Celebrity-focused classes engage new law students

A South Dakota law professor typically teaches about dense topics like torts and natural resources. But next semester, he and his fearless students are shaking things up by turning their attention to Taylor Swift. Sean Kammer wanted his legal writing course to draw on music and art to help his students reconsider legal language and craft persuasive arguments. The self-described “Swiftie” thought a focus on the cultural icon was also a way to connect with his students. Never in his wildest dreams did Kammer expect the attention that the announcement generated — the class filled up quickly and jealous alumni even reached out.  “The reaction from students has been exciting,” he said. “If we can have fun while we're exploring some of these complex theoretical problems or issues, I believe students will be inspired to think deeper and to push themselves further.” Swifties at the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law aren’t the only ones having fun. Law professors across the country are increasingly drawing on popular culture and celebritydom — sometimes with the help of celebrities themselves — to engage a new generation of students and contextualize complicated concepts in the real world. Courses on Swift, Rick Ross and "Succession" supplement traditional law school courses with fun and accessible experiences that professors say they often didn't have themselves.  Courses that incorporate pop culture offer a different context for the fundamentals that students learn in their traditional courses, said Cathy Hwang, who co-taught a University of Virginia corporate law course last year inspired by Succession. The class investigated the show’s prickly – and often duplicitous – legal matters, like hostile takeovers and securities law. Hwang said she was trying to engage and nurture a love of learning in students who “grew up with different interactions with technology and pop culture than what I did.” “To me, it’s not so much what’s my teaching style, but what's the students’ learning style?” Hwang said. “It's important, I think, as a teacher to keep evolving and trying to meet students where they are.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.