Law School Academic Support Blog

Academic and Bar Support Scholarship Spotlight

1.    David Jaffe (American), Katherine Bender (Bridgewater State), and Jerome M. Organ (St. Thomas (Minn.)), It is Okay to Not Be Okay': The 2021 Survey of Law Student Well-Being, __ Univ. of Louisville L. Rev. __ (forthcoming 2022).

The abstract:

The Survey of Law Student Well-Being, implemented in Spring 2014 [hereinafter “2014 SLSWB”], was the first multi-law school study in over twenty years to assess alcohol and drug use among law students, and it was the first multi-law school study ever to address prescription drug use, mental health, and help-seeking attitudes. The article summarizing the results of the 2014 SLSWB has been downloaded over 12,000 times.

With a desire to learn what has changed since 2014 given the increased emphasis on law student and lawyer well-being among law schools and legal professionals, the authors sought and received grant funding from AccessLex Institute to implement another survey of law student well-being. In addition to assessing alcohol use, street drug use, prescription drug use, mental health, and help-seeking attitudes, the 2021 Survey of Law Student Well-Being [hereinafter “2021 SLSWB”] also included new questions focused on law student experiences with trauma and on concerns of third-year law students related to preparing for and taking the bar exam. Additionally, the 2021 SLSWB included a set of open-text questions asking respondents to identify actions their law schools are taking or could be taking to support law student well-being.

Section II provides a literature review, inclusive of research on law student wellness since the original article on the 2014 SLSWB was published in 2016. Section III describes the methods of recruitment, response rates, and design of the 2021 SLSWB survey instrument. Section IV provides results from the largest multi-law school study of its kind, comparing results from the 2021 SLSWB with results from the 2014 SLSWB where possible. Section V discusses the results and includes recommendations for steps different stakeholders within legal education and the legal profession could pursue to better support law student well-being. With representation from thirty-nine law schools across the country, including public, private, and religious law schools, as well as small, medium, and large law schools in terms of student enrollment, the findings of the 2021 SLSWB have implications for multiple stakeholders in legal education, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators, along with boards of law examiners.

2.  Sneddon, Karen J. (Mercer),  Square Pegs and Round Holes: Differentiated Instruction and the Law School Classroom, 48 Mitchell Hamline L. Rev. 1095 (2022).

The abstract:

Adapting to the needs of student learners while adequately preparing them for the challenges of the bar exam, and the demands of practice, may seem impossible. This Article shares a theoretical framework built from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and educational theories that legal educators can use. That theoretical framework, commonly referred to as an instructional strategy, is differentiated instruction.1 This Article first describes differentiated instruction, which originated in K-12 education and has now been translated into higher education. 2 Second, this Article explores the value that differentiated instruction would add to the law school classroom.3 Third, this Article situates differentiated instruction within the context of popular teaching and learning theories to share how differentiated instruction is compatible with what law professors do now and how some modifications in current methods can amplify the learning process.4 Finally, this Article applies differentiated instruction in the law school classroom by presenting concrete examples that translate differentiated instruction to the law school classroom.5 This Article presents a series of modifications to commonly used law school instructional strategies to enhance the ability of the professor to respond to the needs of learners. In addition, this Article presents a series of more innovative instructional strategies that use student choice to leverage learning potential and achievement. Law students have a range of experiences, preparations, and interests. As this Article demonstrates, differentiated instruction is a framework that allows law school educators to adapt and respond to the needs of all learners rather than forcing square pegs into round holes.

3.  Although not new, this one is certainly "ASP mandatory reading":  John F. Murphy, Teaching Remedial Problem-Solving Skills to a Law School's Underperforming Students, 16 Nev. L. J. 173 (2015).

This article describes a course called the “Art of Lawyering” developed by the Texas A&M University School of Law to help the bottom quarter of the 2L class develop the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills they should have learned in their first year of law school. Students in the bottom quarter of the class at the beginning of their 2L year are most at risk for failing the bar exam after graduation. The Art of Lawyering gives these students the structural framework necessary to solve problems like a lawyer, improve their performance in law school, and pass the bar exam.

The course, in its current iteration, is remarkably effective, producing a significant increase in students’ grade-point averages. This article describes the theory, methods, and resources behind the course, and it includes a detailed lesson plan so that other schools can replicate the course and realize similar success.

(Posted by:  Louis Schulze, FIU Law)

I see, you see, we all see....

