Grossi, Due Process, and the Optimal Balance Between Legal Realism and Formalism
Outstanding faculty scholarship – specifically, a book on Civil Procedure by faculty Allan Ides – first drew professor Simona Grossi to Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, but she’s now an integral part of the Law School’s faculty in her own right.
A leading voice in Civil Procedure and Federal Courts, Grossi has published extensively in the field, and is conducting innovative research on procedural law and judicial decision-making. She also brings her unique philosophy into the classroom, teaching Civil Procedure, Federal Courts, Constitutional Law, California Civil Procedure and, next year, Class Actions.
"I view courts as instruments of democracy, the forum for legal realism and pragmatism," Grossi says. "I often pause on the mechanical, doctrinal approach that courts are increasingly following. It’s appealing to judges and lawyers as it seems to offer easy roadmaps. Charles E. Clark, the driving force behind the adoption of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, would say that those doctrinal layers and mechanical categories represent 'the old error of delusive exactness.'"
Grossi's passion for her work and enthusiasm in the classroom, where she approaches each class as a unique moment of legal analysis and reflection, is noted by her students.
“Professor Grossi encourages students to understand the process of judicial decision-making and question the application of the law rather than accept cookie-cutter formulas,” says first-year day student Labdhi Sheth.
"My goal is to create critical thinkers,” shares Grossi. “Litigation doesn’t proceed through boxes and black-and-white categories. It’s a series of shades and nuances. I want to form lawyers who are comfortable with the nuances, who return legal analysis to a principled approach, and who can critically apply and adjust it to the changing circumstances of our times and needs."
As a 1L, Samuel Donohue says, in the classroom Grossi's commitment to the success and development of her students is second to none.
“Professor Grossi’s passion for the course material is contagious, and she shares her knowledge in a manner that invites students to engage in the process of critical analysis essential to the study and practice of law. Her goal is not to hand her students the course material on a platter, but to challenge us to develop a nuanced understanding of procedural law, and ultimately, to help us develop into strong attorneys.”
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