Law School Academic Support Blog

Veteran ASP Spotlight: Jendayi D. Saada

Thank you for reading the May Veteran ASP Spotlight series! There are a few pending requests so you might see a few more spotlights but the Veteran ASP Spotlight will officially return next year. If you have beloved Veteran ASPers who were not featured this year, then kindly send me their names. A heartfelt thank you to all of the ASP Veterans who shared experiences and wisdom! My hope is that ASPers are reminded of why they do this work and re-energized for bar season and the new academic year. Please note that other members of the ASP community will also be featured here in the near future.

Today’s featured spotlight is Jendayi Saada. I met Jendayi at my first ever National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) Academic Support Conference when I was three months into the start of my ASP career. We both coincidentally sign-up for the same restaurant and our group walked, talked, and laughed that night. At that conference, I also met several other colleagues but Jendayi and I both realized that we had ties to Michigan. Jendayi has a wealth of knowledge, is always open to learn, and is deeply committed to the success of the students she works with. To reiterate what I have said before, when I grow up, I want to be as amazing as she is (Goldie Pritchard).

Q: Please indicate your full name, title and institution of employment. 

Jendayi D. Saada

Assistant Dean of Academic and Bar Readiness and Assistant Professor

La Verne College of Law

 

Q: Please briefly describe your ASP work including length of time associated with it and what initially stimulated your interest.

I began in ASP in 2004 as an instructor at Nova Southeastern University. As an instructor, I helped create a multiyear academic support and a post-graduation bar preparation program. Since 2009 I have developed ASP and Bar Preparation programs at three additional law schools in Florida, Arizona, and California. My teaching areas have included both skills and doctrine.

I have always had a passion for teaching and have taught in various fields for about 34 years. I fell into legal education because I was moving from Michigan to Florida. I had closed my law practice to chase the sun. I was just looking for a job until I could pass the FL Bar Exam and go back to practicing. I was hired at Nova and that was that.

 

Q: Which aspect(s) of ASP work do you enjoy the most?  What would you consider your greatest challenge thus far and how have you overcome the challenge?

The aspect of ASP I like the most is working with students to help them realize their dreams of becoming an attorney. I especially enjoy working with those students who, due to their race, ethnicity, disability, gender, first generation status, etc., question whether the dream is possible for them, and watching the transformation that occurs when they succeed.

My greatest challenge by far is the stubborn refusal of the faculties and administrators in legal education, to recognize the value that academic support and the professionals who are committed to student success.

 

Q: What do you want your professional legacy to be?

Students’ metamorphosis into amazing lawyers 

 

Q: What motivational advice or encouragement would you offer to new and/or mid-career ASPers or law students?

Let your moral compass be your guide and your passion, the engine that drives you to your destination. Don’t stop for hitchhikers!

 

Q: Is there anything else you deem necessary to share (quote, encouragement, inspiration, visual, etc.…)?

Keep learning, pushing, growing.

Socratic Method and Potential Misunderstandings

The Chronicle of Higher Education had a recent article about using the Socratic Method and the potential for students to misunderstand the devil's advocate position in this hypersensitive age. Although mainly focused on undergraduates, it does mention Justice Neil Gorsuch and the disgruntled former law student who accused him of being sexist. The article is here.

Has Memorial Day become just a day off?

Let's face it, we all appreciate a day off from work - especially because many of us are grading right now and have grades due this week. Swimming pools opened in most communities on this past weekend and backyard barbecues will be prolific today. Fewer communities still have parades. And fewer American flags seem to festoon our homes and streets than in past decades.

We do not want to forget the meaning behind this day. It is held in memory of those who have died defending our freedoms as Americans.

In 2000 President Clinton issued a memorandum to heads of Executive Departments and Agencies asking that each unit take part in:

"Encouraging individual department and agency personnel, and Americans everywhere, to pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. (local time) on Memorial Day, to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom for all."

Although I hope we enjoy our day off, I also hope we will take a few moments to remember the significance of the day. The rule of law has been protected through the sacrifice of many who have gone before us. (Amy Jarmon)

Expressive Writing

Hat tip to Barbara McFarland, Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Student Success Initiatives at Chase College of Law - Northern Kentucky University, for sharing a link to a New York Times article on this topic and supporting research. The link to the article can be found here.

