Law School Academic Support Blog

Meet Goldie Pritchard, Contributing Editor

I am Goldie Pritchard and I love what I do!  I recognize that it is quite rare for one’s passion and proficiency to intersect but please do not think that I am not challenged on a regular basis. I serve as one of two Co-Directors of the Academic Success Program at Michigan State University College of Law (MSU-COL) and as Adjunct Professor.  I have worked at MSU-COL for seven and a half years now and had the unique opportunity to create and establish the academic support program we currently have which is now an integral part of the law college.  I started as Interim Director and later became Co-Director providing general academic support and bar exam preparation support.  As an adjunct professor, I teach Effective Legal Analysis and Process, a 1L course and Problem-Solving in Contracts, a bar preparation course.  For approximately two and half years, I served as Director of the Legal Education Opportunity, a conditional admission program MSU-COL no longer offers.  When I was a law student, my mentor encouraged me to enter the academic support workforce but I resisted for a period of time.  Who knew that years later, this would be the best professional move for me.

I also serve as advisor to the Black Law Student Association and participate in various support programs lead by the Diversity Services Office and targeting students of color.  For my own professional development, I strive to stay engaged with the Academic Support Section of Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) by serving on committees.  I had the opportunity to chair the ASP section program at AALS one year and to present at AASE another year. 

Writing for the Law School Academic Support Blog has been a rewarding experience for me thus far.  It gives me an opportunity to reflect on what I do, how I do it, how to maximize impact with limited resources, and how to best engage students in their learning.  I am very grateful for this opportunity.

States Banning the New MacBook Pro for the February Bar Exam

A number of states are banning the use of the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar for the February bar exam because of issues with fully disabling the touch bar functions when using ExamSoft.  ASPers at law schools may want to check out the recent chain of emails on the ASP Listserv.  Some state bars have started posting official announcements on their websites. Keep a watch for what your state is doing.

 

Dean's Fellow Position at Whittier

Position available for recent JD graduates who want to be in Academic Support: Download Deans Fellow ASP Job Description

Reminder: Deadline for Proposals to Present at NALSAP Conference Due Feb. 3rd

Reposted from earlier:

The NALSAP Conference Committee is now accepting program proposals! The Call for Proposals document (PDF) is available by clicking here. Because we all wear many hats, presentation proposals will be accepted on a wide variety of topics. An example is included with the Call for Proposals document.

Proposals should be submitted no later than Friday, February 3, 2017. If you have any questions, please email the Conference Committee Co-Chairs Rebekah Grodsky and Emily Scivoletto at [email protected]

About the AALS Section on Academic Support Program Committee

      On Friday, January 6, 2017, several brave souls woke up early to attend the Academic Support (ASP) Business Meeting scheduled for 7:30AM. Some had seen colleagues at presentations earlier in the week while others were seeing colleagues for the very first time. In true ASP fashion, someone at the business meeting suggested we move chairs into a circle and introduce ourselves. There was a mix of veteran, mid-career, and new ASPers. Aside from the usual flow of a business meeting, one of the key conversations addressed how to include ASPers who are unable to attend the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting in the ASP business meeting.

      The business meeting was immediately followed by the Section on Academic Support Program: “Why Academic Support Matters.” The Program was moderated by Professor Danielle Bifulci Kocal who also chaired the programming committee. Speakers included Louis N. Schulze, James McGrath, and Richard Sorrow. Topics discussed included alternative justifications for academic support, how to convince administration and doctrinal faculty to adopt proven learning techniques, and how to integrate academic support methods into doctrinal courses. The program was well attended; we all laughed at funny pictures and learned about a few helpful must-have books, resources and techniques.

      Aside from programs led by the Section on Academic Support , several ASPers attended the AALS Hot Topic Program: “Declining Bar Exam Scores, the New Bar Pass Accreditation Standard, and Ensuring new Lawyer Competence: a Perfect Storm” which prompted much discussion.

