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While engineering and law are generally thought of as two distinct career paths, there are similarities and overlap between the two professions. These interactions are the focus of a new team-taught course, Engineering and Law as Learned Professions: Fiduciary Service in Pursuit of Public Purpose, which is offered on campus this spring.
The cross-disciplinary course, supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, was developed by William Hornfeck, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and James Lennertz, associate professor of government and law. Hornfeck and Lennertz first taught a version of the course last spring at Jacobs University Bremen in Germany, a Lafayette faculty-led program where students are able to study engineering and German language and culture.
The overlapping elements of engineering and law, particularly the ethical considerations of each profession, are explored in the course.
“Students too often view coursework as a clearly delineated body of knowledge,” says Hornfeck. “But, there are connections between the sciences and the arts. There are connections, especially in a litigious society such as ours, between professional conduct and legal proceedings. Standards of conduct toward clients, self, and society have been codified for the legal profession and the various fields of engineering. To highlight these codes of ethics serves to remind students of the existence of professional standards for ethical behavior, emphasizing their necessity while comparing and contrasting two professions–both being in pursuit of public purpose.”
It is the course’s interdisciplinary nature that appeals to physics major Jaclyn Avidon ’12 (New York, NY).
“This approach teaches the importance of collaboration,” she says. “No profession is completely isolated, and learning how to solve a problem from multiple perspectives is a great skill. It is also extremely eye-opening to hear different opinions, especially when they differ drastically from your own. Learning how to see the positives in someone else’s opinion and how to better argue/defend your own is an important asset.”
Open-ended case studies are being used to explore moral and ethical issues. Two mock trial activities, in which students play the roles of lawyers, expert witnesses, and jurors, bring the case studies to life. The simulations are based on two real-life court cases: a lawsuit against a textile machine manufacturer and a lawsuit brought by the citizens of New Orleans against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following Hurricane Katrina. After each trial, the students acting as judges and jurors are asked to give written explanations of their judgments.
Lennertz believes the students have enjoyed the mock trial activities. “Students appreciate the realistic scenario, the structure of role-playing, and the competitive excitement of the adversary process,” he says.
According to the professors the interdisciplinary nature of the course has been beneficial to them as well. “This approach requires, encourages, and guides us to view research and teaching focuses from distinct but complementary perspectives, and it facilitates academic collaboration with engaging colleagues,” Lennertz says.