Institute for Law Teaching and Learning's Summer Conference in July at UALR

The conference will focus on teaching cultural competency and other professional skills suggested by ABA Standard 302.  The conference announcement, which includes the complete schedule of workshop topics and presenters, is inserted below .  You can find information about the registration process and hotel accommodations here: http://ualr.edu/law/iltl-summer-2017-conference/

Summer 2017 Conference

 

Teaching Cultural Competency and Other PROFESSIONAL

Skills Suggested by ABA Standard 302

July 7-8, 2017

University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law

 

Conference Theme:  This conference will focus on how law schools are responding to ABA Standard 302’s call to establish learning outcomes related to “other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession,” such as “interviewing, counseling, negotiation, fact development and analysis, trial practice, document drafting, conflict resolution, organization and management of legal work, collaboration, cultural competency and self-evaluation.”  Conference sessions will concentrate on how law school faculty and administrators are incorporating these skills, particularly the skills of cultural competency, self-evaluation, and collaboration, into their institutional outcomes, designing courses to encompass these skills, and teaching and assessing these skills.  

Registration Information and Hotel Accommodations:  The conference fee for participants is $400, which includes materials, meals during the conference (two breakfasts and two lunches), and the welcome reception on Thursday evening, July 6.  The fee for presenters is $300.  To register, please use this link: http://ualr.edu/law/iltl-summer-2017-conference/.  This link also provides information about hotel rooms available for the conference at the Little Rock Marriot Hotel, 3 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock, AR 72201.  Reservations also may be made by calling 877-759-6290 and referencing the UALR Bowen School of Law/ ILTL Conference Room Block.

Conference Schedule:

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Welcome Reception:  5:00—7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Registration and Breakfast:  8:00—8:30 a.m. 

Opening and Welcome:  8:30—9:00 a.m.

Workshop 1:  9:00—10:00 a.m.  

Session A	Session B
Teaching Cultural Competence to Law Students:  A Necessary Skill in an Increasingly Multi-Cultural World   Janet Heppard, University of Houston Law Center; Tasha Willis, University of Houston Law Center; and Thelma Harmon, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University	Bringing Marginalized Populations into the Classroom   Catherine Wasson, Thomas Noble, and Patricia Perkins, Elon University School of Law

Workshop 2:  10:30—11:30 a.m.

Session A	Session B
A Blueprint For Cultural Competency in the Classroom   Danné L. Johnson, Oklahoma City University School of Law	Building Student Capacity for Self-Evaluation   Laura Onkeles-Klein and Robert Dinerstein, American University, Washington College of Law

Workshop 3:  12:30—1:30 p.m.

Session A	Session B
Using the Workshop Format to Introduce 1L Students to Professional Skills and Values   Sandra Simpson, Gonzaga University School of Law	How to Grow Future Lawyers in the Image of ABA Standard 302: Plant Seeds of Strong Learning Outcomes in a Collaborative Cross-Curriculum Garden, and Sprinkle with a Healthy Dose of Ethics, Skills, Cultural Competency, Collaborative Exercises, and Self-Evaluative Techniques Tracey Brame, Tonya Krause-Phelan, and Victoria Vuletich, Western Michigan University—Thomas M. Cooley Law School

 

Workshop 4:  2:00—3:00 p.m.

Session A	Session B
Transaction Planning—Creating a Roadmap for Transactional Clinics Joseph Pileri and Lauren Rogal, Georgetown University Law Center	Establishing Learning Outcomes, Cultural Competency, and the Underprepared Law Student as “Other”   Deborah Zalesne and David Nadvorney, CUNY School of Law

Workshop 5:  3:30—4:30 p.m.

Session A	Session B
Building on Best Practices: A Resource and Advocacy Tool to Keep Our Teaching, Our Law Schools, and Legal Education on the Right Track with Teaching Professional Skills   Carolyn Wilkes Kaas, Quinnipiac University School of Law; Melanie DeRousse, University of Kansas School of Law	“It’s All a Bit Hippy Isn’t It?”: The Importance of Teaching Self-Evaluation and Reflection in Law School Andrew Henderson, University of Canberra (Australia)

Saturday, July 8, 2017

 

Workshop 6:  9:00—10:00 a.m.

Session A	Session B
Teaching Cultural Competence as a Reflective Instructor   Andrij Kowalsky, Wilfrid Laurier University	Helping Millenials Develop Self-Reflection Benjamin Madison, Regent University School of Law

Workshop 7:  10:30—11 :30 a.m.

Session A	Session B
Students Learning Lawyering Skills:  Immerse Them Christine Church, Western Michigan University—Thomas M. Cooley Law School		Teaching Students to Receive Feedback   Miranda Johnson, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

 

Workshop 8:  12:30—1:30 p.m.