Today is our first day of classes. As someone who has taught for about two weeks already, it seems anti-climactic, and I am already tired. I also feel like the e-mail floodgates have opened-today I’ve heard from students, colleagues, and administrators that I haven’t heard from since we took refuge from a thunderstorm together at commencement. I already have homework for a committee meeting next week (yeah, really). Sigh. I feel like I will need the time I have this long weekend to just catch up-and we’ve barely started.  So, to those of you out there who have already begun classes, are about to, or cannot even tell what day of the week it is, I want you to know I see you.

I see the people who thought every day last week was Monday. This week will be all Mondays too-but next week there will be no Monday and that will prove confusing as well.

I see the people who want to trip the doctrinal faculty members who are just rolling in today and asking what we taught the 1Ls in orientation (maybe come and see for yourself next year!?)

I see the people who always wonder why the week before elementary and high school begins is week two of law school. #outofsync

I see the people who are excited to hear voices in the building after a long, quiet time. A new year is so thrilling.

I see the people who are frightened to hear voices in the building after a long, quiet time. An old pandemic is still scary. Monkeypox? Really??

I see all the ASP professionals out there who will do everything in their power to make this a great academic year for new and returning students and I hope more than anything else, that everyone at your institution sees you too.

I see a year ahead that will be part "same old, same old" and part new and shiny. And I am not yet sure what I am hoping will be the prevalent circumstance.

After assigning all the police officers under his supervision their various duties for the day, Sgt. Phil Esterhaus on Hill Street Blues[1] would always say, “[L]et’s be Careful out there.” 

Indeed.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1]https://www.npr.org/2014/05/08/310742743/lets-be-careful-out-there-the-legacy-of-hill-street-blues. If you are too young to have ever even heard of this show, I see you too-but I am not pleased 😊. Or, for you MCU fans, ASP Assemble!!!

Associate Professor of Law at Southwestern

Academic Success and Bar Preparation: Associate Professor of Law

Southwestern Law School invites applicants for an associate professor position for administration, counseling, and teaching in the Academic Success and Bar Preparation Office to commence no later than July 1, 2023. We prefer that the person start earlier, as possible. In this position, the chosen applicant will work closely with the department leader, and other members of the department in the creation, administration, implementation, and teaching of programs and courses as part of the academic support and bar preparation course curriculum.

Duties and responsibilities may include but are not limited to any of the following:

• Working with the Faculty of Academic Success and Bar Preparation Office to research, design, implement and manage academic and bar support programs, including pre-matriculation programs, first-year programs and pre and post-graduation bar preparation programs
• Teaching in the academic and bar support programs and courses
• Meeting with students individually and in small groups regarding academic and bar performance issues. This includes identifying and/or creating additional materials that would support a student’s individualized academic or bar improvement plan.
• Supervising student teaching and research assistants
• Assisting with additional services to enhance the academic and bar success of students
• Identify additional opportunities to support or enhance the Office’s offerings and/or developing materials

Required Qualifications:

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school
• Bar admission, admission to the California Bar or a UBE jurisdiction preferred
• Experience in academic support and bar preparation preferred. Other teaching experience such as legal writing instruction will be considered
• Ability to work with a variety of people from diverse backgrounds, including students, staff, and faculty
• Ability to counsel, critique, and guide students to self-improvement through a professional, rigorous, respectful, supportive, and reliable commitment to them, including creating individualized materials
• Ability to work as part of a collaborative team of faculty in the Academic Success and Bar Preparation Office while having the ability to be a self-starter and self-manage individual work product
• Availability to teach and/or meet with students in the evening and occasional weekend, especially during bar preparation seasons
• Imagination, innovation, and desire to grow into responsibilities in areas of mutual interest and need
• Understanding of, and ability to work for, the mission and goals of Southwestern Law School
• Professionalism and ability to work with confidential information

This is a full-time, year-round position with faculty voting rights. The salary is competitive. The successful applicant will also receive a competitive benefits package provided by Southwestern Law School.

Southwestern Law School is an inclusive community and seeks applications from a diverse group of candidates. Our non-discrimination policy can be found on the school’s website here.

Applicants should submit the following:

• Cover letter describing (a) prior teaching experience; (b) other relevant experience; and (c) aspirations for future legal education work
• CV
• Contact information for three professional references

Applications should be addressed to Associate Dean Natalie Rodriguez at [email protected]. Review of applications will begin in mid-September. Initial interviews will be held via Zoom, although we anticipate that finalist interviews will be held in person.

