Originally from Reflections on International Arbitration - Essays in Honour of Professor George Bermann

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This article is submitted in appreciation of George A. Bermann as legal scholar, thought leader, teacher, friend of the court, and international arbitrator. Based in part on personal experience, it is offered with apologies in advance for its inadequacy as an account of Professor Bermann’s contributions to his chosen field. 

I. A MODEL FOR LEGAL SCHOLARS

The role of the academy in the American legal profession has evolved in part as a result of tension between two world views.  One view regards the academic study of law as a scientific, intellectual pursuit. The other tendency sees law school as a place primarily for students to prepare for the practice of law and as a source of support for practitioners engaged in the “real world” of law firm practice and government service.  This tension can be traced at least as far back as Felix Frankfurter’s warnings in 1915 about a disconnect between legal education and the practice of law.