Textbook Selection Trends

Textbook Selection Trends explores the complex world of law school textbook adoption, a critical aspect of legal education impacting both students and faculty. The book delves into how law professors choose course materials, the history and importance of casebooks, and the economic factors driving textbook pricing. One key insight is the significant influence of publisher strategies on textbook costs, often driven by market forces such as copyright law rather than purely pedagogical considerations. Another intriguing aspect is the evolution of casebooks from late 19th century origins to their contemporary form, shaping legal reasoning skills. This book uniquely examines the legal textbook market, drawing on interviews, data analysis, and legal scholarship. It investigates the criteria driving faculty textbook adoption, including case selection and publisher influence, and scrutinizes the economics of legal textbook publishing, including pricing strategies. Exploring topics like textbook affordability and open educational resources, the book progresses from describing textbook selection criteria through an examination of the publishing industry to an analysis of controversies and potential solutions.