Law School Academic Support Blog

Finances and the Bar Exam

Even though we talk to students at the start of their law school journey about planning financially for the bar exam, it is not until their 3L year that they begin to pay attention and ask questions. Reminders about bar applications and the bar exam seem to either motivate students to further assess their finances or totally avoid them. Some students paid attention early and by the end their 1L year, have already made financial plans for the bar exam. Students without a plan are often distracted throughout bar review usually pondering how they will pay for various expenses.

 

I often encourage students to refrain from tapping into private loans as their first resort to finance their bar exam expenses but consider it a last resort. The primary reason being that many of our students who have resorted to private loans have had challenges either obtaining one for a variety of reasons or paying it off. The interest rates differ and the terms differ from one lender to another. With this information in mind, I offer the following few suggestions for students to consider as they prepare to financially manage their bar exam journey.

 

(1) What’s my budget and what are my expenses?

• List current monthly/weekly expenses

• Take stock of necessities such as rent, apartment related bills, food, car maintenance and repair, gas, etc.

• Consider all obligations including current debt

• Anticipate Bar Exam related expenses such as Bar application fees (registration, application, character and fitness, fingerprints, criminal history records, driving record, birth certificate, credit reports, laptop fee, notary fee, etc.); MPRE (registration fee and reporting fee); Bar review course and possible supplemental bar review program; Bar exam day accommodations and necessities (hotel for 2 to 3 days; transportation to and from exam by plane, rental car, or personal car; meals and snacks for 2 to 3 days; parking; etc.); and relocation costs after the bar exam

(2) What savings?

I often hear from students: “what can I save? I am barely making it.” In response, I tell them “a dollar or more here and there that is set aside on a regular basis can amount to quite a bit.”

• Distinguish between what you need, what you want, and what can wait. You might not need to purchase all items immediately. Strictly assess your use of money and leave credit cards alone.

 

• Embrace couponing and other cost savings options for groceries and necessities. A few of my students started a couponing group and they have saved and shared items and coupons.  The money saved goes toward they bar exam fund.

 

• Bring your lunch and coffee to school. Instead of purchasing food on campus, you could probably save a few dollars that you can set aside.

 

• Consider “staycations” for spring break and save your money. When I ask students how much their spring break trips cost, it is often a good chunk of money that could go to their bar review or bar application costs.

 

• Save monetary gifts. Birthday money from grandparents, holiday money, graduation money and other such monetary gifts can be set aside for bar exam needs or emergencies.

 

• Be specific with those who want to support you. Family and friends are usually elated to hear about individuals graduating from law school and typically want to offer support to you in their own way.  I have had students who were very specific about their requests, asking for monetary support to assist with bar applications, bar review programs and expenses during bar study.  It is often surprising how many persons are willing to assist once they become aware of specific needs.

(3) Sources of Funding

Inquire about sources of funding at your law school and from students who recently sat for the bar exam.

• Are there scholarships offered to assist with bar applications or bar review programs?                 

       •   Are there funds created by students or alums to assist?

• Are there opportunities for discounts or reduced costs from bar review programs?

If you never try, you will never know. (Goldie Pritchard)

Disabled in Grad School - A Blog Series

Over at Inside Higher Ed, a doctoral student named Alyssa has started blogging about what it is like to attend graduate school with a disability, namely autism.  The author's posts highlight the problems disabled students encounter, how students deal with them, and what we as professors can do to make things easier for graduate students with disabilities.  Interestingly, as a graduate student with substantial teaching responsibilities, the author is able to talk about testing accommodations from two perspectives simultaneously: that of a student and that of a professor. 

The author's first post back in October 2017 explained how disabled students feel "When [Professors] Tell [] a Disability Story" or announce their personal feelings about whether certain accommodations are appropriate, generally.  Unsurprisingly, the author's not a fan. 

The following month the author revealed that "[They], Too, Dread the Accommodations Talk" because, as a student, they never know how a professor or administrator is going to respond.  Will the professor be accepting, skeptical, or downright antagonistic?

In "Mentoring," the author discusses the importance of having a disability-specific mentoring network. 

Last month, the author contemplated (How) Do I Tell My Students? The post supports the argument that disabled students benefit when they see "someone like them" at the front of the classroom.   

Most recently, "How 'Out' Do I Need to Be" explored how certain classroom policies can force a student to "out" themselves regarding their disability (e.g. laptop bans).  The author explained how some disabled students will purposely avoid certain courses or professors whose classroom policies are at odds with their accommodations, instead of taking the class with an approved accommodation. 

