Law School Academic Support Blog

Veteran ASP Spotlight: Reichi Lee

Reichi Lee was a recipient of the 2017 Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) Excellence Awards.  An Academic Support colleague recommended she be highlighted in the Veteran ASP Spotlight Series.  Let’s learn about Reichi! (Goldie Pritchard)

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

Reichi Lee

Associate Professor & Director, Academic Development

Golden Gate University School 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 ASP for over 11 years, first as an adjunct teaching skills courses, then Assistant Director of Academic Development, and now as Associate Professor and Director, teaching skills and doctrinal courses, and overseeing a comprehensive academic support curriculum.

ASP work has become increasingly relevant and has transformed dramatically in the last decade. I love being a part of an ASP community that is proactively tackling the challenges of educating contemporary law students through constant adaption and innovation.

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?

My favorite part of the job is seeing a student who had struggled but worked hard to turn things around, alongside his or her family on graduation day.

My greatest challenge has been reconciling my own career ambitions and expectations from my youth, with being a mother, and finding the right mix of intellectual fulfillment, career advancement, and work-life balance – all in the context of an acceptable salary for survival in the Bay Area!

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

Making an impact in someone’s life so that they can have a better life.

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

A law degree is not just a degree. For some students, obtaining a law degree means transforming an entire family and community, for generations to come.

To new students: when things get tough, pull out your admissions personal statement and re-read it. Remember, your struggle today is ultimately about so much more than just grades.

To new/midcareer ASPers: although the day-to-day may feel less than glamourous and you might have to work hard to be seen and valued - your work has much greater impact than you may think. I thank you!

The Future of the LSAT

The LSAT is changing.   

The Law School Admission Council announced four big changes to the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in 2017.  

First, LSAC is increasing the number of test administrations.  Beginning in 2019, LSAC will offer six tests each year instead of the standard four.  Presumably to soften the transition from four tests in 2017 to six tests in 2019, LSAC quietly added a 5th exam to the calendar for 2018.  Registration is currently open for the newly added fifth test, which will take place on July 23, 2018.  

Second, LSAC has begun to conduct Digital LSAT field tests.  LSAC is exploring the possibility of transitioning to a computer-based exam, instead of the traditional paper-and-pencil version.  The results of the first field test, which was conducted in October 2017, have not been made available to the public yet. 

Third, LSAC eliminated the maximum-of-three-tests-in-two-years restriction.  Applicants may now take the LSAT exam as many times as they would like, limited only by the frequency of test administrations and cost.    

Lastly, LSAC partnered with Khan Academy to offer "free personalized LSAT prep for all."  The Khan Academy LSAT program launches this week (June 1, to be exact).  I plan to enroll and test-drive the program.  Look for a follow-up report soon. 

Meanwhile, in April 2018, the American Bar Association's Standards Review Committee of the Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recommended eliminating the LSAT requirement altogether, allowing law schools to focus on other admissions credentials.  The committee's proposal was then considered by the section's council at their May 11th meeting, and after some small changes, the council adopted the committee's recommendation.  The changes to Standards 501 and 503 would eliminate the requirement of a “valid and reliable test” as part of a law school’s admissions process.  "Significantly, the Council also adopted a new interpretation ... that would establish a “rebuttable presumption” that recognizes the centrality of a valid and reliable admissions test in law schools’ admissions policies and practices. It provides that a school whose admissions policy and process were called into question by the Council would presumptively be out of compliance with the revised Standard 501 if it did not include a valid and reliable admissions test as part of its policy.”  The Council's recommendation will now be forwarded to the ABA's House of Delegates , who could consider the issue as early as this August. 

LSAC's President responded to the May 11th ABA vote with a short press release, stating that LSAC "anticipates that most law schools will continue to use the LSAT in the admission process because of its proven validity and reliability for predicting success in law school."

(Kirsha Trychta)

 

My AASE Takeaway Sheet

AASE was awesome again this year.  I want to first say Thank You to Toni and everyone at Saint Louis University School of Law.  They did an excellent job putting on the conference.  AASE’s programming committee put together an exceptional slate of presenters.  Just as previous years, I learned from all of the sessions I attended.  It was a great experience.

I will provide a handful of my small takeaways I want to easily implement next year.  I will need more time to think about the more ambitious projects I learned about.

1. Shane Dizon provided good illustrations and charts for outlining and legal analysis. I teach all 1Ls and use different exercises to illustrate IRAC.  He presented an inverted pyramid with the broad rule at the top getting more narrow with exceptions at the bottom to help students better organize a linear outline.  His essay boxes for rule and application in his handout makes following IRAC easy.  I always try to introduce different exercises to reach more students, and I think his handout will help.

2. Goals in Google Calendar. I am always late to new tech features, so forgive me if you already use google goals.  Someone referenced google goals where google will find time in someone’s google calendar to schedule activities to meet the goal you set, ie – exercise, read, etc.  This feature will be great if I switch to google’s calendar.  I can have it fit in research/writing, exercise, and anything other goal I want to set.  I plan to teach more about habits to 1Ls next year, so I will show it to them as well.  Click here for more information.

3. I believe Alison Nissen and Stephanie Thompson’s presentation about deepening analysis in essay writing is where I picked up the good cooking analogies. Analogies are great tools to help students better understand information.  My problem is the vast majority of my analogies are from sports.  Sports fanatics love how I explain some concepts, but non-sports fans don’t get as much from the discussion.  The PB&J and Cookie explanation from this presentation was great.  The activity forces students to go step-by-step with how to make cookies or a PB&J sandwich.  Students inevitably want to skip numerous steps (ie – go to the pantry, retrieve bread, etc.).  I love the idea of making them give every detail of a task that seems so obvious.  This activity also explains how professors award points very well.

4. I am a member of my school’s assessment committee, so I enjoyed hearing about SLU’s service based learning outcomes. The way the faculty empowered students to take ownership and serve the community during very difficult situations is outstanding.  I want to look more at their language and figure out how we can empower our students better.

5. I plan to find the ABC hidden camera show where a bike theft is staged by people of different ethnicities and genders. Bystanders reacted much differently depending on the person stealing the bike.  I think the show can help introduce bias to our students.

I could keep going with all the different ideas I heard about, but I want to focus on only a handful of ideas.  None of those ideas will transform legal education, but every idea I plan to implement has the potential to change an individual student’s legal education.  Every small change to reach one more student is important to that student and all his/her future clients.  Thank you to the presenters for having that impact on my students.