Tenure Track ASP and Bar Prep Position at Creighton School of Law

Creighton University School of Law

Location: Omaha, NE

Subjects: Contracts; Business Associations; Commercial Law; Evidence; Criminal Procedure; Criminal Law; Human Rights; Constitutional Law; Academic Success & Bar Exam Preparation

Start Date: July 1, 2023 (earlier, if mutually agreeable)

Creighton University School of Law seeks to hire multiple tenure-track faculty members, and invites both entry-level and lateral candidates to apply, one of which will be focused on Academic Success & Bar Exam Preparation.  The Law School is particularly interested in candidates with teaching and research interests in the field of Contracts, including Business Associations and Commercial Law and in the field of Evidence, including Criminal Law and Procedure.  The Law School’s current curriculum requires these courses, which are also offered during the summer due to our robust Accelerated J.D. (AJD) program.  The Law School has secondary needs in Human Rights, Constitutional Law, and in multiple areas of Private International Law, Sports & Entertainment Law, ADR, and Environmental & Natural Resources Law.

In the area of Academic Success & Bar Exam Preparation, the Law School seeks an innovator who is not only steeped in the literature on how best to prepare students for success in the legal education environment and beyond, but also someone who is able to develop a comprehensive program that begins upon matriculation and carries through the bar examination process.  The successful candidate will possess demonstrable expertise in this field.  As a tenure-stream member of the faculty, this candidate will be invited to teach doctrinal courses, as well, and will have research expectations.

Founded in 1904, the Law School at Creighton University is a dynamic community of scholars, students, and staff who share a common mission to collectively improve our society. As a key component of one of the nation’s oldest Catholic, Jesuit universities, the Law School supports and promotes the ideal of social justice in all its forms.  Student formation occurs in a collaborative environment stressing the intellectual and ethical development of new attorneys while emphasizing a holistic duty of care that should be extended to every client. The Law School offers multiple study abroad and joint degree programs, including its signature experiential JD/Master’s in Government Organization and Leadership (GOAL) which places students in semester-long externships at federal agencies and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

Situated at the center of Creighton University’s vibrant urban campus near the downtown financial corridor, CHI sports arena, and the Old Market, the Law School is home to the Omaha Bar Association, the Werner Institute for Dispute Resolution, and several offices of the Nebraska State Bar Association. With nine schools and colleges across a broad array of disciplines, a student body of approximately 9,000, and a nearly $750 million endowment, Creighton University is an R-2 Carnegie-classified institution and a member of the Big East Conference.

As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer we are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in our hiring process.  Women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, members of the disability community, and veterans are particularly encouraged to apply.  All qualified applicants will be considered free from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, religion, gender identity, pregnancy, military service, political affiliation, or any other protected status.  Creighton University may conduct background checks on successful candidates prior to extending offers of employment.

Successful applicants will hold a J.D. or equivalent terminal degree, an exceptionally strong academic profile, a publication record evincing both a dedication to meaningful research and a clear scholarly trajectory, and show significant promise as a teacher. Application materials should be submitted by September 15^th to receive full consideration and include a cover letter addressing teaching and research interests and a curriculum vitae with links to publications and at least three references.  Please send application materials to Professor Michael J. Kelly, Chair of the Faculty Appointments Committee, Creighton University School of Law, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha NE 69178 c/o Andrea Harper at [email protected].

Visiting Assistant Professor of Academic Success at UDC

UDC Law is hiring a Visiting Assistant Professor in our Academic Success Department.  The following link will show details including salary and responsibilities: Visiting Assistant Professor of Law - Academic Success - University of the District of Columbia (applicantstack.com).

The Visiting Assistant Professor of Law is responsible for providing academic support to help students develop the study and analytical skills necessary for academic success during law school and on the bar exam. The position is for a two-year non-renewable term. For each year, the position will be a nine-month faculty appointment position with the expectation of working in the summer months for additional pay.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
 

• Develops and implements bar exam preparation for students helping to maximize bar passage.
• Teaches a mandatory final semester third-year bar exam skills course
• Teaches a mandatory first-year academic success course.
• Coordinates and teaches bar exam preparation programming for 3Ls and 4LEs as needed.
• Conducts evaluation of academic success and bar passage results, including drafting reports as necessary.
• Counsels students related to academic performance and strategies for bar pass success.
• Assists students studying for the bar exam.
• Assists students in the bar application process.
• Guides repeat bar examinees.
• Helps plan the first-year orientation.
• Performing other duties as assigned.
• Evaluates and facilitates collaborative discussions with administration, faculty and students.
• Leads efforts on data collection and assessment.
• Other duties as assigned by the Academic Success Director.
• Works closely with the Academic Success Program Director, helping to implement academic success and bar exam programming and courses. 