      AALS typically makes audio recordings of all of the sessions and makes them available to member schools. (Goldie Pritchard)

 

Picture of the Section on Academic Support Program courtesy of Professor Twinette Johnson

Academy Fight Song

As your grades are coming in, you may be less than happy with how things are turning out. Use this to your advantage.

In all honesty, the best thing that ever happened to me during my college career was getting a C on my first English paper.

When I went to talk to the professor, a man who wore seersucker suits and looked like a cross between Mark Twain and Colonel Sanders, he said in his genteel Virginia-tidewater accent, “Is English your first language? Your name is Russian. Are you translating as you write?”

The unfortunate thing was that he was genuinely curious and English is my first and only language.

As painful as it was at the time, I truly believe that that C made me a better student — I learned that college was going to be a lot different from high school (where I got all As without doing much), figured out my mistakes, buckled down, and did a lot better in school than I probably would have had I never experienced that setback.

So, if you’re not happy with all of your grades -- what should you do? First, please email your academic success office to set up an appointment to talk. Every year, students in your position raise their grades in the spring semester and throughout the rest of their law school career – however, those that raise their grades address issues head-on and come up with a plan.

Second, you should go over your exams with your professors. Contact them to see how you go about doing so. Without looking at your exams, you won’t know what the problem was.

Everyone on the faculty, staff, and administration at your law school wants to do everything they can to help you succeed. Take advantage of what your law school has to offer.

(Alex Ruskell)

Dr. Martin Luther King, "The Letter from the Birmingham Jail," and IRAC?

Continuing from Professor Goldie Pritchard's excellent post yesterday regarding "Student Motivation and MLK Celebration Day," on April 13, 1963, Dr. King penned one of the most famous letters of all time: "The Letter from the Birmingham Jail."

In writing to fellow religious letters, Dr. King explained, in his words, that "I am in Birmingham because injustice is here."  Then, turning to the question about whether it was proper to engage in direct action in the form of sit-ins and marches, Dr. King defends civil disobedience, arguing that the root question was whether the segregation laws were just or unjust.  If unjust, then disobedience was justified.  

That led Dr. King to explain why the law was unjust in a very famous paragraph:  "Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I it" relationship for an "I thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong."

Wow!  Impactful!  Poignant!  Straight to the heart of the issue!  Take a close look at the paragraph above.  Did Dr. King start with the issue?  After stating the issue, did he next state a rule and then explain the rule to his fellow religious leaders?  Moving on, didn't he next transition to an analysis of that principle by concretely applying the rule to the segregation laws?  Finally, look closely as Dr. King finishes with a succinct conclusion.  That's right...Dr. King's argument is structured in IRAC and yet Dr. King was not an attorney (rather, he earned a Ph.D. from Boston University).

When I first saw Dr. King's use of IRAC, I was shocked because I thought that IRAC was just a tool that lawyers used to analyze legal problems.  In short, I was convinced that my legal writing professor invented IRAC.  And, it felt SO unnatural to me...so mechanical...so impersonal...that I tried my utmost to avoid writing in IRAC.  

Looking back, I see my folly.  IRAC was not invented by attorneys. Rather, IRAC is the structural foundation for some of the most monumental moral arguments of all time.  In short, IRAC (what the rest of the world calls deductive reasoning) is powerful because it is a common form of analysis to all of us, long before we ever came to law school.  Simply put, we have been using IRAC for all of our lives, and yet, we just didn't know it.  So, take time out to reflect on the power of IRAC as a tool for persuasive analysis.  As demonstrated by Dr. King, IRAC can be the structural foundation for making moving moral arguments, arguments that in Dr. King's day led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  So, don't shy away from IRAC.  Rather, embrace it, refine it, polish it, and always, with an eye on what's the right thing to do.  In that way, paragraph by paragraph, you as a future attorney can make the world a better place for others.  (Scott Johns).

