Art Enriches Legal Education at Yale Law School

At Yale Law School, a new course titled “Arts and the Lawyer” is bridging the gap between artistic expression and legal education. Taught by Professor Paul Gewirtz, the course aims to enhance students’ legal skills by integrating the arts into their academic journey. This innovative approach encourages students to explore how engagement with the arts can foster empathy, creativity, and a deeper understanding of human experience—qualities that are invaluable in the legal field.

The course had its inaugural run in spring 2023, and students quickly discovered the benefits of this interdisciplinary approach. For Fumika Mizuno, a first-year student who had played the violin since age four, returning to music amid her legal studies was transformative. “The course gave me the chance to not only dedicate time to playing my instrument again, but also to appreciate the immense breadth of artistic creativity among my classmates,” she noted.

Engagement Through Art

“Arts and the Lawyer” comprises two primary components. Regular class discussions focus on various art forms, examining their relevance to law and society. The second part involves an individual project where students can either write a related academic paper or pursue an artistic endeavor of their choice. Mizuno opted for a recital, while her classmates engaged in diverse projects, including poetry collections, paintings, and short stories.

Professor Gewirtz believes that engaging with the arts can significantly enrich the lives of law students. He explained, “Arts can enhance a person’s empathy and understanding of human life—capacities typically needed by the best lawyers.” The course included various works of art, from Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilych,” which explores existential questions through the lens of a lawyer, to films like “The Story of Qiu Ju” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which, while lacking explicit legal themes, inspired thoughtful discussions about the interplay of character, form, and societal issues.

Students also explored the connections between music and historical movements, such as the role of jazz and R&B during the Civil Rights Movement, alongside classical music that lacks overt political content. These discussions were complemented by hands-on experiences, such as spending an afternoon at the Yale University Art Gallery where students examined and discussed various artworks.

Fostering a Creative Community

The course has fostered a vibrant community among students who share a passion for the arts. Nathan Brown, a student poet, remarked that the greatest reward was interacting with classmates through a shared interest beyond law. “The community that arose became a refreshing affirmation that studying the law doesn’t mean you have to snuff out other obligations or interests,” he stated.

For Lucia della Paolera, another student in the class, the integration of law and art was a natural progression of her interests. Della Paolera, who co-founded a music company before law school, found that her legal studies enriched her creative endeavors. “My interest in working in the law, as an instrument for the defense or service of others, was one answer to a series of questions I’ve been exploring in my creative work,” she explained.

The course culminated in collaborative projects that allowed students to showcase their artistic talents. Mizuno partnered with pianist Jun Luke Foster, a fellow student with a doctorate in music, to present a recital featuring works by composers such as Bach and Brahms. Their performance in Ruttenberg Dining Hall drew an audience of students and faculty, including Lea Brilmayer, a prominent law professor known for her love of music. In a heartfelt moment, they dedicated their performance to her, acknowledging her influence in their academic lives.

Another standout project by della Paolera brought music to the typically quiet Lillian Goldman Law Library. Her piece, “The Long Last Day,” transformed the Class of 1964 Reading Room into a space of ambient music, blending sounds of instruments with live recordings of library activities. This unique performance showcased how art and law can coexist, even in spaces traditionally reserved for quiet study.

The course’s design reflects Gewirtz’s commitment to ensuring that law students do not abandon their artistic passions. He has observed that many students who enter law school with strong artistic backgrounds often struggle to maintain those interests. Gewirtz emphasized the importance of integrating the arts into legal education, stating that a key aim of the course was to create “a community of law students with long-standing interests in the arts” and to make this part of their intellectual life at Yale Law School.

As the first cohort of “Arts and the Lawyer” concludes their projects, students like Mizuno, Brown, and della Paolera are not only emerging as lawyers but also as artists who understand the profound impact of creativity on their professional journeys. Their experiences reflect a growing recognition within legal education of the importance of a well-rounded approach that values artistic expression as a vital component of a fulfilling legal career.