Of course, AASE is outstanding because of all the attendees.  Seeing colleagues from across the country, and interacting with new faces is always fun.  From Russell McClain’s walking shoes and Paula Manning’s precise timing to seeing former Aggie ASP directors now living coast to coast, the people are what make AASE great.  I can’t wait to see everyone again next year.

(Steven Foster)

Assistant Director Position at University of the District of Columbia

Assistant Director of Academic Success and Bar Programs

http://udc.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2hbyxhvorva?sort=1&sortdir=a

1. The position advertised:

__x_ a. is a full-time appointment.
___ b. is a part-time appointment.

Other, please specify:

2. The position advertised:
___ a. is a tenure-track appointment.
_ __ b. may lead to successive long-term contracts of five or more years.
___ c. may lead to successive short-term contracts of one to four years. (Full Time Position)
___ d. has an upper-limit on the number of years a teacher may be appointed.
___ e. is part of a fellowship program for one or two years.

___ f. is an adjunct appointment.

___ g. is a year-to-year appointment.

___ h. is a one-year visitorship.

_x_ i. is for at will employment.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 2:

3. The person hired:
___ a. will be permitted to vote on all matters at faculty meetings.

___ b. will be permitted to vote in faculty meetings on matters except those pertaining to hiring, tenure, and promotion.
___ c. will not be permitted to vote in faculty meetings.

Other, please specify:

The person hired is encouraged to attend all faculty meetings and faculty development sessions. The person will be permitted to vote on all matters except those reserved for executive session.

Additional information, question 3:

 

4. The school anticipates paying an annual academic year base compensation in the range checked below. (A base compensation does not include stipends for coaching moot court teams, teaching other courses, or teaching in summer school; a base compensation does not include conference travel or other professional development funds.)
___ a. over $120,000
___ b. $110,000 - $119,999
___ c. $100,000 - $109,999
___ d. $90,000 - $99,999
___ e. $80,000 - $89,999
_x__ f. $70,000 - $79,999
_x__ g. $60,000 - $69,999
__x_ h. $50,000 - $59,999
___ i. $40, 000-49,999
___ j. $10,000 - $39,000.
___ k. less than $10,000.

Other, please specify: $55,488.16 - $74,765.45 –This reflects the salary range for the position. The actual salary will depend on the experience of the person hired.

Additional information, question 4:

5. The person hired will have the title of:

___ a. Associate Dean (including Dean of Students).

___ b. Assistant Dean.

___ c. Director.

___ d. Associate Director.

__x_ e. Assistant Director.

___ f. Professor – Full, Associate, or Assistant (tenure track).

___ g. Professor – Full, Associate, or Assistant (clinical tenure track or its equivalent).

___ h. Professor – Full, Associate, or Assistant (neither tenure track nor clinical tenure track).

___ i. no title.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 5:

6. Job responsibilities include (please check all that apply):

_x__ a. working with students whose predicators (LSAT and University GPA) suggest they will struggle to excel in law school.

_x__ b. working with students who performed relatively poorly on their law school examinations or other assessments.

_x__ c. working with diverse students.

___ d. managing orientation.

___ e. teaching ASP-related classes (case briefing, synthesis, analysis, etc.).

_x__ f. teaching bar-exam related classes.

_x__ g. working with students on an individual basis.

___ h. teaching other law school courses.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 6:

7. The person hired will be present in the office:

___ a. 9-10 month appointment.

_x__ b. Year round appointment (works regularly in the summer months).

Additional information, question 7:

8. The person hired is required to publish, in some form, in order to maintain employment.

___ a. Yes.

__x_ b. No.

Additional information, question 8:

9. The person hired will report to:

___ a. the Dean of the Law School.

___ b. an Associate Dean.

_x__ c. the Director of the Academic Support Department.

___ d. a Faculty Committee.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 9:

Instructor, Academic Success

http://udc.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2hbyxhaupia?sort=1&sortdir=a

1. The position advertised:

__x_ a. is a full-time appointment.
___ b. is a part-time appointment.

Other, please specify:

2. The position advertised:
___ a. is a tenure-track appointment.
_ __ b. may lead to successive long-term contracts of five or more years.
___ c. may lead to successive short-term contracts of one to four years. (Full Time Position)
___ d. has an upper-limit on the number of years a teacher may be appointed.
___ e. is part of a fellowship program for one or two years.

___ f. is an adjunct appointment.

___ g. is a year-to-year appointment.

___ h. is a one-year visitorship.

_x_ i. is for at will employment.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 2:

3. The person hired:
___ a. will be permitted to vote on all matters at faculty meetings.

___ b. will be permitted to vote in faculty meetings on matters except those pertaining to hiring, tenure, and promotion.
___ c. will not be permitted to vote in faculty meetings.

Other, please specify:

The person hired is encouraged to attend all faculty meetings and faculty development sessions. The person will be permitted to vote on all matters except those reserved for executive session.

Additional information, question 3:

4. The school anticipates paying an annual academic year base compensation in the range checked below. (A base compensation does not include stipends for coaching moot court teams, teaching other courses, or teaching in summer school; a base compensation does not include conference travel or other professional development funds.)
___ a. over $120,000
___ b. $110,000 - $119,999
___ c. $100,000 - $109,999
___ d. $90,000 - $99,999
___ e. $80,000 - $89,999
___ f. $70,000 - $79,999
_x__ g. $60,000 - $69,999
__x_ h. $50,000 - $59,999
__x_ i. $40, 000-49,999
___ j. $10,000 - $39,000.
___ k. less than $10,000.

Other, please specify: $42,196.01 - $63,292.47 –This reflects the salary range for the position. The actual salary will depend on the experience of the person hired.

Additional information, question 4:

5. The person hired will have the title of:

___ a. Associate Dean (including Dean of Students).

___ b. Assistant Dean.

___ c. Director.

___ d. Associate Director.

___ e. Assistant Director.

___ f. Professor – Full, Associate, or Assistant (tenure track).

___ g. Professor – Full, Associate, or Assistant (clinical tenure track or its equivalent).

___ h. Professor – Full, Associate, or Assistant (neither tenure track nor clinical tenure track).

___ i. no title.

Other, please specify: Academic Success Instructor

Additional information, question 5:

6. Job responsibilities include (please check all that apply):

_x__ a. working with students whose predicators (LSAT and University GPA) suggest they will struggle to excel in law school.

_x__ b. working with students who performed relatively poorly on their law school examinations or other assessments.

_x__ c. working with diverse students.

_x__ d. managing orientation.

_x__ e. teaching ASP-related classes (case briefing, synthesis, analysis, etc.).

___ f. teaching bar-exam related classes.

_x__ g. working with students on an individual basis.