Minimum Job Requirements
 

•  An earned Juris Doctor degree and be a member in good standing of the Bar of the District of Columbia or other state, or be in the process of becoming a member of one of said Bars.
• The potential for teaching excellence and scholarly growth.
• Demonstrated professional competence in the relevant field(s) and the potential for professional growth.
• An initial appointment to the rank of Professor of Law shall be without tenure and for a period of not more than three (3) years.

The law faculty acknowledges that the Dean may recognize and allow the substitution of appropriate professional experience and achievement if the candidate has less teaching experience than that required above, provided that the candidate demonstrates potential for effective teaching.

• An earned Juris Doctor degree and be a member in good standing of the Bar of the District of Columbia or another jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience.
• Excellent legal writing and analytical skills, and experience in law practice or a judicial clerkship.

A candidate for appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor shall be required to meet the following qualifications:

1. An appropriate terminal degree or agree to complete this degree within a period of time to be specified in the terms of the initial contract; and
2. At least three (3) years of full-time teaching experience, including two (2) years in an institution of higher education.

Appropriate professional experience and achievements may be substituted when formal teaching experience is limited or absent.

 

When formal teaching experience is limited or absent, the candidate shall be required to demonstrate verifiable potential for effective teaching.

 

Information to Applicant

Collective Bargaining Unit (Union): This position is not in the collective bargaining unit.

Employment Benefits: Selectee will be eligible for health and life insurance, and sick leave and will be covered under the University of the District of Columbia' s retirement plan (TIAA).

Equal Opportunity Employer: The District of Columbia Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation, physical handicap, or political affiliation.

Notice of Non-Discrimination: In accordance with the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, as amended, D.C. Official Code, Section 2-1401.01 et. seq., (Act) the University of the District of Columbia does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability.  Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is also prohibited by the Act.  In addition, harassment based on any of the above protected categories is prohibited by the Act.  Discrimination in violation of the Act will not be tolerated.  Violators will be subject to disciplinary action.

Veterans Preference:  Applicants claiming veteran's preference must submit official proof at the time of application.

Visa Sponsorship: At this time, the University of the District of Columbia does not provide sponsorship for visas (e.g. H-1B). This position is also ineligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Drug-Free Workplace: Pursuant to the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, the individual selected to fill this position will, as a condition of employment, be required to notify his/her immediate supervisor, in writing, not later than five (5) days after conviction of any criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace.

Background Investigation: Employment with the University of the District of Columbia is contingent upon a satisfactory background investigation.  The determination of a "satisfactory background investigation" is made at the sole discretion of the University of the District of Columbia.  The University may refuse to hire a finalist, rescind an offer of employment to a finalist or review and may terminate the employment of a current employee based on the results of a background investigation.

Disposition of Resume: Resumes received outside the area of consideration and/or after the closing date will not be given consideration. You must resubmit your resume to receive consideration for any subsequent advertised position vacancies. For the purpose of employment, resumes are not considered job applications. Therefore, if selected for employment a UDC application will be required.

Job Offers: Official Job Offers are made by the University of the District of Columbia, Office of Talent Management only.

Contact Information:  All inquiries related to employment and job applications should be directed to UDC Office of Talent Management at (202) 274-5380.

The University of the District of Columbia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For a full version of the University’s EO Policy Statement, please visit: https://www.udc.edu/human-resources/equal-opportunity/ .

Tenure-track or Tenured Professor and Dean of Academic Excellence at Mitchell Hamline

Mitchell Hamline School of Law-a leader in pedagogical innovation dedicated to expanding access to high-quality legal education-seeks candidates for a tenure-track or tenured faculty position leading our Academic Excellence/Bar Preparation program and teaching other courses, preferably in the 1L curriculum, beginning in July 2023. 

