User talk:Elanna-Rose/Sandbox

Breaking It All Down

Introductory paragraph

Robert L. Birmingham is a professor of law at the University of Connecticut School of Law. He teaches more classes than any other professor at the school and is beloved for his wit and unconventional teaching methods and topics. On September 26, 2007 all of his classes for the term were suddenly ended after he asked his class if blacks were better off with or without slavery and was granted leave for the term.

Problems:

1. [1] says nothing about how many classes the subject teaches, let alone compared to anyone else. (Use "verify source" tag)
2. "is beloved for..." - cite? Otherwise this is bias. (Use "citation needed" tag)
3. "on September 26..." to end of paragraph - no cite; this is a WP:BLP, and without a reliable reference the sentence should be deleted. DELETED (twice already)

Early life

Robert Lewis Birmingham was born in 1938 and is believed to have grown up in Western Pennsylvania.

Problems:

1. "...was born in 1938..." - cite? DELETED
2. "...is believed to have grown up in Western Pennsylvania." - cite? DELETED

Education

In 1960, Birmingham earned an A.B. from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1963, he earned his J.D. at the university's Law School. While earning his law degree, Birmingham distinguished himself as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. Next Birmingham traveled to New England where he earned a LL.M from Harvard University (1965). Fully equipped with an in depth legal education, Birmingham returned to the University of Pittsburgh where he obtained two PhD's in Economics and Philosophy in 1967 and 1976, respectively. Though his formal education was now complete, Birmingham was just beginning his work in the legal academic world.

Problems:

1. All degree information needs citations.
2. The phrase "distinguished himself as..." really needs a cite. It is {{peacock}} or {{bias}} otherwise.
3. The last sentence, "Though his formal education..." to end - completely unnecessary.
4. The entire paragraph is written in an unencylopedic way.

Possible rewrite

Birmingham attended the University of Pittsburgh {{fact}}, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1960 {{fact}} and a Juris Doctor in 1963 {{fact}}; he was Editor-In-Chief the school's Law Review during this time. {{fact}} He received his LL.M. from Harvard University in 1965. {{fact}} He returned to the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Ph.D. in Economics in 1967 {{fact}}, and a second Ph.D. in Philosophy in 1976. {{fact}}

Career

Birmingham's first teaching position was as Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Ohio State University in 1967. From there he moved on and taught as Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Indiana, Bloomington from 1967-1971. Upon ascending to Associate Professor in 1971, Birmingham stayed for three additional years ending his time in Indiana in 1973. He returned as a visiting professor in 1978-1979, but the majority of the time between 1974 and 2007 has been spent practicing on the campus of the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Problems:

• Positions/dates at Indiana University (Bloomington) can be combined into one sentence.
• A major need of citations and inter-links.

As of 2004, Birmingham was one of only eight professors at UConn Law with a Ph. D in addition to a J.D. and the only professor with two such degrees. Using this myriad of education experiences, Birmingham is able to bring broad perspectives to the classroom. [2] Combining law, behavioral science, economics and philosophy, Birmingham delves into and develops theories and legal philosophies seldom explored in the typical legal education.[3]

Problems:

1. The [2] and [3] are the same source - the Graduate Report, Spring 2004, published by UCONN as a mailed brochure. Is this proper reference material?
2. "As of 2004,..." - this dates the article. It is two and a half years later: what's changed??
3. "... was one of only eight professors..." - Factually inaccurate, as the eighth person mentioned is the school's historian and not on the faculty. Also, seven professors out of 35 is 20% of the faculty - is this good or bad, and in comparison to what?
4. "...with a Ph.D. in addition to a J.D. ..." - inaccurate, the source material states the seven have Ph.D.s in addition to their law degrees; it does not state what kind of law degree each professor has, or even that they all have the same law degree.
5. "...the only professor with two such degrees." - While this can be inferred from the source, as RLB was the only one of those seven faculty members listed with two Ph.D.'s, it is still an inference, not a statement made in the reference material.
6. "Using this myriad ... to the classroom." - not in the cited material; also, it sounds like {{peacock}}.
7. Combining law, behavioral science, economics and philosophy..." - when did RLB study behavioral science? Where does it state that he combines economics and philosophy with law and behavioral science? (Source lists only the law and be, sc. together.)
8. "..seldom explored..." -
   1. Seldom compared to what? Five other faculty members are listed as combining law with behavioral science, making it hard to believe that those six people are the only researchers/teachers in that realm.
   2. The source material does not support that such a combination can be found in a 'typical legal education.'

This entire paragraph reads like a brochure (in other words, like its source material). As it really adds nothing informational about his career, it should be deleted.

As a a result of this interdisciplinary approach, Birmingham continues to offer a wide range of classes including Contracts, Admiralty Law, Energy Law, Feminist Legal Theories, Federal Courts, Imperium, The Nuremberg Trials, Jackson, Galileo, Remedies, Law and Economics and Law and Science. Many of his students report, however, that he is highly offensive and that he callously alienates individuals through his ineffective facilitation of classroom discussion.

Problems:

1. (list of classes) -
   1. Are any of these classes notable, such as he is the only one who teaches it, or it is taught by only five other people in the country, etc.?
   2. RLB does not teach ALL of these classes in a semester, nor even in a single year, yet this list gives that impression.
2. "Many of his students..." to end. - Unsourced detrimental material - should probably be deleted. DELETED

This paragraph adds little or nothing to his career. If any of his classes are notable, it/they can be added to the appropriate spot in the year sentences, with citation(s) as to notability.

Possible rewrite

Birmingham's first teaching position was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at Ohio State University in 1967 {{fact}}. He then went to Indiana University as an Assistant Professor of Law from 1967-1971 {{fact}}, an Associate Professor from 1971-1973 {{fact}}, and a Visiting Professor from 1978-1979{{fact}}. From 1974 to the present, he has been a Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law {{fact}}.

Leave of absence

On September 21, 2007, Birmingham showed a controversial film, "Really, Really Pimpin' in Da South," and asked controversial questions about black slavery while teaching a class at the University of Connecticut. As a result, he was asked by the dean to take a leave of absence for the rest of the semester.