Unfortunately, each post seemed to reveal a new flaw in the university's accommodation procedure.   I'm not sure what the procedure is at each law school, but I'd like to think that it is fair and less offensive than what the blogger has been exposed to during their graduate program. 

At my law school, accommodation requests are all handled by the registrar (who is trained to deal with ADA requests), which limits the opportunity for individual faculty to "tell a disability story" or inadvertently "out" a student.  But, I also know at the undergraduate level of the same university, the disabled student must have the "accommodations talk" with each professor, every semester.   Fearing the talk, some undergraduates will forego using the accommodations altogether. Unfortunately, skipping out on accommodations during their undergraduate education may make it harder to establish a need later, such as on the LSAT, during law school, or on the bar exam.  (Kirsha Trychta)

Expect Struggles. Decide How to Respond.

Can you remember the first time trying a new sport or hobby?  Do you remember how it felt to be terrible and completely fail at first?  I can easily remember my first summer playing golf.  I started playing while in college at a 9 hole, short, play all day course.  I spent round after round searching for my ball hundreds of yards away from my target.  The joy was finally getting one near where I was aiming, but I only remember a few of those shots.  More often, I vividly remember shots where my beautiful swing perfectly compressed the ball straight into a tree to ricochet over my head and behind me.  I am now on my 14^th year playing golf, and my current experiences are only marginally better.  My 7 year old can beat me from his tee box on most days.

I didn’t expect, nor do I expect now, to be Jordan Spieth just because I played sports throughout my life.  However, I see many students with unrealistic expectations coming in to law school.  The expectation is that legal study is similar to all other forms of education, so success in prior experiences means success should happen in law school.  When final exams don’t go as expected, some students’ motivation decreases and a cycle of poor performance ensues.  My hope is to change that expectation and promote treating law school like any other sport or skill.  Failing now is critical to success as an attorney.

Law School and Undergraduate study are as similar as baseball and golf.  Baseball and golf are sports where a person swings and hits a ball.  However, the technical motion of the wrists, hips, shoulders, etc. tend to be very different in the swings.  Athleticism transfers, but the specific skills are different.  Law study does require understanding vast amounts of information, recalling it on an exam, and studying like Undergraduate study.  The specific skills are very different.  The self-regulation of additional work, applying learned information to new hypotheticals, and the lack of many assessments make law school a different kind of academic endeavor. Legal analysis requires deductive and inductive reasoning.  Many times, undergraduate exams require memorization and recitation.  Deep reasoning is much more difficult.  There is a reason Bryce Harper (professional baseball player) isn’t also a professional golfer.  Different skills must be developed to succeed at a new endeavor.

The above analogy is helpful for entering students, but why should most students think about it now?  Now is the time to remedy problems from the fall to achieve a higher level of success.  Many famous sports figures will say failure is how they learned what was necessary to succeed.  The recent Gatorade commercial is a great example.  Don’t let failing to meet expectations decrease motivation.  Previous study skills are different than what is necessary for law school.  Treat law school the same as any other activity that you started new.  Don’t expect to be the greatest or best the minute the doors open.  Legal study and legal analysis are specific skills that must be developed and nurtured over many years to become proficient.  Don’t let one semester derail a dream, especially since each semester adds more information necessary for the bar. 

Using failure to continually improve is a life skill.  All law firms expect fifth year associates to be better than first year associates.  Firms care as much about the ability to improve as how much law someone remembers from law school.  Now is the time to learn how to improve.  Michael Jordan didn’t make the varsity basketball team in his first attempt.  Jordan Spieth didn’t win the US Kids Golf World Championship as a teenager.  Tom Brady was a late (extremely late) round pick in the NFL draft and couldn’t beat out Drew Bledsoe for the starting QB job his rookie year.  Success isn’t determined by where you start.  Success will be determined by how you respond.

(Steven Foster)

Associate Director Position at UC Irvine

UC Irvine School of Law is seeking an Associate Director of Academic Skills.  Please click the below link for the full position description and application information:

https://recruit.ap.uci.edu/apply/JPF04481

Nova Southeastern University Assistant Dean Positions

Assistant Dean, Academic Success and Professionalism Program 

TO APPLY AND FOR FULL LIST OF JOB FUNCTIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS NEEDED: www.nsujobs.com/applicants/Central?quickFind=82337   

 

Administers and assesses the existing professional development, academic support, and bar preparation programs, and executes strategies designed to strengthen academic success, focusing on initiatives to increase graduation and bar passage rates.

