Making Films in Law School

At the Law and Film conference this weekend at the University of Maryland, many fantastically interesting speakers presenting their ideas on the relationship between law and film. One such speaker was Robert Percival, the Robert F. Stanton Professor of Law at the University of Maryland. In his environmental law seminar each year, his students make short films elucidating an environmental issue that the class has covered. Topics have ranged from pollution from waste management facilities to the deterioration of the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay. As best I understood, the University of Maryland provides a single IMAC and a digital film camera for production purposes. The results (there was a session at the conference showing the "Environmental Law Film Shorts" by law students from 2003 to 2006) are very funny, very informative short films that demonstrate a commitment and engagement by the students in the legal, political and social issues that the class has raised. It got me to thinking how so many other law school classes might greatly benefit from this kind of project in relation to such a small an expenditure of money. The other benefit of the filmmaking by the students is that every year the school hosts an Environmental Film Festival, which draws crowds from the student body at large. The film project therefore contributes to the social and personal dimensions of the law school experience as a whole. One might imagine -- as Professor Percival said explicitly -- how at alumni gatherings the films from the Environmental Film Festivals become milestones and memories that graduated law school classes celebrate when they return to the school as alumni.

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