Session A	Session B
The Role of Leadership in Law School Education (More Than Just an “Other” Skill) David Gibbs, Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law; Leah Witcher Jackson Teague, Baylor University School of Law	Developing Critical Legal Reading and Analytical Skills Through the Use of Charts and Diagrams   Constance Fain, Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law

Closing:  1:30—2:00 p.m.

 Adjourn

 

Veteran ASP Spotlight: Amy L. Jarmon

Amy Jarmon is among other things, Editor of the Law School Academic Support Blog. I cannot recall the circumstances surrounding my first encounter with Amy but she is a staple of the ASP community. I have seen her at practically every ASP conference I have attended and often see her name associated with various ASP committees and programs. I have enjoyed serving on committees with her and appreciate the wealth of knowledge she has to offer. I am thankful for her willingness to help whenever I have a question or reach out for assistance or advice. I am also grateful to her for my opportunity to join the Law School Academic Support Blog family. I am a little unconventional with my posts but she has put up with me all year long. I am glad to showcase Amy because she was not featured in the highlight of the Law School Academic Support Blog editors. Finally, it is coincidental that she is spotlighted the week of the Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) annual conference in Texas. She has been spotted at the AASE conference so you can meet her in person. (Goldie Pritchard)

Q: Please indicate your full name, title and institution of employment. 

Amy L. Jarmon

Assistant Dean for Academic Success Programs and Lecturer

Texas Tech University School of Law

 

Q: Please briefly describe your ASP work including length of time associated with it and what initially stimulated your interest.

My initial interest in ASP work came from two sources. First, my previous career was in student affairs with undergraduates where I worked for many years in a bridge position between academic affairs and student affairs. Second, my Ed.D. and J.D. degrees with my teaching and law practice experiences allowed me to fit naturally into helping law students succeed academically and prepare for practice.     

I have been involved in ASP work at law schools for over 15 years. Thirteen of those years have been here at Texas Tech; previously I was at University of Akron School of Law.

 

Q: Which aspect(s) of ASP work do you enjoy the most?  What would you consider your greatest challenge thus far and how have you overcome the challenge?

I most enjoy working one-on-one with students. It is a joy to help students improve their study strategies and life skills and to see them reach their true academic potential in law school.

Greatest challenge: Many students want to do well in law school, but come into this environment with weaknesses in critical reading, thinking, and writing and in efficient, effective study strategies. Many prior educational experiences only asked them to memorize information rather than to grapple with understanding or applying that information.

Overcoming the challenge: Flexibility within a plan is important. I start with assessment and then use a repertoire of strategies to address succeeding in law school while gaining life skills for legal practice. Although I know the strategies that work for most law students, I always keep an open mind. I modify, discard, and brainstorm with each individual student to find out what works for that person. I regularly learn new “mental connections,” strategies, resources, and more as I work with students; those new ideas or techniques become tools to help future students. 

 

Q: What do you want your professional legacy to be?

For students: I want my legacy to be that I cared about students individually and was there to encourage and support them. I believe in their personal worth whether or not they flourish in law school or ultimately decide to practice law after graduation.

For colleagues: I want my legacy to be that I was a colleague who shared my knowledge and experiences freely to better the ASP profession and to support colleagues.

 

Q: What motivational advice or encouragement would you offer to new and/or mid-career ASPers or law students?

New ASP’ers: Reach out to others in the ASP profession for assistance. Unlike some professions, this one thrives on sharing ideas, materials, and advice. ASP’ers have a tradition of giving a hand-up to newcomers. Also, remember that you cannot implement everything overnight. Decide a small number of priorities to tackle first, and then shamelessly ask others for Power Points, syllabi, handouts, and more.

Mid-career ASP’ers: Beware of burnout! Most ASP’ers are “givers” and easily become over-involved, over-utilized by their law schools, and overtime-prone. If you are not careful, you will be overwhelmed. Remember to pace yourself, to say “no” or “not now” sometimes, and to set aside time away from the office to relax and revive.

Law students: Realize there are a zillion strategies that your ASP professional can show you for conquering law school. It is okay if you do not know how to do something, feel overwhelmed at times, or are unsure how to fix things. The important thing is that you commit to learning how to improve and ask for assistance early and often.  

 

Q: Is there anything else you deem necessary to share (quote, encouragement, inspiration, visual, etc.…)?

During my ASP career, I have been blessed with many opportunities. However, during challenges, I depend on my faith to get me through those dark times. I always remind myself that the most important words of praise to hear at some future date are: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

 

Learning Curve: Call for Proposals

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

On behalf of the editorial staff of The Learning Curve (Chelsea Baldwin, DeShun Harris, and Christina Chong), I'm pleased to announce this additional call for submissions for our upcoming Summer 2017 issue.  The Learning Curve is a newsletter reporting on issues and ideas for the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Academic Support and the general law school academic & bar support community.