Essential job functions include:

1. The first priority of all members of the College of Law is to serve the College of Law's clients, the applicants, students, alumni, and donors. Therefore, team members will not be limited by this job description in an effort to assist our clients, but will perform whatever tasks are assigned by the Dean.
2. Supervises a department responsible for all aspects of professionalism skills instruction, individual academic support services, and bar examination preparation for students and graduates; and serves as instructor in the relevant courses.
3. Develops curriculum and co-curricular programs that provide academic assistance for all students to improve foundational skills including logic, critical reading comprehension, essay writing, legal issue identification, and legal analysis skills.
4. Plans and organizes curriculum and co-curricular programs designed to assist students as they develop and improve legal study and test-taking skills, bar application and admission process, and preparation to enter law practice.
5. Designs and implements assessment tools to identify "at-risk" students at each phase of their program participation to provide relevant remediation for each student to help improve retention and bar passage.
6. Designs and implements innovative academic and bar readiness programs.
7. Develops learning outcomes, exercises, and assessment tools designed to help students develop into self-regulated learners consistent with College of Law strategic goals, ABA accreditation, and SACS accreditation requirements.
8. Counsels and works with students in individual and small group sessions, and providing intensive support for graduates during the bar review period as they prepare for the bar exam.
9. Collaborates with commercial bar review programs, works with the alumni department on the alumni mentoring program, tracks at-risk students, develops assessment tools, and prepares bar exam statistics and reports.
10. Implements a program to track and report bar passage information and programming assessments with outcomes focused on improving existing programs.
11. Represents the College of Law at and participates in outside conferences and other events organized for and/or by bar preparation or academic support professionals.
12. Performs other duties as directed by the Dean. 

Required Education and Experience:

*Juris Doctorate *

1. Minimum of three (3) years education and law teaching experience, academic counseling, tutoring or experience in an academic success and bar preparation programs.
2. Demonstrated administrative and supervisory experience, and engaging presentation skills.
3. Experience with curriculum design, including an understanding of educational learning theory, best practices in teaching pedagogy, and individual learning styles.
4. Understanding of disability and multicultural issues, and ability to build rapport with students having academic challenges. 

Reminder: Instructions for the ASP Listserv

ASP-L Listserv General Instructions

 

Subscribing for the first time:

1. Be sure you are sending this email from the address you want to use for your subscription.
2. Open an email to [email protected] .
   1. Please note that this is NOT the address you use to send an email through the listserv. This is a special email address for subscribing and unsubscribing.
3. Delete your signature and any other information in the body of the email.
4. Leave the subject blank.
5. In the body of the email, type:

SUBSCRIBE ASP-L FirstName LastName JobTitle Employer

5. This will send a subscription request to the listserv manager, who will approve your request manually. If you do not include your job title or employer, your request may be delayed.

Sending an email to the listserv:

1. Be sure you are sending this email from the address that is subscribed to the listserv. Non-subscribers cannot send emails through the listserv.
2. Open an email to [email protected].
3. Type and send your email as you would normally.

 

Unsubscribing from the listserv:

2. Be sure you are sending this email from the address that is currently subscribed to the listserv.
   1. NOTE: If you no longer have access to that email address, contact the listserv manager directly to unsubscribe.
3. Open an email to [email protected] .
   1. Please note that this is NOT the address you use to send an email through the listserv. This is a special email address for subscribing and unsubscribing.
4. Delete your signature and any other information in the body of the email.
5. Leave the subject blank.
6. In the body of the email, type:

UNSUBSCRIBE ASP-L

7. This will automatically unsubscribe your email address from the listserv.

Switching email addresses, when you can still access your original email:

1. Follow the instructions above to subscribe, using your NEW email address.
2. Follow the instructions above to unsubscribe, using your OLD email address.

Switching email addresses, when you cannot still access your original email:

1. Follow the instructions above to subscribe, using your NEW email address.
2. Send an email directly to the listserv manager ([email protected]) and request that your old email be removed. The listserv manager will manually remove your old email address.

If you have questions or difficulties, you may contact the listserv manager directly at [email protected].

