Abstract
One instruction that you are unlikely to hear in a law school classroom is, "Okay, let's sing." It is also an instruction the students are not likely to follow, unless the song you ask them to sing is Take Me Out to the Ball Game 1 and you ask them to sing at the lull about three-quarters of the way into class. Then you will likely get them to not only sing, 2 but to stand, stretch, and be alert and receptive to learning a new concept or skill. Your success will be even greater if you step away from the podium and allow a pair of students to teach the new concept or skill for the next five minutes. 3 Major League Baseball recognizes the value of the Seventh-Inning Stretch 4 to give spectators a break and maintain interest in the game. 5 This article suggests that law school professors use this tried, true, and familiar practice to teach new concepts and skills to law students. Part I describes the educational theory which supports the method, focusing on the challenge of capturing and maintaining law students' attention. Part II describes the method. Part III provides a very specific example of how to use the method to teach a new concept, legal citation, to first-year law students. Part IV considers the advantages and disadvantages of the Seventh-Inning Stretch teaching method. I. EDUCATIONAL THEORY SUPPORTING THE SEVENTH-INNING STRETCH: CAPTURE AND MAINTAIN LAW STUDENTS' ...