Student Motivation and MLK Day Celebration

At various points in a given semester, students find themselves unmotivated for a number of reasons.  Some of those reasons include managing financial pressures, dealing with academic challenges, feeling lonely, suffering from stress, and experiencing racism, sexism or some other “ism.” There are several articles and other sources that address intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how to engage students.  However, I am always seeking innovative ways to encourage and support students.

Monday marked the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017, an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.  Most institutions of higher education commemorate this day with a variety of activities.  Institutions have a variety of programs which include breakfasts, lunches, dinners, artistic expressions, marches, community service, and speeches.  Students attend the various programs but for others this is simply a day off and an opportunity to either rest or get ahead academically. 

This year, I am an advisor to a student group and based on my interactions with this group of students, it was imperative for me to find different ways to re-motivate these students.  Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a great opportunity to encourage them by drawing examples from his life and encouraging students to partake in at least one activity.  For students, there are a number of qualities and values they can draw from his life as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, an activist, a well-educated and accomplished man of color, his commitment to society, his ability to stay true to his convictions, and the ease with which he communicated, encouraged, and rallied those around him.  Reflecting on all that he was able to accomplish with the challenges of his time, we should all be courageous in the face of adversity and preserve our hopes, dreams and aspirations. (Goldie Pritchard)

 

 

Prepare for Your Profession

Law students often become so caught up in surviving each class week that they forget the bigger picture. They are preparing for being lawyers! Their clients will depend on them to be great lawyers, not just mediocre lawyers.

Every skill learned and honed in law school assists the graduate to be a great lawyer.

• By learning and honing skills in reading and briefing cases, students prepare for being experts for reading thousands of cases during their legal careers.
• By learning and honing skills in understanding judges’ reasoning and the evolution of the law, students prepare for expert legal reasoning and possible policy arguments for necessary modifications in the law.
• By learning and honing listening and note-taking skills in class, students capture the nuances of the law and recognize the important information.
• By learning and honing skills at arguing both sides of a scenario, students prepare for being experts at arguing their clients’ positions and anticipating the arguments of opposing counsel.
• By learning and honing skills at legal research and writing, students prepare for being experts at locating the relevant law and clearly and concisely stating the law in a variety of legal formats.
• By learning and honing their skills through clinics, client interviewing, trial advocacy, law office management, and other skills courses, students prepare themselves for the daily rigors of legal practice.

There are more skills learned and honed during law school. These are just a few that law students need to become great lawyers. Academic support professionals and professors are there to assist in the process. Law students need to reach out for assistance when they are struggling with the skills needed as lawyers. (Amy Jarmon)

Reminder: Associate Director of Bar Services Position at Duquesne

Associate Director of Bar Services

Faculty Posting Date: November 2, 2016

To Apply: apply.interfolio.com/39174

Duquesne University School of Law invites applications for the position of Associate Director of Bar Services, a hybrid academic support and bar preparation position. The successful candidate will be appointed to a 12-month, renewable, 405(c), non-tenure-track, assistant clinical professor position. The Associate Director's primary responsibilities will be to teach a section of the Law School's Bar Preparation course and to help the Director of Bar Support to prepare graduating and recent graduates to sit for the bar. As a member of the Law School Faculty, the Associate Director may be assigned other duties consistent with that role and the overall goals of the Law School and the Bar Preparation and Academic Support Programs, including, but not limited to, helping the Director of Bar Services and the Director of Academic Support to implement programming to enhance the professional development of second- and third-year students as they make curricular choices, sharpen their academic skill, and prepare to take the bar examination and helping upper-level students improve their academic and professional skills.

Catholic in its mission and ecumenical in spirit, Duquesne University values equality of opportunity as an educational institution and as an employer. We aspire to attract and sustain a diverse faculty that reflects contemporary society, serves our academic goals and enriches our campus community. We particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups and support dual-career couples through our charter membership in this region's HERC (http://www.hercjobs.org/oh-western-pa-wv/).