___ h. teaching other law school courses.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 6:

7. The person hired will be present in the office:

___ a. 9-10 month appointment.

_x__ b. Year round appointment (works regularly in the summer months).

Additional information, question 7:

8. The person hired is required to publish, in some form, in order to maintain employment.

___ a. Yes.

__x_ b. No.

Additional information, question 8:

9. The person hired will report to:

___ a. the Dean of the Law School.

___ b. an Associate Dean.

_x__ c. the Director of the Academic Support Department.

___ d. a Faculty Committee.

Other, please specify:

Additional information, question 9:

Assistant Director Position at Touro

JOB POSTING

Assistant Director for Academic Development and Bar Programs

 

Department: Academic Support
Status: Full-time, 12-month, staff-level
Reports To: Director of Academic Support and Bar Programs
FLSA: EXEMPT

 

We are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic candidate to join our Academic Development Department. The ideal candidate will have experience with both bar preparation and academic support.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Assistant Director for Academic Development and Bar Programs is a full-time, staff-level position. The Assistant Director assists the Director of Academic Development and Bar Programs in all aspects of Touro’s Academic Development programs including: working with students on an individual basis; coordinating and providing skills training workshops; developing appropriate student learning materials; maintaining records associated with bar tutoring and counseling programs; coordinating and teaching in Touro’s bar-preparation programs; and implementing new services related to enhancing our law students’ academic experience. Evening availability necessary; some weekend work.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
● Counseling and working with students individually, regarding academic support and study skills;
● Developing, implementing, and teaching academic success workshops and other programs for 1L student and 2L students;
● Sharing in the creation, maintenance, and distribution of teaching materials in conjunction with the Director of Academic Development and Bar Programs;
● Assisting in implementing, and teaching in, programs related to bar exam preparation;
● One-on-one tutoring in Touro’s bar prep programs;
● Providing support for graduates during the bar review periods as they prepare for the bar exam;
● Assisting with the collection and analysis of data related to bar exam outcomes and bar exam materials;
● Maintaining records associated with bar preparation and counseling programs;
● Other duties related to academic support, success, retention, and bar preparation as assigned by the Director of Academic Development and Bar Programs.

 
REQUIREMENTS:
Education, Preparation, and Training
Applicants must possess a J.D. degree with a record of high academic achievement from an ABA-accredited law school. Admission to the bar in at least one U.S. jurisdiction. At least one year of experience teaching academic support or bar preparation in a classroom setting, whether at the college or law school level, is highly recommended. Evening and some weekend work is required.

Skills
• Excellent writing, speaking, and organizational skills
• A demonstrated commitment to academic support
• Strong interpersonal communications skills are essential

Physical Demands
• Sitting for long periods of time

Computer Skills
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office

Travel
• N/A

QUALIFICATIONS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.
Application Procedure
Please apply for the position at: http://touro.peopleadmin.com/postings/2610

Application Deadline: rolling application review

Touro Law Center is located in Central Islip, on the south shore of Long Island, an hour from New York City. Visit http://www.tourolaw.edu for more information about Touro Law Center.

Touro College is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. Our practices and employment decisions regarding employment, hiring, assignment, promotion, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment are not to be based on an employee's race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, military discharge status, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic predisposition, housing status, or any other protected status, in accordance with applicable law. Our policies are in conformance with Title IX, 1972 Education Amendments

 

Is Learning Comfortable?

There's a line in the movie "The Greatest Showman" that goes something like this:  "Comfort is the enemy of progress."  

Attributed to PT Barnum, that got me thinking.  

I began to wonder if comfort might also be the enemy of learning, or at least perhaps a barrier to learning.

That's because learning is, frankly, uncomfortable.  And, it's uncomfortable because we learn from our own mistakes.  And, mistakes are, well, hard for us to accept because they show us that we are frail and have much to learn.

In my own case, I got to thinking that I might be trying to create such a "perfect" learning environment, so perfect, that I might be leaving my students with very little room for making mistakes.  In short, if that is the case, then there is very little left for my students to do, and if my students aren't doing, then they aren't making mistakes, and if they aren't making mistakes, then they really aren't learning at all.  My quest for perfect teaching might be crowding out learning.

Of course, it's important to inspire our students, to serve a role models of what it means to be learners, and to create optimal learning environments.  But, an optimal learning environment might just mean a lot less of them watching, listening, and observing me and a lot more of me watching, listening, and observing them.  That's really hard for me to do because, quite simply, I want to help them along, I want to speed the learning process along, and I want to make learning as simple as possible because I don't like to see my students be uncomfortable.

That's especially true in the bar prep world.  Much of bar prep is focused around talking heads featuring hours after hours of watching lectures hosted by prominent academics.  And, those lectures (and especially re-watching those lectures) can lull us into a false sense that we are learning.  In short, we can get mighty comfortable while watching lectures.  But, unfortunately, watching is not learning.  It might be an important and indeed necessary first step on the way to success on the bar exam, but, I daresay, no one passes the bar exam by watching others solve legal problems.  Instead, people pass the bar exam because of what they are doing after the bar review lectures.  And, that is really uncomfortable, especially in bar prep, because the stakes are so high and we make so many mistakes along the way.  In fact, because the questions are so difficult, it's hard to feel like we are learning when we are making so many mistakes.  

That's where we can come in as academic support professionals.  We can dispel the myth that learning comes "naturally." No it doesn't.  As I heard on a recent radio program, no one drifts into losing weight (or gaining strength or developing any new skill at all).  We have to be intentional.  We have to act purposefully.  So too with learning.  We don't become good at solving legal problems by osmosis, by watching lectures, by sitting on the sidelines observing others solve legal problems.  We become good at solving legal problems by solving legal problems (and lots of them).  And, I'm pretty sure that those wonderfully rehearsed bar review lectures didn't come out perfectly on the first cut.  In fact, take a look at any of the back scenes from any movie.  There are lots of outtakes that didn't make the cut.  But, without the outtakes, there wouldn't be a movie because, like learning, making a movie means making a lot of mistakes along the way.  So, as we support our students this summer as they prepare for their bar exams, let's give them room to learn.  Let's help them appreciate that none of us became experts by being experts.  Instead, we became good because we recognized that we weren't very good at all in the beginning but we keep at it, over and over, until we started to make progress, until we started to learn.  Of course, along the way, it didn't feel very comfortable.  But, because we know that learning is hard, humbling work...for all of us...it's okay to be uncomfortable.  So, this summer, let's help our students embrace the uncomfortableness of learning by being myth-busters, and, in the process breaking down the real barriers to learning, namely, believing that learning comes naturally for everyone but us.  (Scott Johns).