The deadline for this call is July 1, 2017.   We are expecting to publish another general topic/theme issue. 

As the final exam season has just begun to pass us, I'm sure this moment can give us pause on what innovative teaching methods, techniques, and/or experiences we might have come across this year.  So if you have an idea, a lesson, or a perspective on ASP or bar teaching to share, please consider submitting to The Learning Curve.  As examples of the types of articles we publish, I have attached this past Winter's edition.  Articles should be 500 to 2,000 words in length, with light references, if appropriate, and attached as a Word file.  Please send your inquiries and submissions to [email protected].  

Lastly, as our editorial terms have three-year expiration dates, the time has come for me to step down from The Learning Curve.  It has been my pleasure to have served as the Executive Editor of the The Learning Curve in this past academic year, and to have served on the editorial board for the last three academic years.   I hope that the articles we've published on ASP and bar support have continued to push law teaching forward and have served collectively as a supportive voice for our endeavors in the academy.   I'd like to thank those wonderful authors who have published with us during those years, and the terrific colleagues who have worked with me on the board during that time.  I hand off the Executive Editorship to Chelsea Baldwin, who will invariably keep that torch lit.   Thank you all very, very much.

All the best,

--

Jeremiah A. Ho | 何嘉霖 | 助理教授

http://ssrn.com/author=1345542

Assistant Professor of Law

University of Massachusetts School of Law

333 Faunce Corner Road

North Dartmouth, MA 02747

508.985.1156 • [email protected]

 

• Co-Editor, Human Rights at Home Blog: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/human_rights/
• Executive Editor, The Learning Curve (AALS Section on Academic Support Newsletter)
• Contributing Faculty, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning (ILTL)
• 2014 Recipient, "50 Under 50" Law Professors of Color (awarded by Lawyers of Color, Washington D.C.)
• View my TEDx-style talk at LegalED: https://vimeo.com/106427691

Northeastern Director of Academic Success Program Position

Northeastern is searching for a new Director of the Academic Success Program.  The position is being advertised as a non-tenure-track faculty position (Associate Teaching Professor) and as an Assistant Dean/Director of the Academic Success Program.  The final call will be made based on the applicant’s qualifications and background. The links for Northeastern's career postings are given below. Anyone who may be interested in the position can contact Professor Melinda Drew at (617) 373-3960.   

For the Associate Teaching Professor and Director Academic Success Program:  https://neu.peopleadmin.com/postings/48103.

For the Assistant Dean & Director Academic Success Program: https://neu.peopleadmin.com/postings/48122. 

 

Top Ten Badge

Congratulations to Scott Johns, Contributing Editor, for earning a badge from the State Bar of Texas Texas Bar Today for his Thursday, May 18th post entitled Turning Bad News into Great Opportunities: Helping Repeaters Become "Fresh Start" Bar Passers. The link to his post is here.

See you at the AASE Conference in Fort Worth This Week!

The editorial group here at the  Law School Academic Support Blog are looking forward to saying howdy to those of you who are able to attend the 5th annual conference this week. If we do not already know you, please introduce yourself to us during the conference. We appreciate your readership! 

AASE Elections - Voting Open until 5 p.m. May 23

The ballot is now open for the election of the AASE Board positions for the 2017-2018 year.  The open positions are: President-Elect, Vice President Diversity, Secretary, and Treasurer. 

Please go to the Membership page of the AASE website and follow the Election link which can be found here:  http://www.associationofacademicsupporteducators.org/membership.html.  You must be an AASE member to vote. If you are unsure whether you are an AASE member, please contact us at [email protected].  You may only vote once for each open position.  Voting will be open until 5 pm on May 23, 2017 (the first day of the AASE National Conference). 

The election committee (Betsy Six, Pavel Wonsowicz, and myself – the members of the Executive Board who are not eligible to run for an office) will count the ballots and announce the winners during the AASE Conference.  The new officers will transition during the Closing Session of the conference.  Below is a list of the candidates for each open position:

President-Elect:

• Russell McClain

Vice President Diversity:

• Rana Boujaoude
• DeShun Harris

Secretary:

• Rana Boujaoude
• Jeff Minneti

Treasurer:

• Marsha Griggs
• Kandace Kukas
• Jeff Minneti

University of San Francisco One-Year Position

Position

Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Law+Plus and Bar+Plus

Job Requirements

A qualified candidate must have (1) a J.D. degree with strong law school credentials, (2) be admitted to The State Bar of California, and (3) at least two years of academic support and bar preparation experience, either as an instructor or tutor.  

