the rewards of engaging students in an intellectually pluralistic and tradition-neutral legal curriculum, one that eschews silos and borders and focuses on creating agile and creative minds in future jurists who will be able to confront contemporary legal issues holistically and with a critical perspective.