 

 

 

I Am Concerned About Bar Studies!

Like many of my colleagues, I am attending the Annual Association of Academic Support Educators Conference but that does not mean that work stops. Students know I am away but the panic does not subside despite leaving them with human and other resources. In between sessions and late evening into the night, I check email, respond to phone messages, critique essays, and prepare for bar exam programming. Many of the student messages I have received relate to bar exam preparation as some students have completed a week of bar review while others started bar review programs this week. Below are a few categories of student questions and concerns.

How do I learn the material?

I particularly love this question because it means that students are thinking about what they are doing while considering the long-term impact of what they do now. Furthermore, considering the depth of understanding rather than simply being able to recall information contributes to better performance on various components of the bar exam. This question often comes up when students have completed about a week of bar review and have likely covered two to three subject areas. They usually recognize the fast pace of the program and volumes of material they need to know but also anticipate what they have yet to cover. Students also recognize that simply watching lectures, reading material, and doing homework do not necessarily equate to studying for the test. In sum, students realize that passive review is helpful in the short term but they also need to retain, retrieve, and apply the information which might require active learning for long-term maximization of effort. We discuss how active work on the bar exam components until the end of the bar review period could help. We also discuss memorization, practice under timed and untimed circumstances, skill development in each of the components of the bar exam, self-care, and how to incorporate all of these things into their day to day lives.

How do I memorize the information?

This is another question I appreciate because yet again, students are considering the long-term access to information while possibly determining if they truly understand the information. Simply “looking at,” “reading,” and “hearing” a lot of law does not result in retention of the information. We discuss activities and tools past bar studiers used to memorize information and to revisit the information on a regular basis. Some examples include writing down all they can recall from memory for a particular topic, flash cards, random pop quizzes, and using a variety of bar review applications.

How do I use all of these resources?

This question relates to the issue of excessive bar review resources. Many well- intentioned alums who may have been successful on the bar exam the first time around, the second time around, or later feel the need to share their knowledge with current bar takers. Some of the offered advice is good, some horrible, and some does not apply to the individual shared with. The worse scenario is when one bar taker receives advice and materials from practically ten different individuals, all possibly swearing that a specific system or book is what led them to pass the bar; therefore, urging the bar taker to do the same. There are students who have materials from more than one bar vendor and numerous supplemental bar support books. They are overwhelmed and do not know what to do nor where to start. I instill in these bar takers that they paid for a bar review program and should start there. They should also have a general awareness of resources available to them, talk to me about various challenges along the way so as to collaboratively identify possible solutions, and discuss the incorporation of suitably identified resources. Simply doing everything everyone did does not necessarily help. I remind them that they are operating within a limited timeframe and most of them are pressed for time and each person needs to journey through.

How do I stay motivated?

To my astonishment and concern, this year as compared to previous years, some students have expressed a lack of motivation on day one and week one of bar review. Usually, adrenaline motivates them on day one and at least through week two but that does not seem to be the case. Several students are fatigued by the three-year law school journey while others took a vacation between graduation and bar review and both now experience difficulties getting into the swing of bar review. To address this, we discuss how to manage the upcoming three day weekend particularly since they have a “day off” (technically). This might be an ideal opportunity to rest and recoup once plans have been made for effective time management of the bar review period and also after completing assignments.

Happy Bar Review Season to all my colleagues who participate in bar review preparation! (Goldie Pritchard)

Bar Preparation Tips from the Campaign Trail

What do a political candidate and a bar preppper have in common? Well, this past week, the answer is a lot!

On Tuesday, political candidates all around the country were vying for their respective party's nomination in the primary election. I attended an election results watch party where several of the candidates were successful in securing their nominations, allowing them to run on the party ticket in November. The feeling in the banquet room was a strange mix of having accomplished so much, yet having so far still to go. Each successful candidate worked hard for months to secure the primary nomination, besting other qualified candidates. So, Tuesday was surely a night for celebration. But, the excitement was quickly tempered for many by the realization that securing the primary nod is just the beginning. Each successful candidate now faces a grueling twenty-six week general election campaign schedule.

That odd sense of "unfinished accomplishments" was equally present a few days later at our law school graduation ceremony. While the students were thrilled to be receiving their diplomas on stage, most were also acutely aware that their work was not done. Rather, the hard work was just beginning. The graduates now face 10 weeks of (potentially grueling) bar preparation! Despite all that the students have accomplished during law school, most could only muster a qualified sense of achievement—contingent on the bar exam.

The parallel between political candidate and bar prepper got me thinking – perhaps the bar preppers could learn some study tips from the campaign trail. (The internet is replete with strategies and tips for managing a successful campaign. To remain party-neutral in this post, I’ve omitted citations to specific sources.) Here are a few campaign suggestions that are equally applicable to bar preppers:

Get on the ballot. Make sure that you’ve properly applied to sit for the bar exam in your desired jurisdiction. Also, don’t forget that if you move residences or start a new job between now and the date that you are sworn into the state bar, you’ll have to complete an update form. To access the correct update/amendment form, you can use this directory to lookup the contact information for the National Conference of Bar Examiners or a specific jurisdiction. Please be aware some jurisdictions require you to update both the NCBE and the specific jurisdiction directly.

Get to know your electorate. If you don’t already know exactly what is tested on the bar exam, now is the time to figure it out. You need to know what topics are tested, and how frequently each topic appears on the exam. For starters, most commercial bar preparation companies provide frequency charts and review this material during the first week of class. These detailed statistics will prove invaluable in July. See my Supermarket Sweep post for more details about how to maximize the usefulness of frequency charts.

Write your campaign plan. The commercial bar preparation courses give you a good time-management template, but be sure you’ve accounted for personal events (such as weddings or vacations) and personal preferences (such as watching the lecture videos in the morning or in the afternoon). According to most research, you want to aim for at least 600 hours of bar preparation studying. To help you track your hours, Download 600 Hours to Success, an interactive excel timesheet.

Gather a good team. You are going to need support. Talk with your friends and family about your expectations (and theirs) for the next 10 weeks. Is everyone on the same page? Are you expected to visit Great Aunt June? Who will do the grocery shopping and laundry? To start the discussion, I recommend writing a letter to your team members. For a good example, see the sample letter in “Pass the Bar Exam: A Practical Guide to Achieving Academic & Professional Goals” by Sara J. Berman. In addition to your friends and family, utilize the resources of your law school’s academic support or bar preparation center.