The candidate must be experienced in counseling and working with students individually, in a small group setting, and in the classroom.  Experience in assessing student academic progress and implementing individually tailored measures to improve student performance is required.  The candidate must be able to work creatively, efficiently, and collaboratively with a team of faculty, staff, student teaching assistants, and student organizations. The candidate must have a commitment to working with students from diverse backgrounds and knowledge of how learning styles, multicultural factors, and non-cognitive factors affect learning. Knowledge of law-school curriculum development, specifics of the California bar exam, and statistical-analysis techniques are a plus. 

Job Responsibilities

The Assistant Director will work closely with the Director and other members of the Law+Plus and Bar+Plus faculty to:

• Teach and develop (a) the first-year workshop curriculum, which includes coordinating integrated exercises with first-year faculty and the Academic Support Program, (b) the bar-preparation curriculum, which includes coordinating USF’s summer program with faculty, bar review companies, and other departments on campus, and (c) two academic sessions for orientation, which includes coordinating with the Office of Student Affairs;
• Provide individual counseling to (a) first-year and second-year students struggling academically, and (b) upper-division students preparing for the bar-exam; and
• Complete various projects, such as managing the TWEN page, data collection and analysis, and marketing tasks.

The Assistant Director will also have the opportunity to teach unit-credit classes in the Law+Plus and Bar+Plus programs, such as Legal Analysis or Logic for Lawyers.  The focuses of these classes include, but are not limited to, improving a student’s analysis, study strategies, and essay and MBE techniques.

Special Instructions

This is a one year, full-time, non-tenure track, 12-month contract position with benefits. Salary is dependent on qualifications. Interviews will begin next week and continue until the position is filled. If you have questions, please contact Interim Director, Christina Chong, at[email protected].

How to Apply

Please send your resume, cover letter, three references, and any teaching evaluations to Associate Dean, Susan Freiwald, [email protected], and CC Christina Chong,[email protected]. 

Turning Bad News Into Great Opportunites: Helping Repeaters Become "Fresh Start" Bar Passers

It's that time of year.  In the midst of many celebrations over bar passage, let's be frank.  There are many that are not celebrating.  Their names were not on the list of bar exam passers.  It's especially rough this time of year because it's also graduation season.  And, for some, it's not the first time that they've found themselves in this situation; it's a repeat of the last time around.

For aspiring attorneys that did not pass the bar exam, most don't know where to turn.  Often embarrassed, many with significant debt loads, most feel abandoned by their schools, their friends, and their colleagues.  All alone.  

I'm not expert in helping with turnarounds. But, I'd like to offer a few tips that have seemed to be quite helpful in helping repeaters change history to become "fresh start" bar passers.  

First, as academic support professionals, reach out to each one.  Make yourself available on their terms.  Let them know that you care.  Let them know that you are mighty proud of them, success or not.  Support them, one and all.

Second, give them breathing room, lot's of time and space to grieve.  Don't push them into diving back into the books.  Don't lecture them.  Rather, assure them that they don't need to get cranking on their studies.  Help them to be kind to themselves.  It's not a matter of just hitting the books again, and this time, doubly-hard.  Instead, they need to take time out to just be themselves.

Third, when they are ready, set up a "one-with-one."  Notice: I did not call it a "one-to-one".  Rather, set up an appointment or meeting in a place of their choosing at a time that works for them in which you sit side by side, on the same side of the table or desk or cafe.  They are not bar exam failures; they are real law school graduates.  They earned their parchments. So, listen to them as colleagues on the same side of doing battle on the bar exam.  Let them talk and express themselves as they'd like. Hear them out.  How are they feeling?  What went right?  What's their passion?  What saddens their hearts?  

Finally, whey they are ready, make a copy of one of the essay problems that didn't go so well.  Better yet, make two copies, one for each of you!  That's because you are on the same team.  Set aside 15 or 20 minutes and just ask them to mark up the question, brainstorm what they are thinking, and jot down the issues that they see.  But...and this is important...tell them that you don't expect them to remember any law at all. Period.  And, you do the same.  Exactly the same.  Don't peek at an answer key or even their answer. Instead, try your hand too; wrestle with the same question that they are wrestling with.  