Reminder SWCASP Registration for March 9th Workshop

The Southwest regional workshop at UNT Dallas is fast approaching! The agenda for the 6th annual SWCASP workshop is here: Download 6th Annual SWCASP Workshop. There is a dinner on the evening of March 8th and the program is being held on March 9th. The registration deadline is February 28th with a PDF of the registration form here:  Download 2018 Registration Form SWCASP.

Information on the April 13th New York Academic Support Workshop

Dear ASP friends,

 We are pleased to announce this year’s full-day NY Academic Support Workshop, to be held from 9:30 to 5:00 at Brooklyn Law School on Friday, April 13th. This will be an intimate gathering of academic support professionals and colleagues actively working to learn from one another. 

As is our usual practice, the afternoon sessions of the workshop will have an open agenda and room to include any subject of interest to those in attendance, while the morning sessions will be have a more specific theme. For this last pre-retirement version of the Linda&Kris Show™, in the morning session we would like to share Discussions, Ideas and Exercises Inspired by Our ASP Colleagues. Please suggest conversations to facilitate, revised lessons to simulate, or exercises to engage in. Come ready to let your colleagues learn more both about what you are doing, and about what inspired it.

One thing that makes all ASP gatherings exciting has always been our unique emphasis on collaboration—ASP folks DO things together so that we can learn together. NY Workshop participants work with each other to develop or enhance our individual lessons, materials, presentations, or any other part of our professional endeavors. No one who comes is allowed to be a back-bencher. Please let us know what you would like do with your fellow workshop participants. And if you aren’t certain, let us know that too; we are happy to help brainstorm. For every part of the day’s agenda, please let us know how we can actively engage all attendees. We will send out a finalized workshop agenda when we confirm who will attend and what specific topics the participants plan to address. 

RSVP to Kris and Linda, at addresses below and cc’d above. Since this workshop is not a formal conference there will be no fee to attend. 

We hope to see many of you soon!

Linda Feldman                                    Kris Franklin                                                       

Brooklyn Law School                          New York Law School                     

[email protected]            [email protected]       

The "Key" to Golden Success - Being "Super Chill?"

As described by reporters Sara Germano and Ben Cohen, Norway might have a secret weapon in winning so many gold medals at the Winter Olympics in Korea this month, namely, being "super chill."  https://www.wsj.com/mostchillnationiscrushingit

Surprisingly, even just a few hours before a big competition, the Norwegian athletes are still living life, speaking freely with reporters and chatting & laughing it up.  Indeed, the Norwegians are even taking time off to, well, to play video games, have fun, and to socially relax with others.  Yep, they watch TV, they play jigsaw puzzles, and they even have a day or two prior to their big events to be completely "100% free."  You see, according to Norwegian coach Alex Stöckl: "It's important [in achieving success that the athletes] can turn off their minds."

There's an important message here for those of you taking the bar exam next week.  It's A-okay for you to take Monday off before your big event next Tuesday and Wednesday in sitting for your bar exam.  

I know...  

It's REALLY hard to take anytime off, let alone all-day Monday.  But, as illustrated by the success of Norway's athletes, rest strengthens us, rest empowers us, rest restores us.  So, take a lesson from the Olympians and feel free to give your mind a day of rest before the bar exam.  You've earned it...and...you've got golden proof that it works, especially in preparation for high stake events.  (Scott Johns).

 

Bar Exam Positive Affirmation

Every year, I am aware of the stress that bar studiers experience the week before the bar exam but I continue to be surprised by its various forms of manifestation. Some bar studiers are so fearful of the exam ahead that they consider sitting for the bar exam at a later date, some anticipate everything that could possibly go wrong, while others simply doubt their ability to pass after all the time and work they have invested. It is perfectly normal to have concerns and be nervous about the bar exam but when they ignore progress they have already made throughout the bar review process and when self-doubt, fear of failure, and a defeatist attitude dominate then momentum and progress made thus far could hinder the last few days of bar exam preparation. It is heartbreaking to be aware of the obstacles a bar studier has overcome to get to this point in bar preparation then see every bit of confidence they built up seemingly disappear. Worse of all is when the bar studier who served as the support system for other bar studiers breaks down. Fear is contagious and particularly when those who have relied on the strength of another become overwhelmed and scared when that person is overcome by fear and doubt.