Qualifications:

Minimum requirements include a J.D. degree and admission to the practice of law, preferably within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Ideal candidates will have teaching experience in bar preparation or academic services, preferably as a full-time member of a bar preparation or academic support program, or, failing that, in legal research and writing or in some other capacity that required an emphasis on analyzing and applying the law. Substantive knowledge and experience regarding Pennsylvania law and the Pennsylvania bar exam is helpful. The successful candidate must have excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work with a wide range of constituents.

Application Instructions:

Duquesne University uses Interfolio to collect all Division of Academic Affairs faculty and administrative job applications electronically. The application consists of a detailed letter of application, a current CV, and contact information for three professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately and will close no later than March 10, 2017. Apply at http://apply.interfolio.com/39174. To learn more about Duquesne University School of Law, please visit: http://law.duq.edu/.

________________________________________

Duquesne University was founded in 1878 by its sponsoring religious community, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Duquesne University is Catholic in mission and ecumenical in spirit. Motivated by its Catholic identity, Duquesne values equality of opportunity both as an educational institution and as an employer.

Carolinas Colloquium - Call for Proposals

See the attached PDF for more information: Download 2017 Carolinas Colloquium Call for Proposals.

Call for Proposals Deadline for AASE Extended to January 18th.

The 2017 Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) Conference is set for May 23-25, 2017, at Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas.

The conference presents a wonderful opportunity to expand and enhance your professional experience by sharing your skills and knowledge with an audience of peers from law schools across the country. The Call for Proposals is attached.

**In light of the severe weather across the country, we will be extending the deadline to allow members the opportunity to take advantage of this three-day weekend to finalize any ideas for proposals and submit them by Wednesday, January 18th.**

Proposals must be submitted to [email protected] no later than January 18, 2017. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Thank you,

Megan Kreminski, AASE Programming Committee Co-Chair Download AASE 2017 Call for Proposals (002)

Weapon of Choice

Many great students have trouble with multiple choice, and as people get geared up for the February bar, I have a lot of students come in and tell me something along the lines of "I've never been good at it."  For the majority of them, the problem is that they overthink things before choosing an answer or go back and change right answers to wrong ones.

If you are as student who has never done well on multiple choice, take a run at 25 or so practice questions without ever allowing yourself to change an answer (either in your head or on the paper).  See how it works out.  I've had a lot of students do this and discover that they do much better on multiple choice exams if they force themselves to take the exam this way.  Unless the problem with the question is that you don't know the law or didn't read the question carefully, going with your first instinct is probably the way to go.  As a budding lawyer, your mind can probably see the arguments and talk its way into or out of just about anything.

And, if you are studying for the February Bar and need some cheering up, here is a video of Christopher Walken dancing to "Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim. 

Weapon of Choice -- Fatboy Slim

(Alex Ruskell)

 

The Possible Empirical Value of the Computer-Disconnected Classroom Experience

Hat tip to Dr. Nancy Johnson!

In a recently published article entitled "How Laptop Internet Use Relates to Classroom Learning," researchers Susan Ravizza, Mitchell Uitvlugt, and Kimberly Fenn report two interesting findings with respect to the empirical relationship between classroom internet use and final exam scores.  

First (and perhaps not surprisingly), according to the article classroom non-academic use (such as surfing the web, watching videos, or using social media) has a negative impact on final exam scores.

Second (and perhaps surprisingly), according to the article classroom academic use of a computer (such as to look up a term that is being discussed in class on Wikipedia) has no measurable impact on final exam scores.

Taken together, the research suggests some caution with respect to student use of computers in classroom settings because, based on their findings, even academic use of computers by students during the classroom is not producing beneficial learning outcomes as measured by final exam scores.

In light of the lively debate concerning student use of computers in classrooms and potential benefits or detriments, here's the article in full:  http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797616677314

(Scott Johns)

Reality Strikes

This week has been filled with conversations about the bar exam. While I am very excited about these discussions, 3L students are much less enthusiastic. The bar exam has been a distant occurrence but now, it is too close for comfort. For our jurisdiction, students have until March to submit their applications without incurring late fees. Students who are organized and plan every aspect of their lives have already sought answers to their questions and only need to submit their applications. Others are panicking because they believe that they are “behind the ball.”