Then, come back together to listen, ponder, and share what you both see as the plot of the essay question, the issues raised by the storylines, and the potential rules that might be in play.  Once you've done all this prep work together, now, look at their answer.  This is important, just look.  Ask them what do they see? What do they observe? What went great for them? Where might they improve?  In short, let them see that they have "inside information" about themselves based on their own personal bar exam experience and answers that they can capitalize to their advantage.  Most often in the midst of working together, graduates tell me that they realize that they knew plenty of law to pass the bar exam.  In fact, most are amazed at how well they memorized the law.  And, that's great news because it means that they don't need to redo the bar review lectures at all.  They know plenty of law.  That frees up lots of time during the bar prep season to instead concentrate on just two active learning tasks.  

First, they should daily work through loads of practice problems (essays and MBE questions).  Every one that they can get their hands on.  

Second, they should keep a daily "journal" of the issues and rules that they missed when working over problems (to include tips about the analysis of those rules).  

Just two steps.  That's it.  There's no magic.  But, in not redoing the lectures, they will find that they have plenty of time to concentrate on what is really important - learning by doing through active reflective daily practice.  Countless times, it's through this process of a "one-with-one" meeting that we have seen repeaters turn themselves into "fresh start" bar passers.  Now, that's something to celebrate!  (Scott Johns).

 

Veteran ASP Spotlight: Louis Schulze, Jr

Louis should be excited because he is featured here twice in two weeks (once for his scholarship here and now)! I first met Louis at one of the conferences I attended early on in my ASP career. He led a discussion surrounding an article he had written and at the time, was seeking feedback. The discussion included comments and questions about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). I also had an opportunity to work with Louis briefly during my tenure as chair of the programming committee for the Academic Support Section of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). Louis was reliable, kind, and very helpful. I seem to always remember positive words and feedback sent in my direction from anyone far and near, and Louis is one of those whose feedback was very kind and therefore remembered (Goldie Pritchard).

Q: Please indicate your full name, title and institution of employment.

Louis Schulze

Assistant Dean and Professor of Academic Support

Florida International University College of Law

Q: Please briefly describe your ASP work including length of time associated with it and what initially stimulated your interest.

I’ve been in the academic support field for about ten years, starting at New England Law | Boston for seven years and a bit over three years here at FIU Law. I started teaching in the legal writing field and found myself wanting to do more for students who underperformed. It frustrated me that many of these students weren’t struggling due to a lack of diligence or intelligence but because they had less training in critical thinking or effective learning skills. Because that lack of training seemed correlated with socio-economic status, I was particularly motivated to do what I could to help level the playing field to promote students’ success.

Q: Which aspect(s) of ASP work do you enjoy the most? What would you consider your greatest challenge thus far and how have you overcome the challenge?

Anyone who has seen me teach knows that I act like a fool in the classroom. I try to bring an energy that connotes genuine enthusiasm for the material. (This isn’t in any way fabricated; I’m a complete law nerd. If they sold trading cards of SCOTUS justices, I’d be one of those people who gets the whole set, including COA, etc.)

I try to keep things fairly light in the classroom and then all of a sudden get really intense, pushing the students to do more and give better answers. Because the levity precedes the intensity, students seem more comfortable when I push them harder – they know it’s coming from the right place.

Also, personally and professionally, I get immense joy from fostering students’ success. My favorite time of year is when grades come out and I hear from my students who got through the first year despite incredible odds. It’s always an awkward moment for my colleagues in my corridor when I start bellowing the chorus of “We Are the Champions” at the top of my lungs because I heard that a student made it above a 2.00 or passed the bar. But, because being in ASP means being half professor, half coach, we have the best of both worlds and, IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), the best job in the legal academy.

Q: What do you want your professional legacy to be?

That I made it through my whole career without anyone noticing that I’m a completely unqualified rube. (Ooops).

Q: What motivational advice or encouragement would you offer to new and/or mid-career ASPers or law students?

IMHO (In My Humble Opinion), one can serve students best by maintaining a balance between being emotionally invested in their success while at the same time remaining objective. Having a professor demonstrate a genuine personal investment in a student’s success can actually have a far more powerful impact on that student than I ever realized. On the other hand, for some students the best advice might be an austere and somewhat shocking message that is both difficult to give and difficult to receive. Academic support professors need to be empowered to give both types of advice based upon the needs of the particular student. If a law school does not provide that sort of empowerment, the academic support will be less effective.

Q: Is there anything else you deem necessary to share (quote, encouragement, inspiration, visual, etc.…)?