If we are what we think then we must derive words that manifest our intentions and hopes. Even if we do not completely believe all that we say, we can at least state a desire we might like to see manifested and propel ourselves into making it a reality. Similarly, a change in attitude and a positive outlook on a situation may well become reality. I encourage bar studiers to have a few positive affirmations they can read out loud, say to themselves, or say with others. I ask them to think about something other than: “I will pass the bar exam.” I ask them to be specific with their choice of words to counter negative thoughts.

Below are some of the affirmations bar takers have shared with me over the years. Each is unique to individual bar taker’s state of mind and concern.

 

Affirmations

“I am capable of passing the bar exam because I have done everything necessary and in my power to ensure that result”  

“I have been given endless talents which I can utilize to tackle unanticipated subjects on my essays and tasks on the MPT”

“I have a process for tackling MBE questions and when I panic, I will go back to my process”

“I have prepared for whatever comes my way (proctor failing to give 5-minute warning, others getting sick, others discussing issues I did not identify, etc..) on each exam day”

“I will stay away from people who create additional stress until the bar exam is over in order to surround myself with positivity”

“When I panic about my surroundings on exam day, I will remember that I have done this before (completed 200 MBEs in 6 hours) in bar review and get into my zone”

“I am capable, I made it through law school and can make it through this exam”

“I was very focused in my preparation for the bar exam so I am prepared”

“I will turn my nervous feelings into productive and positive energy to maximize my performance on this exam”

“I know most of what I need to know and what I don’t know I have a strategy for”

“Every day I got better at the tasks and will be my best on bar exam days”

“Passing the bar exam is not ACING the bar exam, it is achieving the passing score and I can do that. I reject the spirit of perfectionism”

“I succeed even in stressful situations”

“Today I release my fears and open my mind to new possibilities”

“Whatever I need to learn always comes my way at just the right moment”

(Goldie Pritchard)

Podcasts Offer an Alternative to Case Reading

Some (or perhaps, most) law students get tired of reading judicial opinions every single day. I have found that giving students the option to listen to audio files or watch movies in lieu of reading a case helps to create some variety and spices up the learning process. For example, last week my Criminal Procedure students had the option to watch the 1980 movie “Gideon’s Trumpet” or read Gideon v. Wainwright and the corresponding notes in the textbook. I included both the audio and textbook options expressly on the syllabus. About half the class opted to watch the movie while the other half read the case; importantly, the whole class was able to engage in the discussion. Similarly, next week students will have the option to read the portion of the textbook discussing jury selection or to listen to More Perfect’s “Object Anyway” podcast.

Even if you don’t teach a substantive law course, the audio files can be helpful to aid any student who is struggling to connect with the written material. Earlier this semester a high-performing first-year student stopped by my office concerned that she had lost her fall semester spark. In the fall semester, she was excited about law school and thus enthused to work hard. Her hard work paid off, earning her very high grades in December. But, when she returned in January, she just couldn’t connect with the cases and material like she had done before. The spring semester courses of Constitutional Law and Property weren’t peaking her curiosity the way the fall semester courses of Criminal Law and Torts had. After chatting with her for a few minutes, I could tell that she needed a new way to engage with the material. I suggested some legal podcasts, especially ones that would give her the story behind the litigation. She needed to be able to relate to the parties on a more personal level, and I thought a well told story about the litigants could help. After just a few podcasts, she has already reported that Con Law has become more interesting to her now that she’s “getting to know” the justices’ personalities and she enjoys learning what happened to the litigants before and after the lawsuit.

If you’re interested in introducing an audio option to one of your courses or academic support arsenal, consider:

Oyez “is a multimedia archive devoted to making the Supreme Court of the United States accessible to everyone. It is a complete and authoritative source for all of the Court’s audio since the installation of a recording system in October 1955. Oyez offers transcript-synchronized and searchable audio, plain-English case summaries, illustrated decision information, and full text Supreme Court opinions. Oyez also provides detailed information on every justice throughout the Court’s history and offers a panoramic tour of the Supreme Court building, including the chambers of several justices.” 

According to More Perfect’s creators “Supreme Court decisions shape everything from marriage and money to public safety and sex. We know these are very important decisions we should all pay attention to – but they often feel untouchable and even unknowable. Radiolab's first ever spin-off series, More Perfect, connects you to the decisions made inside the court's hallowed halls, and explains what those rulings mean for "we the people" who exist far from the bench. More Perfect bypasses the wonkiness and tells stories behind some of the court’s biggest rulings.”

