Academic Research and Writing as Best Practices in a "Practically Grounded" Land Use Course

Matthew J. Festa, South Texas College of Law

Abstract

Land use is a discipline that involves diverse academic, practical, and social perspectives; it is also an ideal subject for applying nontraditional teaching methods, including those suggested by the “best practices” movement in legal education. In this article—a contribution to the “Practically Grounded” conference on teaching land use and environmental law—I suggest that a scholarly research and writing focus can help students develop their practical and analytical skills and values while achieving “best practices” goals in the context of a doctrinal land use course. In the article I set forth a pedagogical basis for including an academic writing component in a doctrinal land use course, and I discuss the experience of teaching a large land use class with a significant research and writing component. The benefits from an academic writing focus can also apply to teaching in other doctrinal fields.