Ralph Brill facts for kids
Ralph L. Brill (December 19, 1935 – June 21, 2019) was a respected Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is best known for making legal writing an important part of law school education. He helped many future lawyers learn how to write clearly and effectively.
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Early Life and Education
Quick facts for kids
Ralph Brill
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| Born | December 19, 1935 |
| Died | June 21, 2019 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Professor of Law |
Ralph Brill was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were immigrants from Romania. He went to the University of Illinois. There he earned both his first degree and his law degree. While in law school, he helped edit the University of Illinois Law Forum. He became a lawyer in Illinois in 1960. His very first case as a lawyer was about a dog bite.
Starting Legal Writing Classes
Professor Brill started teaching law school in 1960. He taught at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He began teaching a special subject called Legal Writing. This was part of a course named "Problems and Research."
Brill quickly saw how important it was to teach practical skills in law school. He also noticed that teachers of "skills" like legal writing were treated differently. They were paid less and had less power than teachers of "traditional" law subjects.
In 1961, Brill moved back to Chicago. He took a job at Chicago-Kent College of Law. This school later joined with the Illinois Institute of Technology. Brill taught many subjects there, including Property and Agency. For much of his career, he taught Torts. He also added a class on Famous Trials in History.
Building a Strong Legal Writing Program
In 1977, Chicago-Kent asked Brill to create a bigger legal writing program. At that time, legal writing was not seen as a key part of legal studies. Most legal writing departments were small. They often had one director and many part-time teachers. These teachers were not seen as "real" law professors. Some schools even thought legal writing was just a basic grammar class. They believed law firms should teach these skills.
Brill's Vision for Legal Writing
Brill knew that teaching legal skills was more than just grammar. He suggested a three-year program for legal writing. This program would be taught by actual legal professionals. It would also be the same high quality for all students. Brill also wanted smaller class sizes. This would allow students to get more personal help.
The Chicago-Kent faculty agreed to Brill's plan. Their legal writing program became a model for other law schools. Chicago-Kent became known for giving its students excellent legal training.
Leading the Program and Helping the Profession
Brill led Chicago-Kent's legal writing program for 14 years. During this time, he worked to improve the standing of legal writing teachers. In 1985, he helped start the Legal Writing Institute (LWI). This group brought legal writing professionals together. Before the LWI, they had few chances to share ideas. The LWI helped them work together to improve their programs and their status.
Brill also made sure his own department's teachers had stable jobs. Even if they weren't tenured, their contracts were not limited. He also started using technology in his teaching early on. He used online discussion groups and visual presentations. In the early 1990s, Chicago-Kent was known for using technology in law school. Brill helped set up standards for online learning in law schools. These standards were for the American Bar Association (ABA).
Brill stepped down as director in 1992. But he stayed at Chicago-Kent. He continued to teach Torts and related subjects.
Making a Difference in Legal Education
Professor Brill did much more than just legal writing. He was also an interim dean at Chicago-Kent twice in the 1970s. He also worked with the school's moot court team. He sponsored an award for their internal competition.
Brill was a leader in bringing computers into law school classrooms. He talked about using laptops for exams instead of handwriting them. He was also active in the Chicago Bar Association. He helped write rules that required lawyers in Illinois to continue their legal education.
Connecting Legal Writing Professionals
In 1994, Brill started an online discussion group (listserv) for legal writing professionals. This group grew from a few people to over a thousand members. It helped legal writing teachers talk daily about their programs. This group helped unite professionals in the field. It also improved the quality of programs across the country. Brill also helped lead the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD). This group works to advance the goals of the profession.
Improving Standards for Legal Education
In 1995, Brill worked with Professor Richard Neumann to ask the ABA to require more skills and writing instruction in law schools. The ABA then adopted new requirements for writing in law school. In 1996, Brill and others argued that the ABA should improve job security for legal writing teachers. This led to the ABA adopting standard 405(d). This standard helped put legal writing teachers on a more equal footing with other law professors. Many schools later gave legal writing professors even more job security than required.
In 1997, Brill worked with other experts on the "Sourcebook on Legal Writing Programs." This book collected information on existing programs. It also gave ideas for the best programs. It suggested smaller class sizes and better pay for legal writing teachers. The Sourcebook became a guide for schools wanting to improve their programs. It showed the ABA that legal writing was key to a good legal education.
Today, the ABA and law schools pay more attention to legal writing. U.S. News & World Report even looks at the quality of legal writing programs when ranking law schools. These rankings consider the status and job security of legal writing teachers.
Awards and Recognition
Brill received many awards for his dedication to legal education.
- In 1997, he received an award from the AALS Legal Writing, Research, and Reasoning Section. This was for his contributions to the legal writing profession.
- In 2004, he received the Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award. This honored his work in legal writing and education.
- In 2006, he received the Burton Foundation's "Legends of the Law" Award. This was for his "outstanding contribution to legal writing education."
- In 2007, Brill and Professor Molly Lien received the first Legal Writing Institute Terri LeClercq Award for Courage. This award honors brave acts that advance legal writing.
- In 2009, Chicago-Kent created a special visiting professor position in his name. It was called the Ralph L. Brill Distinguished Visitor. They also planned to create an endowed chair (a permanent teaching position) in his name.
- In 2011, the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) created the Brill Award. This award honors him for 50 years of teaching and contributions. Brill was the first person to receive it.
- In 2011, Professor Adrian James Walters became the first Ralph Brill Endowed Chair at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.