Legal Talk Network is a podcast network for legal professionals with hosts from well-known organizations and brands in the legal community.  Over 20 different active podcasts cover important legal news and developments, including access to justice, law school, industry events, legal technology, and the future of law. The most relevant podcast within the network is the ABA Law Student Podcast, which covers issues that affect law students and recent grads.

In addition, Learn Out Loud offers numerous legal podcasts and audio files for free download. (Kirsha Trychta)

Finish Strong on the Bar

Bar preparation is in the stretch run.  Everyone is turning the corner and trying to finish strong.  The goal is to keep up the pace for another week to maximize points on the exam.  Understanding the law is important, but the bar exam is as much a test of mental freshness as it is knowledge of the law.  Make sure to plan for the next week to be as fresh as possible walking into the exam.

Unfortunately, for a certain percentage of the population, every point matters.  I see a decent amount of scores within only a handful of MBE questions of the pass line each administration.  Every choice makes a difference.  Intentionally make choices for the next week that set you up for success.

Cramming all night, studying while tired, and getting hungry while practicing can all affect performance on an exam.  Studying during the wrong time of day or studying while tired decreases cognitive function.  The best advice is to get on the same schedule as the bar exam.  If you haven’t already, start studying at least 30-45 minutes prior to when the exam will start.  You don’t want your brain to start working on essay 2 or 3.  Get all the points possible from the start.

Start eating and resting during the same times as the exam.  Bodies tend to get on cycles.  People like eating near the same time every day.  Think about the day that you eat just a few minutes later than normal.  Stomachs start to rumble and are distracting.  On one of the most important tests in your career, don’t let your stomach get in the way of answering questions correct.  Get your body ready for the normal eating cycle.  For example, Oklahoma’s essay section starts at 8.  Students receive 4 essays with 2 hours to complete them.  At the end of 2 hours, there is a break.  A similar schedule proceeds throughout the day, with a lunch break in the middle.  I tell students to be mentally ready to study by 7:30, eat any quick snack around 10:05, be ready for lunch around 12:15, have another snack at 3:35, and they will finish around 5:45. 

Be ready for exam day is important.  However, anything that could go wrong, may go wrong on exam day.  If you get hungry all of a sudden, be ready with whatever your bar examiners allow in the room.  Oklahoma’s essay day schedule is nothing like the MBE schedule, so students adapt a little on day 2 with snacks during the exam.  Having a backup plan is always helpful.

The bar exam will be as much a test of mental endurance as it will be knowledge of the law.  The best way to be mentally ready for the endeavor is to specifically plan how the day will go and start building study days to mirror exam day.  Preparing nearly every detail will put you in the best position for success.  Good luck on the exam!

(Steven Foster)

Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement Position at Atlanta's John Marshall

Please find the PDF job announcement here: Download Job Ad - Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement.

Do you plan and prepare rather than start?

Planning and preparing can be necessary and useful – within reason. However, we sometimes use them as avoidance mechanisms for our difficult study tasks.

Here are some examples law students have shared where they used planning and preparing to avoid working on a more difficult task:

• Cleaning the house because they cannot study until their environment is spotless.
• Organizing everything in their study area until everything is perfect for studying: pencils and pens lined up in a row, bookshelves alphabetized, papers for several semesters hole-punched and filed in binders.
• Continuing to research after everything found just repeats prior sources because “there just might be something else out there.”
• Making “to-do” lists that run on for pages and cover the entire semester to stall doing today’s immediate tasks.
• Daydreaming extensively about writing the best paper the professor has ever seen without actually researching for or writing that paper.

You want to plan and prepare. But you want to keep those tasks realistic and not let them become procrastination methods. Here are some tips for more realistic planning and preparing:

• Set time limits on planning and preparation steps rather than having them be open-ended.
• Limit daily “to-do” lists to a maximum of 10 tasks.
• Prioritize your daily “to-do” list into categories (very important, important, least important) and complete tasks in the order of importance.
• Block off specific times in your weekly schedule to do non-law-school items (chores, errands, grocery shopping, laundry, etc.) so they do not interrupt more important study tasks throughout the week.
• Ask yourself two questions for each task:
  • Is this the wisest use of my time right now?
  • If so, am I completing the task in a way to get the most effective results in the least amount of time?

