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Robert Aronson’s Legacy at UW Law Just as Perry Mason was a master of uncovering evidence, Professor Robert Aronson was a master of teaching evidence. Instead of simply giving lectures, Aronson used examples of law from popular culture like Perry Mason. To encourage creative thinking, he gave students the opportunity to earn extra credit through music, poetry or art projects. He also had his students complete weekly exercises so he could provide them constant feedback, which he found helped students understand the subject. “As a teacher myself, I appreciated Professor Aronson’s educational approach,” said Jeanine B. Lutzenhiser ’13. “We had multiple opportunities to apply and practice what we were learning, with feedback from him. The way he conducted class minimized law school stress and maximized our learning. He used a real case as our class materials, which was extremely compelling. And
To bring a statement Not by the declarant Who’s testifyin’ at your trial today? You gotta beat the rule against hearsay… If you’re in doubt Just ask Prof. A— He wrote the book on hearsay!
he encouraged creative thinking, in everything
“Professor Aronson is the high water mark by
from our memos to optional extra credit. He is
which all professors will be judged —for his
one-of-a-kind, and I’m so grateful to have had him
teaching, his contributions to the law school
as an instructor.”
and his commitment to developing an entire
Lutzenhiser was one of the five students whose debut music video as “The Blackletter Street Boys
generation of lawyers,” says Samuel Shaddox ’13, who was also in Professor Aronson’s final class.
and Girls” premiered during Professor Aronson’s
After 37 years at the University of Washington,
final evidence class. The group (2Ls Kerra Melvin,
Emeritus Professor of Law Robert Aronson retired
Jeanine Lutzenhiser, Trisna Tanus, Patrick
in December 2011. Aronson’s teaching and
Keefe, and Aaron Orheim) belted out their own
research interests include evidence, sports law,
lyrics on the rule against hearsay to the tune of
law and literature, professional responsibility and
I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys.
2
Professor Robert Aronson (1975); With Dean Testy (2011)