I used to think of reflection as silly. Why talk about our feelings when we could use that time for learning a new strategy for legal research? Clearly, I didn’t understand what reflection was or how to properly integrate into the classroom. However, over my past several years of teaching, I have learned that reflection is an important learning tool for my students and for me.
Reflection is defined as “an active learning strategy that requires complex and intentional intellectual engagement with the goal of generating learning.”[1] The earliest articles about reflection in legal education emerged in the late 1980s[2], but even in articles written in later years, such as 2011[3] and 2019[4], indicate that there is still little written in this area.
The available literature recognizes reflection as an emerging trend, because it helps students develop valuable tools for forming a professional identity and how to learn from their law school experience.[5] As one legal scholar notes, it is essential to “introduce students to reflective practice early and effectively.”[6] Failing to do so to leads to student resentment and misunderstanding a pedagogical tool that can lead to lifelong learning.[7]
I wanted to share some reflection strategies I have used successfully in the classroom. This year, I introduced reflection in the classroom by using a reflective activity that students will follow up on at the end of the year and integrating reflection into their assessments. The key to the success of these methods was being explicit and explaining the purpose of each activity.
Student Reflection
Be Explicit
The first reflective activity I had my 1Ls engage in was writing a letter to their future selves. I introduced this activity after leading a discussion about the importance of remembering their “why” for coming to law school. I told the students that I would give them their letters back at the start of the next semester. They could see how far they’d come and add to their letters if they wished.
Although this exercise is still ongoing, the students were incredibly thoughtful in their responses. I even granted them an extension as many of them wanted to devote their personal time to this ungraded activity. I believe being explicit about my intentions helped get student investment in this exercise.
Explain the Purpose
An additional way that I incorporated reflection into the classroom was by creating an optional reflection section at the end of student assessments. I asked three short questions: how long the student spent on the assignment, what they found most challenging about the assignment, and what they found to be the most important thing they had learned from the unit. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the answers that I received from students, especially since this was an ungraded portion of their assignments.
Prior to the questions, I had a brief explanation explaining the purpose of this optional section, which I have included below.
“The purpose of the questions in this section is to help me understand your experience completing this assignment. I want to be sensitive to your other obligations, and your feedback helps me create challenging, yet manageable, assignments.”
By being clear about why I wanted students to complete this activity, they reflected in-depth about how they intended to use what they’d learned. Some students even considered how they would apply their skills they learned to their summer internships and future legal careers.
Instructor Reflection
In addition to asking the students to reflect on their work in legal research, I’ve also benefitted from reflection as a legal research instructor. I teach two sections of legal research a week. I reflect after each class to think about what I can do better in the next session and then next year.
The process that I’ve used for reflection is setting aside 15 minutes after class to decompress and reflect. Somewhere in those 15 minutes, I set a timer for 5 minutes. I have a Google spreadsheet where I keep my notes, and I just type stream of consciousness about the class that day. I’ve found that by just letting myself type without any restrictions, I pick up on themes or areas of improvement that I might not otherwise. This often leads to a more streamlined second class, and I also feel better equipped to assess whether what I’m doing in the classroom is accomplishing the learning objectives in the way that I would hope.
I’ve really enjoyed integrating this into my teaching practice, but I’ve found that the biggest challenge is making the time to do it. It’s easy to get sidetracked, but I often feel more confident, prepared, and insightful when I do make time for reflection.
What are some ways that you use reflection in your legal research classroom? Leave them in the comments below!
[1] Camesha Little, Think, Reflect, Refine: Shaping the Modern Lawyer, 28 UDC L. Rev. 30, 41 (2025).
[2] Anthony Beck, Legal Education and Reflection, 19 Law Tchr. 193 (1985).
[3] Mary-Rose Russell, Reflections on Learning: Student’s Insights on their Learning in a Legal Research Skills Course in the Core Curriculum, 45 Law Tchr. 45 (2011).
[4] Brea Lowenberger, Advancing Rigorous Reflective Practice in Legal Education Through Assessment: A Guide for Educators, 53 Law Tchr. 446 (2019).
[5] Little, supra note 1 at 51; Simon Brooman & Sarah Stirk, Who Am I? Using Reflective Practice and Self-Determination to Redefine ‘Employability’ in Legal Education, 41 Liverpool L. Rev. 79, 81 (2020); Daniel M. Schaffzin, So Why Not an Experiential Law School – Starting with Reflection in the First Year, 7 Elon L. Rev. 383, 391 (2015).
[6] Michele M. Leering, Perils, Pitfalls and Possibilities: Introducing Reflective Practice Effectively in Legal Education, 53 Law Tchr. 431, 433 (2019); see also Michele Leering, Conceptualizing Reflective Practice for Legal Professionals, 23 J. L. & Soc. Pol’y 83, 93 (2014) (articulating a method for properly incorporating reflection in to the legal classroom).
[7] Leering, Perils, Pitfalls and Possibilities, supra note 6 at 433.