If over-planning or over-preparing are difficulties for you, make an appointment with the academic success professionals at your law school to learn more strategies to use your time and efforts wisely. (Amy Jarmon)

Two Upcoming Conferences from the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning

From Sandra L. Simpson, Co-Director of ILTL:

1. Spring: We now have the registration information up for the Spring conference at Texas A&M.  You can register for this conference at http://lawteaching.org/conferences/ .  As a reminder, this conference is for adjunct professors and new professors.  Truth be told, though, we could all use to brush up on our “Teaching Law by Design” skills. Thus, even if you aren’t an adjunct or aren’t a new professor, consider the conference.   Included in this exciting conference is a great opportunity (on a first-come, first-serve basis) to have one-on-one time with retired Professor (and teaching guru)  Gerry Hess.  There is a box to check on the registration form if you are interested in such a session.  Further, participants will receive a copy of the now famous teaching book by Michael Hunter-Schwartz, Sophie Sparrow, and Gerry Hess, titled “Teaching Law by Design.”  This is a one day conference on April 28^th. 
2. Summer: The summer conference is covering the use of technology in the classroom.  This conference is in Spokane at Gonzaga University School of Law on June 18-20^th. The deadline for proposals has been extended to March 2, 2018.

Deadline for proposals for summer ILTL conference extended

Summer: ILTL is still accepting proposals for the summer conference covering the use of technology in the classroom.  The deadline is extended to March 2, so get us those proposals!  If you know someone at your school who is really good with technology or is doing something unique with technology, encourage them to send in an proposal.  The link is http://lawteaching.org/conferences/ which has the formal call for proposal.  This conference is in Spokane at Gonzaga University School of Law on June 18-20^th. 

Struggling with Reading Comprehension? It Just Might Be Related to "On Line Reading!"

Are your students struggling with reading comprehension difficulties?

Well, it might be just related to something quite surprising...the ever-increasing emphasis in on-line reading over paper-based reading.  

You see, according to educational researchers in Norway, even controlling for learning differences in student populations, on-line readers statistically underperform in comparison to paper-based readers (as ascertained by test results concerning reading comprehension).  Anne Mangen, et al, "Reading Linear Texts on Paper Versus Computer Screen: Effects on Reading Comprehension," International Journal of Educational Research, 58:61-68 (2013), available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com

According the article, at least based on my own reading of the article, there are several possible reasons for the disparate tests results between on-line readers versus paper-based readers such as:

First, on-line reading often requires scrolling, which seems to negatively impact spatial orientation of the text because it disrupts our abilities to mentally represent and recall the material.

Second (and closely related), on-line reading lacks the visual certainty of knowing where to re-locate material that one is struggling with because on-line text is fluid (with different parts of the text never occurring preciously on the same page of the screen) in comparison to paper-based texts (in which we often visually recall a certain passage from its spatial position, for example, in the upper-left hand-side of the page in the text book).  In other words, paper-based readers might perform better in comparison to on-line readers because paper-based readers can more easily reconstruct a mental image, leading to more efficient recall during assessment of the material previously read.  Those same clues are often lacking in on-line text presentations.

Third, on-line reading seems to impair our overall metacognition abilities (our abilities to monitor and assess our own learning) because on-line reading tends to be perceived by us -- at the outset -- as a familiar way to glean information quickly (and almost effortlessly). In contrast, paper-based reading tends to be perceived by us -- from the get-go -- as requiring much more effort on our part in order to make sense of the text, which by implication suggests that paper-based reading pushes us to better monitor whether and to what extent we are learning through our reading as we move back and forth through the text.  In other words, in on-line reading, we tend to overestimate our reading abilities.

If the article's conclusions are true, then that leads us to wonder whether, the next time we see one of our students struggling with reading cases, dissecting statutes, or analyzing multiple-choice or essay problems, perhaps we should first ask about their reading. Are they primarily reading using on-line text or paper-based text?  The answer to the question might just lead to a memorable breakthrough in one's success in law school.  

That leads me to one final thought.

I wrote this blog trying, as best I could, to read the Norwegian article online.  So, please take what I've written as a grain of salt...because...I might have well have overestimated my own metacognition of the research findings.

In fact, writing this blog has been mighty hard work on my end because it's required near-endless multi-tasking as I switched screen shots between the article and the blog.  In short, I very well might have demonstrated the merit of this research based on my own, perhaps mistaken, paraphrases of the research findings. I'll let you be the judge. Just make sure you print out the article before you read it! Oh, and if you're not sure if you can recall how to read old-fashioned paper text, here's a funny video clip that'll serve as reminder:   https://www.youtube.com/medevialreadinghelpdesk   (Scott Johns).

