The Development of Moral Reasoning in the Law Curriculum - An Exploration of Various Teaching Activities

Developing the capacity for moral judgment is an essential professional competence
for lawyers. What teaching and learning activities in the law curriculum can be used
in order to contribute to students’ moral reasoning and moral judgment? Four
teaching methods were tried out in the period 2019 to 2021 at the Utrecht University
School of Law: teaching methods that either work with (hypothetical) dilemmas (I);
in-class reflection papers (II); experiential learning based on own experiences in a
simulation situation (III); or clinical teaching in a real law firm (IV). The effects of
these methods on the development of moral reasoning were measured using the
Defining Issues Test (DIT). Additional information on the effectiveness and utility
of the method was gathered using semi-structured interviews with teachers. The
DIT results were compared at the beginning and at the end of the courses and related
to the teaching methods. This article presents the outcomes of this study and
formulates some recommendations for further research on the topic.