Class Environment
Welcome to Torts!
I’m committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive classroom that supports your learning. I’ll teach the class mostly by asking questions. Sometimes I’ll call on particular students and ask questions. Other times, I’ll pose questions to the entire class and invite volunteers. Your job is to be prepared to participate every day. But things happen. If you find yourself unprepared, please email me at least an hour before class starts so I’ll know not to call on you. There’s no hard cap on the number of “passes” each of you may take, but I’ll talk to you if I’m concerned about your participation.
Our discussions in class will sometimes involve uncomfortable situations — that’s an essential part of law school. We’ll tackle difficult policy questions that highlight conflicting social values, and it’s critical that we all listen in good faith when we disagree. I find this to be a good practice generally, but it’s a particularly useful skill for lawyers. This doesn’t mean we can’t disagree with each other — quite the contrary! — but I expect everyone to act respectfully at all times. This semester marks the beginning of your career in a profession, so I expect you to act professionally. Professionals can be serious or silly, but they must be responsible and respectful.
When you’re participating in class, what matters is quality, not quantity. Quality doesn’t mean giving the “right” answer — there’s often no such thing, and even wrong answers can be great learning tools. The key is to be prepared and make your best effort to put your thoughts into words. Try to support your answers with reasoning and evidence. Your contributions will be valuable building blocks for our discussion, even if they sometimes feel clumsy in the moment. I expect you to support each other as colleagues. We’re all in this together — it’s a collaborative process. Please trust me.
Some people have anxiety about speaking in class. This isn’t the end of the world, but it is something we can work to fix. Talk to me if you find you’re one of these people. We’ll work on it or work around it.
Please be thoughtful about your use of technology in class. I’ll explain what I mean by “thoughtful” when we meet. No recording or photography, please.
The law school’s attendance policy applies to this course, and violations of that policy may result in involuntary withdrawal and a failing grade in this course. In short, attendance is required, and I’ll excuse your absence only if you’re unwell or if a serious and unavoidable conflict arises. If you miss a class, please get notes from a classmate and discuss the material with them before coming to my drop-in hours to talk through things further. Classes won’t be recorded or streamed online unless I have to reschedule a class entirely.
And for reasons eloquently expressed here, please call me Professor Kadri.
See you in class!