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You’ve probably already read dozens of stories about Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, and you’ll probably read a dozen more. The controversy over the SCOTUS seat (which, in an alternate timeline belongs to Merrick Garland) has generated a lot of think pieces on the import and long-term impact of a potential Justice Gorsuch. But here’s an interesting tidbit — he’s anti-laptop, well, anti-laptop in law school classes at least. From Law.com:
What also stood out was [Gorsuch’s] ban of laptops in the classroom. He forbade students in his legal ethics class from using computers — an unusual move within law schools, where laptops are ubiquitous.
The computer exile was intended to eliminate distractions, boost engagement, and prompt students to listen carefully to each other, according to Jordan Henry, a second-year Colorado law student who took Gorsuch’s course last semester. And it was so effective that Henry voluntarily stopped using her laptop on several other classes.
“When you close the computers and get rid of distractions in class, you respond to each other and bring up counterpoints,” she said. “It makes for a true discussion and a much more engaged class — and frankly a more interesting class.”
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Listen, Judge Gorsuch is hardly alone in rueing laptops in law school. Many seasoned professors note the increased participation and engagement when students are forced away from the distractions of Facebook and Above the Law. But it is a noteworthy glimpse on how Gorsuch likes to conduct business.
As Law Prof, Gorsuch Banned Laptops, Garnered Respect [Law.com]
Earlier: Laptops And Law Students: A Bad Combo?
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Kathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).