Prepare for long days. You will likely be working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, for the next 10 weeks. At first blush, you may be thinking: I worked 60 hours a week during law school, so what’s the big deal? The difference is what you did during those 60 hours. In law school, large sections of your day were planned and guided by professors. Plus the day was typically broken-up into varied chunks of class time, reading, clinic work, student organization events, co-curricular practices, and legal research/writing. During bar preparation, you alone are in charge of keeping everything on track, and the days can become repetitive and monotonous. In short, there is little variety and little oversight during bar preparation. Therefore, you need to create a detailed plan and rely on your team to keep you on track. (Re-read the tips above.)

If you follow these basic suggestions for navigating the campaign trail, you should be poised for bar exam success.

(Kirsha Trychta)

Excited for AASE

As of this post, AASE is approximately 24 hours from beginning.  I can’t wait for it to start.  AASE always produces great ideas and a good recharge to make it through bar prep.

Everyone will have different suggestions for how to approach the conference.  My suggestions are based on my personality and experience, so you may benefit from different strategies.  Here are a handful of my thoughts. 

First, steal great ideas.  The presenters are there to help everyone get better.  Use their ideas in your class, workshops, or interactions with students.  I would guess the vast majority of presenters want you to steal their ideas.  Give them credit when appropriate, but don’t reinvent the wheel.  Most people in ASP are working on limited budgets, with limited staff, and are responsible for helping an entire law school succeed.  Work smarter while working harder.

Second, devote a notebook page or word document to great ideas.  I normally have a blank word document or the first page of my notebook devoted to great ideas I can implement when I get back.  I call it my takeaway sheet.  As I hear something that I can implement, I quickly write it down.  Keeping all of the great ideas in 1 space helps me stay organized for when I get back.

Third, attend a variety of presentations.  I know the schedule is roughly setup in tracks to help specific populations.  For some people, they may need to focus on 1 track.  However, I usually tell people to attend a few presentations outside your track.  You never know when a great 1L exercise would work really well in a bar prep class.  We are all trying to help our students improve fundamental legal analysis.  Take ideas from everywhere to do that.

Fourth, talk to people.  This is the hardest one for me.  I do not naturally introduce myself or try to meet new people.  However, the people you meet may be the biggest resource you take away from the conference.  My first conference, which happened to be at SLU in summer 2009, made a huge impact on my career in a number of ways.  One of the biggest impacts came from simply sitting on the bus.  I sat by myself, like normal, and an outgoing, awesome person sat next to me.  I had no idea who Paula Manning was at that time (probably should have).  The insight she provided in that 15 minute ride made in an impact on my students that summer.  She also became one of the people I can always reach out to when I have a question.  Paula will never know the impact she continually has on my students, and it all happened because I talked to someone on the bus.  You can both learn from and help out others just by talking to them.

Lastly, enjoy the break.  I know many of us have bar takers starting bar prep.  Others have grading or numerous tasks waiting back home.  However, I would implore everyone to take a second and enjoy the break.  Go visit the arch one night or go to sleep early.  The mental recharge getting away from the office can make a huge difference in the coming months.

I hope everyone enjoys AASE.  I can’t wait to see everyone, even if I may not say hello.

(Steven Foster)

Veteran ASP Spotlight: Herbert N. Ramy

I first saw the name Herbert N. Ramy on the cover of a book, Succeeding in Law School. In my early years of Academic Support, I attempted to build an arsenal of resources I could recommend to students and I also wanted to ensure that I was well aware of all resources available.  Herb's book was one of the books I collected. I formally met Herb a little later at a conference and had a brief conversation with him. Please see the information below to learn a little bit about him (Goldie Pritchard).

 

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

Herbert N. Ramy

Professor and Director of Academic Support

Suffolk University Law School (SULS)

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

I created the ASP Program at SULS back in the summer of 1999. At the time, my school provided little in the way of ASP services, and relied on its LRW faculty to fill the gap. I was already an LRW Professor at SULS, and the Deans of the law school asked me to create and run a new ASP Department. Candidly, I accepted the offer because it meant a promotion, a raise, and a bit more job security. Little did I realize that I was accepting a position that would form the foundation for the rest of my academic career.

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?

Without question, the most enjoyable aspect of my work is working one-on-one with my students. Over time, it seems that ASP departments have evolved to the point where classroom work – 1L skills sessions and bar prep – dominate our day. While some of my teaching happens in the classroom, I love being able to tailor my approach to the needs of each individual student. Through these individual meetings, I learn things about my students that I would never otherwise know. These individual meetings give me a front row seat regarding each student’s progress, which allows me to make small adjustments to my teaching based on that student’s actual needs.

My greatest challenge is providing assistance to students who have the drive to succeed but not necessarily the aptitude for legal work. Due to the recent dip in law school applications, this has occurred a bit more often over the past few years. The important thing from my perspective is to avoid pre-conceived judgments. I remind myself that law school success is not the same thing as success in the profession. Similarly, students do not need to be on law review in order to meet their professional goals. On occasion, I must have difficult conversations with a student about withdrawing from law school. Thankfully, those conversations will continue to happen infrequently so long as the student and the teacher do everything they can to ensure success.

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

I just hope that I made some small difference in the professional lives of the students with whom I had the pleasure of working. One of my most treasured possessions is a file folder stuffed with “thank you” notes from the past 19+ years in ASP. These notes are more valuable to me than any professional award or accolade I could ever receive.

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

It is too easy to get caught up in the numbers related to our work – incoming LSAT score, 1L GPA, school’s bar passage rate. One-on-one work reminds me that our students are far more than their admission’s applications or law school transcript. Statistics may tell me that a student with a specific LSAT score has X % chance of failing the bar exam, but they can never tell me how the student sitting in front of me will perform. Treat every student like an individual, not a statistic, and I guarantee that you’ll be reading about some of doing great things in the legal profession.

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

At its core, ASP work is about “doing”, and Confucius said it best – “I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.” Show your students how to do the work, make them do the work, and give them feedback about what went right and wrong – great things are bound to follow.

Good Litigating is Good Teaching: Closing Arguments

This is the fifth and final post in the "Good Litigating is Good Teaching" series.

Part One: Introduction

Part Two: Getting a Good Start

Part Three: Mastering Your Case-in-Chief

Part Four: Experts & Exhibits

Part Five: Closing Arguments

Provide Guidance in the Closing Argument

Few Americans have ever participated in the deliberations process. Thus it is wise to offer the jurors a proposed course of action. For example, the criminal defense attorney may encourage the jury to start their discussion with element X. The attorney might further explain that if the jury concludes that the prosecution failed to prove element X, then the jury need not deliberate any further; rather the jury would be required to find the defendant not guilty. Or perhaps the attorney recognizes that one plaintiff or defendant is exceedingly easier (or more difficult) to resolve than the others. Pointing this out to the jury may serve to expedite the deliberations process.