Our faculty has committed to help Mitchell Hamline become an anti-racist law school. We seek to recruit and retain a diverse faculty as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of our state and nation; to improve the legal profession and expand access to justice; to maintain the excellence of the law school; and to offer our students richly varied perspectives and ways of knowing and learning.

The Dean of Academic Excellence will work closely with the President and Dean; Vice Dean; Dean of Students; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office; and faculty to provide a vision for our Academic Support/Bar Preparation program. The Dean of Academic Excellence will be responsible for all aspects of the program, which currently includes orientation programming, skills workshops, credit-bearing classes, bar preparation, and individual tutoring; and will be responsible for analyzing bar pass data and for evaluating the success of various academic support and bar preparation initiatives.

We are looking for:

• Candidates with a commitment to outstanding law practice, teaching, scholarship, and service who are interested in teaching courses in other parts of the curriculum, particularly core first-year courses.
• Candidates with an understanding of disability and multicultural issues, including the experiences of Black, Indigenous, Latino/a, Asian, and LGBTQ students; students of color; students with disabilities; and first-generation college and law students.
• Candidates with the ability to think imaginatively and critically about how to measurably improve law students' academic development, to design and implement innovative programs to promote that development, and to continually assess and improve existing programs.
• Candidates with the ability and initiative to forge partnerships with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the surrounding legal community, including an array of affinity bar groups.
• Candidates who are interested in, and excited about, teaching in our innovative blended learning program (https://mitchellhamline.edu/academics/j-d-enrollment-options/blended-learning-at-mitchell-hamline/).
• Candidates with knowledge of and interest in recent trends in legal pedagogy and the legal profession.
• Candidates with the ability to think creatively about the NextGen Bar Exam and its implications for law schools.
• Candidates with an interest in developing or maintaining a national presence in Academic Support/Bar Preparation and related fields of study, by representing the law school at conferences and by publishing scholarly work.
• Candidates whose law-practice, teaching, scholarship, or community-service experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence.

Candidates must have a J.D. or foreign equivalent degree. We strongly encourage those who attended or taught at the following categories of institutions to apply:

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Law Schools (HBCUs) or Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
• Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTIs), or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANNHs)
• Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
• Asian-American & Native Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs)

We welcome candidates whose scholarly approach contributes to the understanding of law's impact on marginalized groups or advances equitable access and diversity in education; and candidates whose teaching incorporates effective strategies for educational advancement of students in underrepresented groups. We especially welcome applications from candidates who participated in academic support/bar preparation programs as law students.

Our law school is in an historic area of Saint Paul, on the Indigenous homelands of the Dakota Oyate, home to the Penumbra and Fitzgerald theaters, a diverse array of restaurants, and one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. Just across the river, Minneapolis is the home to the Walker Art Center, First Avenue, the Guthrie Theater, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and one of the nation's liveliest performing arts scenes. The city was the birthplace of the American Indian Movement and continues to boast one of the largest urban American Indian populations in the country. Eleven federally recognized tribes, including four Dakota and seven Ojibwe tribes, remain within the State of Minnesota. Minneapolis and Saint Paul are among the top cities for the arts and entertainment, active lifestyles, non-profit organizations, and exceptional levels of volunteer engagement.

Candidates must submit: (1) a resume; and (2) a 2-3 page cover letter that discusses their interest in and qualifications for the position and how their law-practice, teaching, research, or community-service experience have prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence.

The committee will consider applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To be considered for our first set of interviews, submit your application by October 11.

For questions about the application process, contact Professor Tom Cobb, Appointments Committee Chair, at [email protected].

Investing in Academic Success: Diverse Approaches - a Blog Post by Prof. Charles Calleros (ASU)

French universities allow any student who graduates from their equivalent of high school to pursue higher education, but only those who survive the exams will graduate. Legal studies commence during the equivalent of our undergraduate studies, and a very large proportion of law students fail or drop out within the first two years, steering them to other disciplines.

In contrast, law schools in the United States use the admission process as the main gatekeeper. Having worked assiduously to admit the best possible entering class, they seek to promote the success of every admitted student. Most students who initially struggle can succeed in the study and practice of law, but law schools can minimize attrition by investing in robust support services. Even those students who depart to pursue other studies and careers can do so knowing that their law school gave them every opportunity to succeed.

