Stacey-Rae Simcox (Stetson) is using a Stone Soup assignment in her trusts and estates course.  The extra-credit assignment is for students to interview someone who has been involved in a significant estate settlement.  It adapts the Stone Soup model assignment by suggesting a very useful list of questions about things one might ask about the estate settlement process.  This is a good example of how Stone Soup can be used in virtually any course, not just ADR courses.

Stacey-Rae wrote, “I am hoping that with this assignment the students will engage more with the materials they are studying in trusts & estates by seeing their applicability in real life.  Everyone knows someone (the students line up outside my door each semester I teach this class with personal stories) who has had a difficult time settling someone’s estate.  Or, they have a family feud on their hands because someone was left out of the will.  Or a blended family was unable to provide for stepchildren because no one planned in advance.  This project is meant to give the student an opportunity to see a real-life situation affected by the material they are studying.  More importantly though, it is meant to give the students an opportunity to reflect on how a lawyer could have made this situation better or worse, what strategic steps could have been anticipated with some forethought and understand the client in front of you and how his/her personal dynamics affect all aspects of providing someone with sound legal advice.”

Stacey-Rae said that feedback would be nice.  So if you have any comments or suggestions, please let her know.