Case law as raw material for teaching ethics in public administration

Abstract

This article argues that law cases are rich raw material for analytical ethics education in public administration. While scholars acknowledge that law can play some role in teaching ethics, they have aimed outside the law for ways to engage students in developing a sense of ethical responsibility. Law cases are a readily available resource to achieve this aim. Court decisions describe how parties and judges interpret the rules and ethical considerations as applied in practice, often with differing perspectives. This article describes a pedagogical approach that will engage students in critical analysis of the cases. It gives examples that have been used effectively in teaching ethics to public administration students, and illustrates how analysis of law cases can lead students to insights about public ethics challenges. This article also describes resources commonly available to university faculty for identifying and collecting suitable raw legal material.