While presenting on panels at the January 2022 AALS Annual Meeting, I was impressed with the diversity in designs of several academic success programs. They all represented serious investment in academic success, but approached it in very different ways. It struck me that all those working in ASP would benefit if we shared program designs, perhaps leading to borrowing good ideas from othrs. To promote these goals, I join with several fellow ASP Directors to issue the following calls to action:

• To illustrate diversity in approaches to academic success programs, we call for descriptions of successful programs, all reflecting substantial investment in academic success, but employing resources in different ways, thus illustrating diversity in design.
• To start the ball rolling, Charles Calleros describes the ASP program at ASU, which he directed for four years, Spring 2019 through Summer 2022. His essay is posted on the ASU Dropbox here. In future weeks, look for descriptions of ASP programs at other schools from Jacquelyn Rogers (Southwestern), Dena Sonbol (Mitchell Hamline), and Louis Schulz (FIU). Please share descriptions of your programs, either in comments to one of these posts or in blog posts submitted to Scott Johns at [email protected]. Indeed, if your school falls short of adequate investment in ASP, feel free to share the obstacles you face and to elicit advice for overcoming those obstacles.

- Charles Calleros (ASU) - Guest Post

 

A Short Series of Guest Blogs - The Manifold Ways of Reaching Students

Over the course of the next several months, several guest bloggers will survey a handful of ASP programs to consider the myriad ways that law schools invest in and promote the success of their students.  The impetus behind this series took shape at last year's AALS conference in which several people served on a panel discussing ASP programming.  

We start with Prof. Charles Calleros (ASU), who has most recently lead the effort to expand ASU's ASP programs. Biography.  Then, over the next weeks, we will consider other programs.  Personally, I am very excited about this series because it gives me an opportunity to look beyond my horizons to consider what I might learn from others in relationship to colleagues around the country.  

The purpose of this series is not to highlight programs but rather to help us as a community consider the manifold unique perspectives that we in ASP use in reaching our students.  Just like there is no right way to travel between Denver and San Francisco (train, bus, car, bike, walk, or even hike to the Colorado River, float down the river to the Gulf of California, and then boat around the peninsula to the Pacific Ocean to travel along the California coastline), we can learn much from the adventurous travels of others about how we reach our students as a community.  And, as one who recently hitchhiked last week (twice) in the San Juan mountains, I learned so much from meeting others who were willing to share their "rides" with me.  So we begin.  

(Scott Johns).

- Investing in Academic Support - Diverse Perspectives (Charles Calleros)

No regrets

As I sit here in my grungiest shorts and t-shirt--having taken off my adult style orientation outfit—I can pretend summer isn’t yet over for a minute. It has been a great summer and I am sad it is ending, and with it the promise of great academic productivity. Where did the time go? Summer always seems like an almost endless swath of free time stretching before you after graduation, but unlike Phineas and Ferb, I didn’t actually have “one hundred and four days of summer vacation.”[1]  I had maybe a week or two (if you string the days together) of completely unstructured time, so again, where did my time go from graduation until now?

1. I went to a conference in a state I do not live in and carried my laptop with me (rather than living in it for the conference). It was amazing to be with Academic Support people in person again. It was good to see the ASP family.[2]
2. I taught a boot camp type class for incoming accelerated students for six weeks. One of those weeks I was at the conference, so teaching in a hotel room was a new (and sort of exciting) thing for me. The highlight was showing my class The Alamo and the Federal Courthouse I could see from my window.
3. I found out that a friend had been diagnosed with lung cancer. I helped them deal with a surgery postponement and then the actual surgery (to the degree I could offer any help there, which is extremely doubtful). I baked and cooked and crossed the street with my offerings. When they asked me to take them for a walk after the surgery (evidently walking is the key to recovery), I asked if I should bring the 6 foot or retractable leash. They laughed-we walked. Every day until the pathology report and next surgeon’s appointment came and brought the one bit of good news that one could hope for in this situation—that it was over.
4. I went for a beach-y vacation with the whole family in a super quaint place that you need to take a boat to—and I survived the trip with my trusty behind-the-ear patch. I even survived the trip home immediately following a huge thunderstorm. Seriously, those patches are magic.
5. I supervised three students’ independent studies for their legal writing requirement.
6. I taught a week-long class for another group of starting students.
7. I watched the two children who were home for the summer work incredibly hard at their jobs. I am crazy proud.
8. I watched the one child who lives in another state continue to do amazing work in her job. She even interviewed the Secretary of Labor for an article she was writing from our house. The same house where she learned how to write. When she is more famous, I can answer all the press questions, like how tall was she in 2004?? I am crazy proud.
9. I went to my exercise class more often than usual. I picked up our farm share, went to the local pool, joined the long line for ice cream at the new local place (and ordered the same flavor each time because summer seems long enough to explore the whole menu), and ate outdoors.
10. Finally, I researched, outlined, and began writing an article which I now plan to finish before Halloween (deadlines that involve candy are much easier for me).

