•  
  •  
 

First Page

300

Last Page

317

Document Type

Symposium

Abstract

Increasing polarization magnifies the importance of inter-cultural dialogue, which can be fruitful if the participants treat one another with civility. Civility manifests in various forms, and this Comment will focus on civility through the lens of Stephen L. Carter’s lauded book Civility: Manners, Morals, and the Etiquette of Democracy, applying lessons at the micro-level in the law school classroom. Part II explores various aspects of civility and the rules governing civility. Then, Part III focuses on civility in the legal profession and California’s new Continuing Learning Education (CLE) requirement. Next, Part IV briefly addresses views of civility from faith perspectives. Part V explains the links between bias and incivility, impeding inter-racial and inter-cultural dialogue. Lastly, Part VI concludes the Comment with concrete strategies for more effective civil dialogue in the law school classroom, which also extend to the broader world. This Comment presents a multi-pronged civility rule that applies broadly to our current circumstances: civility mandates resistance to wrongdoing, refraining from assuming or impugning motives, and acknowledging the validity of contending groups with sensitivity to marginalized individuals.

Download

Share

COinS