 

 

 

The Highest Stakes

The bar exam is slightly less than two weeks away and as academic support professionals, we can feel it even though it is business as usual in the law school.

One way we are reminded that the bar exam is approaching is through hearing from bar study mentors and bar support individuals. Some mentors are discovering that their mentees failed to take full advantage of resources and support available to them in preparation for the bar exam. Most likely, they are concerned about their mentees’ ability or simply excited about progress and wish to check-in. Whatever the cause, it is always great to hear from supportive individuals who have rallied around bar takers. These individuals usually serve as secret weapons, giving bar taker the extra boost of confidence necessary to bring them closer to passing the exam.

Another way we are reminded that the bar exam is fast approaching is through countless expressions of fear and panic from bar studiers through phone calls and email messages seeking advice on how to improve essays, Multistate Bar Exam questions, and Multistate Performance Tests. Bar studiers are also simply seeking last-minute advice and pep talks as they take the final preparatory steps for the bar exam.

Most students in the law school building appear unaware that the bar exam is this month, let alone a few days away. They are mainly focused on their day to day activities and academic endeavors. Students who are aware that the February bar exam is upon us are either currently completing their bar exam applications or students with friends who are former classmates who will sit for the February bar exam. Current 3Ls who anticipate taking the July 2018 bar exam have some familiarity with fears and challenges bar studiers experience and are therefore attempting to minimize those concerns, ask more questions, and strategize for their bar exam.

The fear of being unsuccessful on the bar exam is equally a motivating force and a source of stress. Lately, 3L students are alluding to having nightmares and awaking in a panic consumed with thoughts about the bar exam. In my opinion, it is too early to exhibit these emotions. I advise them that although the bar exam is a high stakes test as employment, opportunities, and livelihood are all at stake; nevertheless, many other students before them have successfully survived the journey and made it to the other side. I am confident they can too.

All the very best to all the students taking the bar exam this February! You can do it! To the current 3Ls, you still have time. (Goldie Pritchard)

Black Law Student Association Celebrates 50 Years

The National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA) was "formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of Black law students to effectuate change in the legal community."  Founded in 1968 at the New York University Law School, NBLSA can trace its roots back to Algernon Johnson (“AJ”) Cooper--the former mayor of Prichard, Alabama--who sought "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black and minority attorneys who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community."  Now in its 50th year, NBLSA has grown to one the largest student-run organizations in the country.   

Although NBLSA has made huge progress in advancing its mission, African Americans still remain underrepresented in the legal community.  Today, African Americans account for approximately 13% of our nation's population.  Yet, according to the American Bar Association, less than 10% of law students and just 5% of the nation's licensed attorneys are African Americans.  Hopefully, with a continued emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and cultural competencies both in legal education and the legal employment field, we can begin to close the representation gap.  (Kirsha Trychta)

Time for a Semester Progress Check

5 weeks down in the semester, which is about 1/3 of class time.  Now is a great time for a progress check in each course.  A progress check should analyze both whether the study schedule is working and whether you know the substance so far.  Here are some quick questions/activities to consider:

Study Schedule:

1.  Do I have an updated outline for each of my courses?
2.  Have I briefed every case?
3.  Was I ready for class discussion each day?
4.  Am I consistently under-prepared for a particular class?
5.  What additional activities do I need to accomplish (ie - more practice with feedback)?
6.  What do I need to change now to get more done?

Substantive Knowledge:  (complete these activities without looking at your outline, notes, etc.)

1.  Try to write down the major topics or headings for each course on separate sheets of paper.
2.  After writing down the major headings, try to write down the smaller issues within each heading.
3.  Try to write down the rules and exceptions for each of the issues.
4.  Ask yourself what is the most confusing part of the course. What is the hardest concept to understand?  Try to find an answer from your notes, classmates, professor, or supplement for confusing concepts.
5.  Looking at the handwritten flowchart or outline, try to think of facts that are required to test each of the issues.
6.  Try to orally recite your outline for each course.

Progress checks throughout the semester are critical.  Changing study habits later in the semester or trying to figure out doctrine from months before is difficult.  The goal is to self-assess now to remedy any problems long before exams.  This is a good time to start writing answers to short hypos and asking professors for feedback.  Keep analyzing progress to continually improve.

(Steven Foster)