Similarly, a professor ought to provide some insight into which study-approaches and resources are best, and which ones should be ignored. Such advice will not only assist the student in being better prepared for the exam, but also lessen the stress associated with having to wade through dozens of different study methods and resources.

Conduct Post-Trial Analysis

After the jury renders its verdict, counsel will usually ask the jury for some feedback about what went well, who the jurors found credible, if the jurors understood the theory of the case, and so on. The trial attorney will also ask other attorneys, who may have been in the room for a portion of the trial, for their impressions about her effectiveness in the courtroom. Trial counsel will then adjusts her strategy in future cases based on what proved successful.

A professor, likewise, has the opportunity to assess his performance through end-of-the-semester student evaluations. Here, students evaluate whether the instructor was prepared, organized, and presented information in a helpful and logical manner.  Scholars have long debated the efficacy of teaching evaluations. Regardless of the weight placed upon them, student evaluations remain a good mirror on the wall.  [1] A professor may invite another colleague to evaluate his teaching effectiveness, or perhaps the professor may opt to self-assess using a video recording system.

 

And, In Conclusion 

Many researchers have opined that in order for jurors to feel satisfied and successful, jurors want to be told what to expect before the trial begins, then guided through the presentation of evidence in a timely and logical fashion, before finally being offered some assistance with how best to conduct the deliberations process.  Students, arguably, require similar assistance in the classroom setting as they navigate a 3-year long odyssey.  In short, it is the professor’s responsibility in the classroom and the attorney’s responsibility in the courtroom to educate their audience, while providing reassurances and guidance throughout the process. 

Footnotes:

[1] For two critiques, see Dennis R. Honabach, Responding to “Educating Lawyers”: An Heretical Essay in Support of Abolishing Teaching Evaluations, 39 U. Tol. L. Rev. 311 (Winter 2008); Deborah J. Merritt, Bias, the Brain, and Student Evaluations of Teaching, 82 St. John’s L. Rev. 235 (Winter 2008).

(Kirsha Tryhcta)

Bar Prep Marathon Begins

Congratulations to everyone earning a J.D. recently! Earning a Doctorate level degree is an amazing accomplishment.  2011 Census data indicates approximately 3% of the US population 25 and older possess a Doctorate or Professional degree.  Walking across the stage and completing the J.D. requirements puts all graduate in elite company.  No matter what happens this summer, know all J.D. graduates (including yourself) are elite!

While already elite, everyone knows there is still one more hurdle prior to becoming an attorney. The vast majority of graduates still need to pass the bar exam.  The limited time and breadth of material requires focus for all 10 weeks.  I recommend my students start preparing the Tuesday morning after graduation through the Sunday before the bar.  One focus to take it one time.

Bar prep should start shortly after graduation, and it must be the highest priority during the summer. However, preparing for the bar is a marathon, not a sprint.  The key to success is maintaining a steady pace and not burning out early.  Here are my tips for a steady pace throughout the summer:

 

1.  Create a good daily schedule. All the bar review companies do a good job assigning particular tasks each day, but their schedules are “flexible” on when to do the work. I suggest to most students (not everyone) to sit down and create an hourly calendar, for example:

9-12:30 – Lecture

12:30-1:30 – Lunch

1:30-4 – Assigned practice questions

4-4:30 – Mental Break

4:30-5:30 – Review Lecture

5:30-7 – Dinner

7-9 – Review Previous Material

Scheduling increases the chances the majority of the work is completed. Time isn’t wasted deciding what to do. 

2.  Schedule Breaks. Notice my example included breaks throughout the day. Breaks are critical during bar prep.  Students who try to go non-stop 7 days a week burn out quickly.  The bar exam will be as much mental preparedness as it will be a test of legal analysis.  Being fresh and rested increases focus, retention, and engagement.  Include breaks both during the day and each week.

3.  Know yourself. Create reasonable schedules and breaks. If you know you can’t study during a certain time of the day, then build a schedule around what is best for you.  My only caveat here is the bar exam in most states starts at 8am or 9am, so studying solely at night may not be the most beneficial.  You do need to transition to being alert by 7am at some point during the process.

4.  Plan to attend the physical location. I know I will sound old with this piece of advice, but attend the location for your course. I know the online version is the same.  I know many locations are showing a video, and I know your computer shows videos as good as the location.  I also know through anecdotal stories and taking roll that students physically at the locations have higher pass rates, at least for my school.  Being present creates habits that can lead accomplishing more during the day.

5.  Create a good routine. It is true that bar prep is hard, but it is also true that most of the difficulty can be overcome with a good routine. Bad practice scores, not remembering rules, and general frustration will arise.  The brain’s fight or flight response will be triggered.  A good routine where you know exactly how to fight by doing more questions, finding a good resource, etc. will enable you to continue to improve.  Without a routine, responding to difficulty with a round of golf instead of a round of questions becomes easy..

Bar prep is beginning. Know your awesome accomplishments.  Know that getting a J.D. illustrates an ability to pass the bar.  Take the time to then build a schedule and routine to put yourself in a position to succeed.  The goal is to be able to walk out of the bar exam knowing you gave your full effort to pass. 

(Steven Foster)

One More Academic Year Winds Down - Sigh

I always reach this last gasp of the semester with mixed emotions. I am glad to end the rush of the last several months. I look forward to starting my long list of summer projects.

But, I will miss having as many students present in the building. There will be some bar studiers who stay in Lubbock and a small number of summer school students. Most students will head to other parts of the state or farther afield for summer clerkships.

It is always a time of reflection for me. I think about programs and resources - the successes, the so-so's, and the won't-do-that-again's.

But mostly I think about individual students. After all, they are the reason that I love the work I do.

• I think about the first-year students who learned new skills to succeed in law school and surprised themselves with how much they have learned.
• I think about probation students who turned around their skills to succeed this semester and regain their confidence.
• I think about upper-division students who came back for "10,000-mile check-ups" or to hone specific skills we had started to work on previously.
• I think about upper-division students whose friends urged them to see me for help because "it worked for them last year."
• I think about the students who just needed someone to talk with, to vent to, or to steal away for a few minutes of tears in an office that always has a ready box of tissues.
• I think about the graduating third-year students who I have seen grow as individuals as well as new professionals - that proud parent feeling that ASP'ers often have.

Yes, summer will give me a chance to reorganize, develop new programs, and take a bit of a break for some travel. Three months of projects ahead of me before the ASP whirlwind will begin again.

