September 8th, 2011
TED Talks share great ideas and observations that are relevant to many people, especially law students. Within TED’s over 900 talks, you’ll find intriguing legal ideas, lessons in living a better life, and even inspiration for becoming a better student. We’ve gathered a collection of 20 talks that examine issues of law, politics, and life, and offer big things for law students to think about in the legal world and life after law school.
-
Julian Treasure: 5 ways to listen better
Julian Treasure shares an important lesson for anyone in this talk: a reminder to listen better, and five ways do to so. Treasure believes that we’re "losing our listening" in a world that keeps getting louder and louder, not able to consciously listen to the people and the world around us. As a law student and future legal professional, it is so important to fully absorb what you’re discussing with professors, classmates, clients, judges, and colleagues, so be sure to check out this talk.
-
Johanna Blakley: Lessons from fashion’s free culture
Copyright law is an important part of many creative industries, especially music, film, and software. But in the world of fashion, there is little to no protection from copying, and the industry seems to embrace it. There is only label trademark protection, allowing designers to outright copy one another in designs. Blakley argues that this leads to a more open and creative process, as designers sample from each other and gain inspiration from the street. Even the makers of cheap knock-offs are accepted in fashion, as most designers note that knock-off customers wouldn’t have purchased the original anyway, and the spread of fashion, even in a diluted form, is a good thing for the industry. Blakley’s talk is an interesting discussion for law students, as she discusses an industry that could make great use of copyright law, but chooses not to.
-
Michael Sandel: The lost art of democratic debate
As a law student, you probably engage in a healthy amount of debate, but not everyone is fortunate to have such practice. Even upon graduation, debate may not be a part of your usual practice, and Michael Sandel believes this is a shame. Watch his talk to find out why democratic debate is so important, and how you can improve your debate skills to make them a regular part of your life.
-
Laura Trice suggests we all say thank you
Have you considered the importance of etiquette lately? Get a quick refresher course in this talk from Laura Trice, as she explains how much power the two simple words "thank you" hold. Watch and understand why it’s so important to say thank you, and see how magical these words can be as they deepen friendships, repair, and show gratitude.
-
Hanna Rosin: New data on the rise of women
Look around your classroom: how many of your classmates are women? Hanna Rosin’s talk explains how women are beginning to surpass men in important measures, including college graduation rates. Find out if this trend signals the end of men, or just a societal shift in Rosin’s TED talk.
-
Larry Lessig on laws that choke creativity
Copyright laws exist to protect the creators of content, but Larry Lessig is concerned that they are at the same time cutting off the creativity they are designed to protect. With laws that choke creativity, extremism seems to develop, where content is cut off even from fair use, and often, users ignore the law completely. Lessig believes that a read-write culture full of user generated content better serves the ability to be creative, producing for the love of art, and we should carefully examine laws that prevent the spread of this culture.
-
Patrick Awuah on educating leaders
Many factors lead to the creation of a leader, but a good educational background is often a solid foundation for great leaders. Patrick Awuah believes that a liberal arts education is part of this strong educational background, and you should watch his talk to consider how liberal arts can enrich your education and future as a leader.
-
Margaret Gould Stewart: How YouTube thinks about copyright
Larry Lessig referenced YouTube in his talk as a place where content creators remix popular culture, sometimes under fair use, and sometimes not. Margaret Gould Stewart expands on this in her talk, explaining how YouTube handles copyright on their website. Watch Stewart’s talk to learn about how the popular video site navigates copyright within the "creative ecosystem."
-
Rebecca MacKinnon: Let’s take back the Internet!
Who would have thought we’d need to debate the presence of free speech on the Internet? Rebecca MacKinnon’s talk explains how free speech and the right the be online is being challenged, and what we can do about it. Definitely check out this talk if you’re interested in the future of laws governing freedom and control of the Internet.
-
Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes
As a law student, you’re learning every day, possibly even in your sleep. But Diana Laufenberg believes that the best learning comes not from books or lectures, but mistakes. Watch this talk that explains how we can better learn from what we’ve done wrong, and move on to do well in the future.
-
Richard St. John’s 8 secrets of success
Everyone wants success in life, with whatever that means for each person. And while one might believe that people reach success in many different ways, analyst Richard St. John believes that there are certain things all successful people do to get to where they are. Watch this talk to find out what St. John believes are the real secrets of success.
-
Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days
When you’re in law school, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the same thing, all the time. Studying, going to class, internships, maybe a real job: all of these things can drain you of the time you need to try something new. But Matt Cutts encourages viewers to push through, and try something new occasionally. If you’re interested in doing things differently, even just for a while, be sure to check out Cutts’ talk.
-
Jonathan Drori on what we think we know
You probably spend your days cramming your brain full of legal knowledge, but you might be surprised to find out there are some things you don’t know. Jonathan Drori explains that we have serious gaps in our knowledge, and that we may think we know more than we actually do. Watch Drori’s talk to find out if there are gaps in your own knowledge, and why that’s important.
-
Alan Siegel: Let’s simplify legal jargon!
As a law student, you know firsthand that legal agreements, textbooks, and legislation can start to look like "gobbledygook" even to a trained eye. Most people just accept that it takes years of studies to fully understand what legal documents mean, but Alan Siegel doesn’t think it should be that way. Watch Siegel’s talk to hear his argument for making legal paperwork readable for regular people.
-
JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure
Even as a star student, and future legal professional, you probably won’t ace every exam or win every case, and that’s OK. Failure can be as valuable as success, and JK Rowling explains why she values her failures dearly. Watch this talk to find out why even overachievers can embrace mistakes.
-
Philip K. Howard: Four ways to fix a broken legal system
Philip K. Howard believes that in the "land of the free," we’ve entered a legal minefield, full of lawsuits that paralyze professionals like teachers and doctors. Howard thinks we can do better than what we’re doing now, and in this talk, discusses four ways he believes that we can simplify the legal system in the US. Watch Howard’s talk to learn, from a lawyer’s perspective, how the US law system can be improved.
-
Rabbi Jackie Tabick: The balancing act of compassion
In the legal system, lawyers undoubtedly have a chance to show great compassion to others. And while compassion is a great thing to do, it’s not always easy to actually carry out. Watch Rabbi Jackie Tabick’s talk to learn how to balance compassion and justice in a fair way.
-
Caroline Casey: Looking past limits
Law students understand what it’s like to believe in yourself and take big steps to success. It’s not easy getting to where you are today. Caroline Casey believes that the ability to look beyond your own personal limits is an essential skill for a great life, and explains how to challenge your perception of yourself in this talk. Watch and be encouraged to break down the limits that hold you back in life and achieve even more.
-
Michael Sandel: What’s the right thing to do?
Most of the time, laws clearly define what’s legal and what’s not. But that doesn’t mean we always know the right thing to do. Michael Sandel’s talk considers whether certain circumstances might justify torture, stealing, lying, and other actions typically considered wrong. Watch this talk from Harvard professor Sandel for an examination of justice.
-
Kristina Gjerde: Making law on the high seas
The high seas are lawless, unprotected by no national laws of any kind, and they make up 64% of our oceans. Without any real laws, these areas are subject to abuse, including trawling and trash dumping. But according to Kristina Gjerde, it doesn’t have to be this way. Watch her talk to find out how she and other lawyers are working to protect these areas with PR and policymaking.
No comments:
Post a Comment