Let me preface by saying that I appreciate Eben’s dedication to teaching and his efforts to make us think critically about the law. That being said, I think some of the criticisms expressed above are legitimate. I certainly do not think we should be coddled during our time at CLS, however I do not think our professors should routinely denigrate their students either. While there may be utility in unabashedly criticizing students’ ideas and being confrontational, Eben’s pedagogical methodology is too often singularly characterized by these elements. Without providing a good cop to complement the bad cop, Eben’s teaching often tends to be more frustrating than educational. Undoubtedly, Eben has the knowledge and passion to be an absolutely fantastic teacher, but without toning down the rhetoric and being a little more affable, I don’t know if he will ever be as good, or effective, as he could be.

-- TaylorMcGowan - 07 Apr 2010