But, you know, it will be the anticipation in August of the arriving new class and the returning students that will bring a big smile back to my face. The summer is nice, but not what I look forward to the most. (Amy Jarmon)

 

 

 

Measuring High Potential for Work Performance and Leadership

BBC News included an article this week (The Secrets of High Potential Personality) on a book entitled High Potential by Ian MacRae, Adrian Furnham, and Martin Reed (Bloomsbury Business, Second Edition, 2018) and the High Potential Trait Inventory (HPTI) that is based on the research of the authors.

The book and the HPTI focus on six characteristics that the authors feel are important to workplace performance and especially leadership: conscientiousness, adjustment, ambiguity acceptance, curiosity, risk approach (or courage), and competitiveness. The authors state that each trait can be measured with the HPTI to show its level for the individual. At the extreme level, each trait can have downsides. In addition, the combination and levels of traits that impact work performance or leadership may vary depending on the position held within an organization. (For example, when I looked on the web for the inventory, a sample report for the Thomas HPTI uses low, moderate, optimal, and excessive as the levels for each trait and then provides a report for the individual based on that person's scores.) 

As I read the article, I thought that several of these characteristics seem to relate potentially to law school performance and success. Inventories measure "only one piece of the puzzle," so to speak; but I am curious to learn more about these traits. The book is going on my list for future reading. (Amy Jarmon)

Today is the last day to register for AASE Conference in St. Louis May 22-24, 2018

The link to register is: http://www.associationofacademicsupporteducators.org/conferencesevents.html.

Faculty and Director of Academic Success Position at Southern Illinois

                                                                                                      

Faculty Position: Director of the Academic Success Program

Southern Illinois University School of Law

Southern Illinois University School of Law is an outstanding, small public law school that provides its students with an optimal mix of theoretical and experiential educational opportunities in a student-centered environment in order to prepare them for a changing legal profession in a global environment. SIU School of Law seeks to fill a full time, 9-month, tenure-track or tenured position in the area of academic support beginning in the 2018 - 2019 academic year.

Rank & Title: Director of the Academic Success Program — Full, Associate, or Assistant Professor of Law.

Minimum Qualifications:  The Juris Doctor degree or its equivalent from a nationally accredited law school, and an outstanding law school academic record. Factors to be considered in assessing the academic record include: rank in class, selectivity of the J.D. degree (or its equivalent) granting institution, honors received, and other factors relevant to academic performance.  To be eligible for appointment at the Full or Associate Professor level, the candidate must have prior law school teaching experience and an established record of scholarship and contributions to the profession.  Full or Associate Professor candidates should be able to meet the requirements for promotion and tenure on the faculty of the School of Law.

Preferred Qualifications: An advanced degree in education theory or a related discipline or one or more years of experience in a law school academic support program. Experience in student counseling, academic support, bar exam preparation, legal writing and analysis, or remedial teaching is preferred.

Duties & Responsibilities: The Director of the Academic Success Program will direct the School of Law’s program of academic support, which includes a first-year program of academic success, support for upper level students, and a bar preparation program. The Director will lead the School of Law’s Academic Success Program team, which currently includes both a full-time academic support specialist and a full-time bar preparation specialist.

The Director will also have responsibility for: (a) teaching at least two classroom courses per academic year to be negotiated with the Dean, (b) research and publication involving legal analysis of a high quality; (c) committee and other service work within the law school; and (d) university and public service.  The Director’s responsibilities will also include working with the Academic Success Program team to oversee program-led (or program-initiated) study groups, offer workshops, counsel students, monitor student progress through the curriculum, and work with students on an individual basis. The Director will also work with School of Law faculty and administration to analyze academic achievement and bar examination results and develop strategies to maximize academic success and bar passage.  The Director’s position is a full time, tenured or tenure-track position based on a nine-month contract.

To apply: Applications should be submitted electronically to [email protected] or by mail to the address below.  Electronic applications preferred.  A completed application will require a letter of application, a resumé, and the contact information for three references.  The letter should be addressed to:

Mark Schultz, Chair, Personnel Committee

C/O Patty Lynn

Southern Illinois University School of Law

Mail Code 6804

1150 Douglas Drive

Carbondale, Illinois  62901

Deadline for application: May 11, 2018, or until position is filled.

SIU Carbondale is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer that strives to enhance its ability to develop a diverse faculty and staff and to increase its potential to serve a diverse student population.  All applications are welcomed and encouraged and will receive consideration.

 

 

The Secret to a Great Weekend Get-Away!

I just had one of the best weekends of my life.  

But, before I get into the details, here's a bit of background about law school life in general.

As summarized by the Colorado Supreme Court, a 2016 survey of 3300 law students at 15 law schools indicated that law school life is, simply put, brutal to one's well-being.  

Here's the specifics:

• 23 percent of surveyed law students reported mild to moderate anxiety with another 14 percent reporting severe anxiety
• 17 percent of surveyed law students reported being depressed
• 43 percent of surveyed law students reported binge drinking at least once in the previous two weeks 

http://coloradosupremecourt.com/Well-Being

In short, law school life can be really tough.  I know.  In my case, anxiety started to first take over my life...as a first-year law student in law school.  There's so much to think about, which I translate into "there's so much to worry about."  And, I was worried about everything, especially being called upon, in which, of course, I felt like I would finally be revealed as a fraud - an imposter not really belonging in law school.  Ever since I have realized how powerful our thoughts can be to our well-being.

That brings me to my recent weekend adventure...  

You see, it started just like any other weekend - busy.  In fact, extra busy.  So, busy that in my rush to wash my blue jeans, I forgot to check my pockets. Yep, my gleaming smartphone took a deep water plunge into the washing machine...for a good hour (my pants were really dirty).  The good news is that my phone was really clean now.  The great news...I actually felt relieved.  I felt free.  I no longer had this overarching, almost itching desire to constantly check my phone for messages, texts, and yes I'm old-fashioned, phone calls.  Simply put, my phone was dead.  Completely lifeless.  Just a bunch of fancy sparkling metal and glass that couldn't speak to me, write to me, talk with me, or respond to me.

At first, to be honest, that left me speechless.  But, oh what a weekend did I have! Or, to put it better, what a weekend did I experience!  

Why, I started to connect to real things, real people, real situations, real life.  And, in the course of connecting (or rather re-connecting), I started to feel less anxious.  I wasn't worried about constantly checking email.  It was almost gleeful.  

Now, I don't recommend washing your phone.  But, it was a lesson well-worth the price of admission.  Even now, with a replacement phone at hand, I try to leave it behind.  That's because the farther away my phone is from me, the better my own well-being.  