What is most exciting for me are the conversations about fears, concerns, and how to navigate the bar preparation process. It is a delicate balance between supporting students and challenging them. I typically use this opportunity to dispel myths students share about studying for and taking the bar exam and provide context for why and how to be effective in their own process. It is equally exciting to help students who I am familiar with and whose habits I know. When you know how a student processes information, you can provide them with specific advice and applicable examples of how to manage specific situations. You can also refer them back to specific challenges and situations they overcame, including reminding them of their strengths and when they thought all was lost but they made it through the first year, then the second year, and are now almost done with law school.

Of course, some of these conversations quail some concerns, generate new concerns, provide new perspectives, encourage, and motivate. Students must face the inevitable, the bar exam, and their fears. The awareness of possible challenges is invaluable information to have. (Goldie Pritchard)

UCLA Director of Student Life Position

See the attached PDF file: Download UCLA Law - Director of Student Life Job Announcement (002).

AASE Call for Proposals - January 13, 2017 Deadline

See the attached file for details: Download AASE 2017 Call for Proposals.

Whittier Law Assistant Director Position

Assistant Director of Academic and Bar Support

Whittier Law School is currently accepting applications in its expanding Academic and Bar Support Department. The Academic and Bar Support Department works collaboratively to design and implement innovative curriculum to engage students in the development of legal analytical skills, transferrable throughout a student’s law school career, bar preparation, and law practice.

Specific Duties

The ideal candidate would assist and collaborate with other members of the Academic and Bar Support team with the following:

• Collaborate with law school faculty on Academic Support and Bar programming geared towards all full time and part-time students, including workshops and skills-focused courses
• Develop assessment tools for use throughout law school courses, including doctrinal courses, as needed
• Teach courses and/or workshops focused on academic skill development and bar preparation, as needed
• Support all Whittier Law School bar-takers during bar preparation, offering assistance with both substantive and skills-related concerns
• Provide feedback on assignments and examinations through workshops and/or individual student meetings
• Help track and report information regarding bar passage, as required by the ABA
• Counsel students regarding law school and the bar exam, in both small and large sections
• Track at-risk students and provide resources and support to assist them in improving the skills needed for success

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school
• Admission to the CA State Bar

Preferred

• Experience in either teaching or tutoring law students
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Point
• Familiarity with online learning platforms
• Experience with developing curriculum to engage various learning styles

This position is an academic staff, non-faculty position. Salary, benefits, and title are commensurate with experience. The position is a full-time position, with occasional work on weekends and evenings, as needed. Whittier Law School is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes applications for all qualified individuals.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to the Assistant Dean of Academic and Bar Support, Mary Basick, at [email protected].

History Lesson -- Part II

Positive life change always arises out of a failure of some sort.  Sometimes these failures are large and sometimes these failures are small, but ultimately our lives are better for them, even if they hurt at the time.

Right now, law students are starting to get their grades back from the fall semester.  The thing I hear most often from students around this time, especially from 1Ls, is "this is the worst semester grades I have ever had."  It seems like almost everyone feels this way.  I hear it from students all over the spectrum.  Just this morning, I heard it from a student who received two Ds and a student who received a B+ and an A.  Consequently, I'm guessing that almost every law student is planning on making some life changes this coming semester.

Even among those who aren't law students, the New Year is a famous time for people to make resolutions for positive life choices that only last until February.  There are two tricks to making positive life changes stick.

