Anna Nicole's Law School Legacyby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 16 Mar 2007 11:41 PM Anna Nicole Smith's roller coaster ride through stardom has been constant fodder for the media, but now the former Playboy Playmate's life (and death) is serving a greater purpose... at law schools around the nation. While most of us were reading about Smith's turbulent life as we waited in the check out line at the grocery store, students of estate law were following her legal battles as part their class curriculum. Smith's lengthy, widely publicized legal feud with the family of her late husband, Texas oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, over his estate is chronicled in the textbook, "Wills, Trusts and Estates." So, even before her death future attorneys were studying Smith's legal wranglings. Now, her poorly drafted will and subsequent courtroom fights over her burial and custody of her infant daughter are once again being used by law school professors as teaching tools for students. Educators from schools across the country say over the past month they have thrown out prepared lessons plans and instead used Smith's current court proceedings to examine estate law issues. Some have even copied and distributed Smith's will to their students as a reference for assignments. A California law professor recently told a local television station that she assigned Smith's will as reading material to her students. Other professors said Smith's case brings up good points for discussion, including what happens if children are born after a will is written--as Smith's infant daughter was. And, what happens if a beneficiary dies before the will's author---as Smith's son Daniel did. According to a University of Miami law professor, Smith's will also illustrates one common flaw, that many wills don't include a contingency plan. The two professors who edited the textbook that Smith previously served as an example are also addressing that flaw. They revealed that Smith's most recent legal troubles will likely appear in their book's next edition. It's a bit ironic that Smith is the subject of so many law school lessons given the fact that she never graduated from high school. Related Articles: Anna Nicole and Britney Spears Inspired Travel Packages Anna Nicole Smith Case---Can It Get Any Stranger Than This? Anna Nicole Smith-The Saga Continues New Developments In The Anna Nicole Smith Saga Anna Nicole Smith - 1967 - 2007 Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantpopular culture tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags anna nicole smith, educational tool, Howard Stern, law school, wills Discuss this article
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