My teaching philosophy can be summed up with what I like to call the "three E's."
Eclectic: I'm not so bold as to think that I have one weird trick that can work for every classroom. Some classes need a traditional lecture environment, others succeed with simulations, and then others prefer a seminar discussion format. The classroom approach has to be informed by my understanding of the students and their needs.
Experiential: That said, I do have experiential tendencies and tools I reach for when no information is available. These experiential tools are a large variety of games and simulations intended to give students experience applying the concepts learned in a traditional classroom environment with low stakes and low costs. All else being equal, I'm likely to try and use something experiential if possible.
Experimental: Nobody should be teaching the same course after ten years. I'm always tweaking courses and exploring new tools, informed by the scholarship on teaching and learning. Of course, sometimes this means that I try something and have to admit that it failed miserably. Those are also important opportunities for me to develop as a teacher.
Before coming to CSUN, I taught at five other institutions:
University of Alabama (2019-2020)
University of the West Indies (2020-2021)
Vassar College (2021-2022)
Washburn University School of Law (2022-2024)
Willamette University College of Law (2024-2025)
Across these six institutions, I have twenty-two different courses prepped, ranging from the private law trinity (torts, contracts, property) to advanced seminars in law and society and litigant behavior.
A few sample syllabi for courses I've taught in the past at various institutions that give you an idea of the breadth of my teaching experience.
Business Ethics and Values (CSUN, Spring 2026)
Professional Responsibility (Willamette College of Law, Fall 2024)
Constitutional Law II (Washburn School of Law, Spring 2024)
Law & Society (sub nom. Law & Politics) (Washburn School of Law, Fall 2023)
Courts, Judges, and American Judicial Politics (Vassar College, Spring 2022)
Seminar on Civil Litigation (Vassar College, Fall 2021)