Instructor for Bar Exam Prep Position at New England Law

Instructor for Bar Examination Preparation

New England Law | Boston, recognized by National Jurist for being among the top 20 law schools for bar preparation in the country that add “the most value to their students when it comes to the bar exam,” is seeking someone to assist the director of Bar Examination Preparation in teaching, administering, and counseling within the program. The position will report directly to the Director of Bar Examination Preparation Services in support of the program’s core initiatives. The person hired for the position will also perform other functions essential to promoting student success on the bar examination and to furthering the success and growth of the institution.  

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist in preparing, presenting, teaching and administering bar support courses, workshops, and additional programming.  Specifically, the person hired for the position will be responsible for teaching sections of the Fall Applied Legal Reasoning Course and teaching or co-teaching parts of the Spring Advanced Legal Analysis course, and other programs as needed.
• Assist in planning events related to bar support, including the Fall Diagnostic Exam and Review session offered to 3L and 4LE students, and MBE, MPT and MEE Workshops.
• Assist in reviewing and grading student work, providing formative assessment throughout all stages of bar exam preparation.
• Assist in the administration of all bar support programs, including coordination with bar preparation companies, room scheduling, preparation of program materials, and other administrative duties as needed.
• Collect and maintain performance data necessary to assess programming (e.g., Summer PMBR results, Diagnostic Exam Performance data, etc.).
• Assist in maintaining a database of released bar examination MBE, MPT, and MEE questions.

 Qualifications:

• Enthusiasm for working with students
• JD from an ABA accredited law school, recent graduation desirable
• Successful completion of at least one state bar examination
• A record of academic success
• Superior oral and written communication skills
• The ability to work collaboratively with faculty, administrators, and a diverse population of students
• The ability to manage multiple competing priorities and meet firm deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Prior experience working with students with disabilities preferred
• Prior experience working for a law school bar passage program; prior teaching experience, including in law school; advanced degree in education theory (or related discipline), or one or more years of experience in student counseling, legal writing and analysis, writing performance tests, such as the MPT, or remedial teaching preferred

This is a full time, one year visiting position starting in August 2017 at a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. To apply, please submit cover letter and resume (including salary history/requirements) and writing sample to [email protected]. 

New England Law | Boston, an equal opportunity employer, values diversity and is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment as defined by federal and state law and as consistent with ABA and AALS policies.

Academic Support Position at Berkeley Law

Berkeley Law is seeking an Academic Coordinator. The Academic Coordinator will assist and collaborate with the Director of Academic Support at Berkeley Law. The Academic Coordinator will train tutors within the Academic Support Program, help standardize the curriculum, offer one-on-one tutoring sessions, and coordinate study sessions and educational workshops for students, thereby expanding our capacity to help students while providing increased attention to those most in need of academic support. 

The position is anticipated to begin July 1, 2017. The position is 75% time with benefits. For details on the position, including required qualifications and application materials, and information about how to apply, please visit https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF01380. 

This position is open until filled. If you have questions about the position, please contact [email protected]. 

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

The Effects of Social Media

The Chronicle on Higher Education recently posted an article looking at the professionalization of social media, especially Facebook, and the effect on students' outlets to be themselves: Instagrim.

The BBC Looks at Mindfulness

An article on the BBC website this past week gave an every day look at mindfulness: The Japanese skill copied by the world.

New Article on Raising Bar Passage by Louis Schulze

Louis N. Schulze, Jr. at Florida International has a new article: Using Science to Build Better Learners: One School's Successful Efforts to Raise Its Bar Passage Rates in an Era of Decline. The abstract is below, and the link to the article on SSRN is here:  SSRN link.

What measures can law schools take to improve student performance and bar passage? The answer is not what you think.

Recent developments in the science of learning show that most law students learn wrong. In fact, ineffective methods of learning pervade all levels of education. We now know that widely accepted learning and study strategies that were once considered gospel are actually deeply flawed. Yet we still embrace and propagate those myths.

Meanwhile, bar passage rates and law student performance are plummeting. Everyone in legal education is asking “what can we do?” But, “what can we do?” is the wrong question. The right question is to ask how students can capitalize on the science of learning to be more effective learners.

In this essay, I discuss principles from the science of learning that law schools and students should embrace. In the context of the methods we have implemented at Florida International University College of Law, which had the highest bar passage rate in Florida for three consecutive exams, I detail the project of transforming the learning of law away from the ineffective methods of yore and towards effective strategies that can make a difference on student performance and bar passage.

And it all has to do with science, not lore.

Part II: Learning & Justice: An Academic Achievement Necessity!

In a previous blog, I wrote about the question of justice, namely, that learning the law without learning to think about what is the right thing to do is, in short, to be learning aimlessly, to be learning without sprit, to be selling our students short.  It is an empty vain experience.  What Does Justice Have to Do with Learning the Law? Everything!

