Osler's Razor

No, your packets were infinitely better, lighter and more concise. However, that is a post-PC, "real world" attorney's opinion. After PC I had zero tolerance for textbooks. I found the abridging annoying, the opinions and "witty" tales condescending. However, I was glad of text books in my first year. When struggling to understand fundamental concepts, it was nice to have those little life preservers.
 

If the abridging frequently filters out of cases any issues the class isn't concerned with, AND the book has the vast majority of the cases the class covers, then the textbook is worth it. But it is frustrating both to buy a text that doesn't add any value to Westlaw or Lexis, and to buy a text when you're always printing cases anyway.
 

Textbooks cost money to students. Westlaw printing does not.

No other factor is relevant.
 

Anonymous--

Well, learning more might be relevant, to me at least. I'm just not sure that a textbook is more conducive to learning, which is why I put the question out there to people that have experienced classes both with and without the use of textbooks.
 

Nathan, I think you have a good point, and it made me realize that somewhere between first year and post PC I stopped trusting what anyone else told me about the law. I now must see everything, in its original form, for myself. A textbook would not prevent that, but it does not encourage it, either.
 

Even in classes where we had a textbook, it seemed like we were always supplementing it with cases the prof wanted included. Unless you wrote it yourself, the textbook is never going to have everything you want the students to read.

I hated buying a textbook and reading only a few cases out of it. Also, even if we spend most of our time in the textbook, there are always tons of cases we never get to. Textbook costs can be a huge burden to the student, and I always appreciated when a prof didn't require one.

As far as the learning process goes, I think that students should be reading cases in law school in the same form they will read them in their careers. It's good for them.
 

The book we used in Sentencing written for Texas criminal attorneys was great. Other than that, I've never really seen a book that added significantly more to the class than just the cases and the professor's materials. Some textbooks have really good notes, but unless the professor discusses them in detail, it's not really worth it.
 

I think it totally depends on the textbook. So far, I've had classes where the textbook was great even though the professor supplemented it with Texas specific cases. But I've also had a couple classes where the textbook was AWFUL and did absolutely nothing to further my understanding of the material.

As far as the cost is concerned, I'm more than willing to pay for a good textbook, even if you have to supplement it with outside materials.

So, like the answer to most questions these days, it just depends.
 

I referred back to my textbook from my Agency class for several years. And I regularly replaced my Prosser on Torts Hornbook for a few years.
 

I feel that your class packets were a better use of our time- texts, while helpful, often contain many chapters we do not cover. In addition, they often cost large amounts of money (which we do not have).

- Chicago
 

My vote goes to packets. They're easier to read, highlight, and write notes in the margins of.
 

Textbooks are much LESS productive for me. They're just boring.
 

Booo to textbooks. Boo, I say.
 

I think there are kinda three options: (1) textbooks; (2) cases straight off Westlaw; (3) packets prepared by the prof. I prefer the third option, but (2) is usually better than (1). The major advantage of prof-prepared packets is that I know exactly what the prof wants me to get out of it. I don't spend time (as has happened) reading and briefing the thirty-seven page discussion about the Commerce Clause when the prof really wants to talk about footnote 4 of the dissent.
 

The ONLY positive to a textbook is that sometimes, maybe, it might be edited to remove extraneous issues from the cases. But normally I find them a waste of money, and to be honest, I don't really read anything but the cases.
 

PS: what are you teaching in the fall?