First, a student should look back at his or her past semester and be specific in what needs to change.  He or she should also make sure that the planned change reflects the seriousness of the failure.  As an example, after a show my band played last month, I felt so sore the next day from jumping around on stage with a guitar strapped to my shoulders that I couldn't move.  I figured the basic problem was that I've gained 50 pounds in the five years that I've lived surrounded by South Carolina's deliciousness and lack of public transportation.  So, instead of making some vague promise to myself to "work out more" or "eat healthier," I picked a few specific things I could change.  Those things were:  Dunkin Donuts only one morning a week (down from every morning), take the stairs at work, beer only two nights a week (keeping it under a six-pack and trying to stick with light beer, down from a few craft beers more or less every time we had band practice), lifting weights MWF (up from not exercising at all), and not going back for seconds at dinner (down from probably hitting thirds or fourths).  The failure I'm addressing isn't dramatic (feeling sore after rocking people's faces off), so my changes aren't that big.  If I'd been told I had a heart condition or something, I would feel motivated to do more.

The other day, I spoke with a student who didn't do as well as she had hoped, and we came up with a similar list of specifics:  leave laptop and take class notes by hand, study at undergraduate library instead of at home, do practice questions in every subject every week, and meet with Academic Success once per week.  With these specifics, I have no doubt she is going to drastically improve this coming semester (because I've seen it happen over and over and over again).

Second, if a student wants to change, that student has to seriously take a look at who he or she is.  It never seems to work if a student decides to drastically change ("I'm going to get up every day at five a.m.  to do my work, although I've alway been a night person that sleeps until 10 a.m.!") or tries to mirror a successful student whose life and personality might be drastically different.  The student has to look at himself or herself and see the places that can be tweaked.  As an example, giving up the sweet, sweet ambrosia of Dunkin Donuts and beer entirely would probably be the most effective thing to do, but I know that once I tell myself that I can't have something, that's all I'm going to want.  So, I'm letting myself have a little of both within parameters that work for me (for others, a six-pack might seem like a ridiculous amount of beer to drink in a week--my wife, who doesn't like beer, thinks it's silly, while I can't fathom the amount of ice cream she apparently needs to feel fulfilled--plus, I'm in a band, so there's some cred issues involved).  One size never fits all, and playing someone else's jam leads to bad bar bands covering "Mustang Sally" for the bazillionth time.

So, in the spirit of looking back and doing what works for you, I've included The Minutemen's "History Lesson -- Part II," the punk rock classic that provided this blog entry its title.

The Minutemen -- History Lesson Part II 

(Alex Ruskell)

 

 

Courage to Choose: Last Moment Course Selections

With the new academic term shortly beginning (or having just begun), you might still be shopping for an elective course as upper-level law students.  

If so, here's a friendly suggestion:  

Be courageous.

Select courses that catch your eye, that seem passionate to you, that resonate with your heart.  

Here's why?

In my opinion, regardless of your law school GPA (and perhaps contrary to some that advise taking most of the bar-related subject matter courses), if you take courses in which you are all in, in which want to go deep, in which you look forward to challenging yourself and growing as a future attorney, you will in fact develop the necessary skills to do well both on the bar exam and in the practice of law because you have found a place for your voice to shine.  

So, if you have always wanted to take a course on refugee law, even if you might not ever practice in that field, go for it.  Or, perhaps you have always wanted to learn about employment discrimination law.  Get yourself signed up immediately.

And then, take on your studies of that subject with bold-ful abandon.  Don't just read the cases. Rather, dissect them.  As you read, be aggressive with the text.  Ask yourself what is the function of each sentence and explore whether the sentences, the language, and the structure of the opinion supports the court's conclusion or instead undermines it.  Dialogue with your cases.  Don't just accept the word of the judges.  Probe, proud, and push on the opinion to see if it has any merit at all.

In the process, you will no longer be a mere spectator of the legal process but you will be an active participant.  And, significantly with respect to your future encounter with the bar exam, you will be well-positioned to demonstrate to your supreme court upon graduation that you are an adept legal problem-solver because you have learned through active engagement in law school to pay scrupulous attention to detail and to marshall your analysis in an organized lawyerly fashion.

So, listen to your heart as you choose your electives this term.  You'll be mighty glad that you did.

(Scott Johns)