And, as a consequence of our (my) failure to so often talk about principles of justice throughout our (my) classes, we are often creating a toxically-damaging learning environment because our students came to law school not to just memorize cases but to learn to do justice.   Thus, without actively incorporating discussions of justice within our courses, our students JUSTIFIABLY feel like justice has very little to do with why they came to law school in the first place.  No wonder they struggle so often to feel like they fit in.  They don't.  

But, it's not because they don't fit in law school.  Rather, its because we don't fit in law school because we are so often not getting at the real root of the purpose of our legal education, namely, righting and healing and restoring relationships in a broken fragile world.  As a consequence, we should not be surprised when our students are not jazzed about our intricate discussions and hyperactive hypotheticals that are so often devoid of heartfelt life yearings.  

So, that brings me to a suggestion on how to incorporate principles of justice within the study of law.

First, be bold.  Name it.  Let your students know that justice is difficult, its edgy, its often amiss.

Second, provide a framework.

As a tool, it might be helpful to explore possible ways to think about what the right thing to do might be.  As set out by Dr. Michael J. Sandel in his wonderful book entitled "Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?," there are three major principles that we might look towards for guidance as to justice: (1) the welfare principle; (2) the freedom principle; and, (3) the virtue principle.  http://justiceharvard.org/justice-whats-the-right-thing-to-do/  Please note:  If you happen upon Amazon, you can browse the first chapter of his book to brilliantly capture the scope of the three approaches.  If not, here's my own simplistic version:

1.  The Welfare Principle might also be called the "Mostest-for-the-Greatest" principle (or, as philosophers call it, the utilitarian principle).  In brief, the right thing to do according to this principle is what would bring the greatest benefit to the greatest number in society.  We often see this play out in constitutional litigation concerning something like the "undue burden" test in dormant commerce clause cases.  It's a balancing test.  We balance the burden on interstate commerce against the benefit to local state interests in order to see which might maximize the greatest good or utility or benefit.  In another context, we see this principle called to duty - so to speak -  in tort law concerning what a reasonably prudent person might due under similar circumstances.  Finally, this principle is often discussed in the course of environmental litigation as to the benefits of environment regulation versus the societal costs.

2.  The Freedom Principle seems to be widely adored but rarely advocated, at least in my survey of government litigation concerning constitutional rights issues.  We might label this as the "Absolutist" principle, namely, that certain rights are absolutely off-limits from government coercion or usurpation or abolition.  Think of freedom speech or freedom of religion.  But, as we quickly learn in constitutional law, the First Amendment freedom of speech can be heavily regulated by the government provided the government provides a sufficiently "good" reason.  For example, when the government silences a particular subject, it generally must meet strict scrutiny analysis by demonstrating that the restriction is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest.  So much for absolute protection!  Thus, we most often see the freedom principle give way to other perhaps competing arguments as to justice, often based on the welfare principle or the virtue principle.

3.  So, that brings us to the Virtue Principle.  We might call this the "Honor" principle.  Think of the marriage cases.  The issue in the marriage cases, at its roots, centered upon what sorts of marital relationships ought to be honored, with the court holding that the purpose of marriage is fundamentally about society honoring committed loving relationships among consenting people.  In contrast to the arguments of many states, marriage is not fundamentally about children.  Thus, the court, seeing that states honored opposite sex marriages but not same sex marriages, reasoned that all marriages regardless of gender must be honored the same because gender is irrelevant to the issue of loving relationships.  In other words, the right thing to do is to honor consistently all marital relationships that share the same fundamental marital characteristics.  In short, the court found that it was unfair to honor only opposite sex marriage but not other marriages because the failure to do so is dishonorable and not virtuous.  Justice requires giving honor to what is deserving honor.

Now, as we see from many of the cases covered throughout law school, the courts are often bouncing haphazardly among these various conceptions of justice (and more) without saying what they are doing.  Shame on them!  That's where these principles of justice can come in mighty handily in law school classes.  Let's get them out in the open!  It's not that these principles will necessarily determine what is the right outcome in a particular case.  But, arguments about these principles are what is at root in most cases.  And, as complex people with many attachments and predispositions, we will start to see that we often favor one principle of justice at the expense of another (which is to say at the expense of others).  So, just reflecting on these principles with our students can help our students better understand and appreciate how they can participate - as future attorneys - in helping to make society a little bit more just for the next generation.  And, that's a great thing to learn in law school!  (Scott Johns).