Michael I. Meyerson (University of Baltimore School of Law), Reimagining Legal Education: The Transformative Power of Small-Group Instruction, 49 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 869 (2026).

Here is an excerpt from the Abstract of this terrific article:

Legal education is failing its students. Those entering their first year of law school have greater anxiety and less developed reading and writing skills than ever before. The traditional large Socratic class, which was never the most effective teaching method, has become increasingly counterproductive.

This Article contends that small-group instruction provides the opportunity for superior teaching, especially for first-year law students. Recent scholarship in active learning, educational psychology, and students’ mental health demonstrates the limitations of the traditional large Socratic class experience. Building on that theoretical foundation and informed by sustained classroom experience, this Article argues that small-group pedagogy more effectively fosters engagement, deepens doctrinal understanding, and develops professional competencies such as collaboration, communication, and the responsible use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

The article does a wonderful job pulling together ideas from the active and experiential education literature and explaining how small group learning improves student motivation, inclusivity, and long-term skill acquisition. It also offers best practices for using small groups and addressing barriers to implementation of the idea.