So, with finals almost finished (or nearly so), take a weekend get-away that will be, simply put, priceless.  Put that phone of yours away; bury it for the weekend; and go meet up with the world.

For more tips on developing well-being, please see the ABA's "Well-Being Took Kit for the Legal Profession," written by Anne Bradford, available at:  

 https://www.americanbar.org/well-beingkit  

For the entire article regarding the survey results of law students, please see David B. Jaffe, et. al, "Suffering in Silence: The Survey of Law Student Well-Being," available at:

 https://jle.aals.org/home/vol66/iss1/13/.  

(Scott Johns)

Veteran ASP Spotlight: Linda Feldman

You may consider this entry and future ones “self-serving” but please stay tuned. When my ASP mentor left the profession, I thought it might be a splendid idea to highlight a few “veteran ASPers” while they are still active in the profession. After conversations with a few colleagues, I decided to start highlighting a few individuals I view as “veteran ASPers.” I encountered these highly experienced individuals at certain points of my ASP journey which began almost ten years ago. Each contributed to my success by helping me in small or significant ways and shared their wisdom, experience, and advice. Here are links to all who were featured last year: Rodney Fong, Barbara McFarland, Louis Schulze, Jr., Amy Jarmon, and  Jendayi Saada. This initial project has evolved to highlight some individuals I have never met or interacted with but whom others find inspirational. I deemed it expedient to streamline the questions rather than ask them anything and everything I could have possibly wanted to know. It is impossible to highlight everyone so I am starting with a select few, Linda Feldman being the first this year.

I was first introduced to Linda Feldman by my ASP mentor at the very first Association of American Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting I attended. She was friendly and welcoming to this fairly new (a year and half in) ASPer. Kind words accompanied by a pleasant and welcoming smile were priceless. I always appreciate her insight, perspective, and contributions. Also, she is always so enthusiastic! Please learn more about her below. (Goldie Pritchard)

(Linda Feldman is pictured here, center with sign) 

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

Linda B. Feldman

Associate Professor and Director, Academic Success Program

Brooklyn Law School

Brooklyn New York

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

This May marks my 30th year in academic support. Teaching has always been my passion. Before law school I taught middle school social studies. After graduation the then Dean of Brooklyn Law School asked me to develop a program for non-traditional entering students who faced challenges adapting to and excelling in the law school environment. I agreed to create a program which, in those years had no name. I was so lucky that soon thereafter I met Paula Lustbader and Laurie Zimet at the conference in Boulder and learned that what I was “creating” already existed and was called academic support.

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 enjoy all aspects of helping students achieve whatever level of success they set for themselves. I value the one-on-one time with a student which allows me to get to know the student more personally and fashion an approach to learning for that particular student. But I am also exhilarated by teaching a large group of 1Ls. Each has its place.

My greatest challenge has been to provide support for an entering class of over 300 students. I have never overcome that challenge. It is the end of my last semester of law school teaching, and I’m still trying to figure out how to meet that challenge.

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

An interesting question since I am retiring in July. I hope my legacy will be the continuation of the summer Legal Process class which provided a supportive welcoming environment for students who might have otherwise have struggled unnecessarily. I also hope the collaboration between doctrinal faculty and ASP will continue to support all law students at BLS.

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

Don’t go it alone. Reach out to ASPers in your region and across the country. There is no more generous, creative, talented group of professionals than in the ASP community.

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

I saw a quote in a Montessori preschool classroom once that has become my guide: “If a child cannot learn the way we teach, we must teach the way that child learns.” This is as true for a law student as it is for a pre-schooler.

Good Litigating is Good Teaching: Experts & Exhibits

This is the fourth and penultimate post in the "Good Litigating is Good Teaching" series.

Part One: Introduction

Part Two: Getting a Good Start

Part Three: Mastering Your Case-in-Chief

Part Four: Experts & Exhibits

Call Expert Witnesses

When a subject is unique or complicated, attorneys call expert witnesses to testify about the concept. Professors should do the same. The professor can capitalize on the law student’s propensity to impart credibility on to statements being offered by practicing attorneys and judges asked to present as guest speakers within the classroom context. Perhaps it is the “war story” format that the student finds intriguing, or the switch from the traditional case method. Regardless, an expert witness can serve as a positive alterative to the more traditional case method presentation.

Use Demonstrative Exhibits 

If a concept involves several different people, places, or things, you can almost guarantee that a trial attorney will produce a demonstrative exhibit to aid the jury in understanding the relationship between the items. Professors should do the same. For example, the professor could prepare a large chart or poster board, with blank spaces to be filled-in during the class, depending on student responses. For example, when discussing a negligence case, the attorney/professor may display a large board with “duty, breach, causation, and damages” down the left side, and blank spaces to the right to be filled-in as the witness testifies or student responds.

Stay tuned for next week's closing arguments.

(Kirsha Trychta)

Using Summer Jobs for Understanding

“Objection your honor . . .”  says any number of TV lawyers, and I immediately shout at the TV, “that isn’t the real rule.”  My wife rolls her eyes while I proceed to explain to the TV how the judge made an incorrect ruling.  Legal Analysis practice while watching TV.  Great fun for everyone in the room, and a good learning tool.

Reading Kirsha’s excellent series comparing litigation to teaching made me consider how students could utilize summer jobs to solidify and expand understanding of the foundational courses.  Context and examples help illustrate how rules operate and relate to each other.  Understanding rules in a vacuum is difficult, but students can see the rules in action through real life clients.  Real clients will contextualize and solidify knowledge.

Summer jobs are a great way to see the rules in action.  I listed a few tips to think about during the summer to help understand bar exam courses even more.

1. When summarizing or analyzing discovery documents, consider whether the evidence is admissible. Try to predict which evidence rule the opposing party would use to exclude the evidence.

2. When reading a case file, identify the cause of action. Then try to recall all the elements of the cause of action.

3. Try to recall a rule from the year that is relevant during every task.

4. If in a transactional setting, pick one clause of a contract and think of the rule that makes that clause necessary.

5. Consider why a business operator chose a certain type of business or why plaintiff’s attorney chose a particular cause of action.

6. Make a conscious effort to attach any work done during the summer to specific rules either learned last year or will be in a subject next year.

Summer jobs are a great way to improve understanding.  I heard too many classmates after my 1L summer say our professors didn’t teach them certain things during the previous year.  I knew they were wrong because I was in class with them and learned the concepts.  Many students missed the context to understand how the concepts worked in practice.  Being intentional during the summer can provide the context to solidify knowledge for the bar exam.

(Steven Foster)