So, while the last entry was what I was hoping would be the most productive part of my summer “vacation,” it was not.

I have no regrets.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkQrKxTFARM

[2] Shout out to the AASE Conference in San Antonio!!

Academic and Bar Support Scholarship Spotlight

Due to the summer break, we have a backlog of ASP scholarship.  I look forward to getting back on track.

1. Debra Moss Vollweiler (Nova Southeastern), The Year of Magical Teaching: Lessons Learned from One Class in Three Modalities, (SSRN, July 26, 2022).

From the abstract:

This article narrates eight key lessons learned by an experienced law professor teaching one course in three different ways during one academic year. During the 2021-2022 academic year, I taught one course—Secured Transactions—three times, for three different schools, and in three different modalities. While I certainly do not stand alone in self-reflecting on my teaching during recent times, in the recent year, I had a unique situation that allowed me to isolate and consider my teaching of a subject, away from preparing the doctrine of the subject itself.

The first part of this article sets out the context of the teaching throughout the year. The second part of this article discusses goals for good teaching, lessons learned about pedagogy from this experience, and provides a narrative guide for professors at all experience levels to better their teaching through understanding these experiences By putting these experiences into the context of good teaching from more than one hundred interdisciplinary resources, it serves as a roadmap for those seeking to set down a path of excellent teaching, or to refresh and adjust law teaching during, and hopefully, in the wake of, the pandemic.

2.   Jason Scott (AccessLex Institute)  & Joshua Jackson (AccessLex Institute), Are Law Schools Cream-Skimming to Bolster Their Bar Exam Pass Rates?, (AccessLex Institute Research Paper No. 22-03,  May 5, 2022). 

From the abstract:

Law schools are held accountable on many fronts to achieve and maintain high bar passage rates. ABA Standard 316 is likely the strongest accountability measure. While the course of legal education itself, along with academic and bar success interventions, is a key driver of bar exam performance, Bahadur et al. suggests that other, obscure institutional practices can serve to inflate institutional bar passage performance. Such practices could include recruitment and admission of transfer students and academic attrition. We examine this hypothesis to assess the influence of both attrition and transfer on law schools’ bar passage rates.

3.  Karen J. Sneddon (Mercer), Square Pegs and Round Holes: Differentiated Instruction and the Law School Classroom, 48 MITCHELL HAMLINE L. REV. 1095 (2022).

From the abstract:

Adapting to the needs of student learners while adequately preparing them for the challenges of the bar exam, and the demands of practice, may seem impossible. This Article shares a theoretical framework built from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and educational theories that legal educators can use. That theoretical framework, commonly referred to as an instructional strategy, is differentiated instruction.1 This Article first describes differentiated instruction, which originated in K-12 education and has now been translated into higher education. 2 Second, this Article explores the value that differentiated instruction would add to the law school classroom.3 Third, this Article situates differentiated instruction within the context of popular teaching and learning theories to share how differentiated instruction is compatible with what law professors do now and how some modifications in current methods can amplify the learning process.4 Finally, this Article applies differentiated instruction in the law school classroom by presenting concrete examples that translate differentiated instruction to the law school classroom.5 This Article presents a series of modifications to commonly used law school instructional strategies to enhance the ability of the professor to respond to the needs of learners. In addition, this Article presents a series of more innovative instructional strategies that use student choice to leverage learning potential and achievement. Law students have a range of experiences, preparations, and interests. As this Article demonstrates, differentiated instruction is a framework that allows law school educators to adapt and respond to the needs of all learners rather than forcing square pegs into round holes.

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(Louis Schulze, FIU Law)

 

Watching the Weather

I take many things for granted.  Perhaps one of the biggest is hourly weather and even daily weather.  For those without shelter though, the weather is constantly in mind because it influences where one moves and lives and even survives.  Blessed with shelter, I take weather as a non-issue on most days except for a few brutally hot Colorado summers and a few windy days of storms in the winter.  But not this week.  

As I write, I am sitting looking at a mountain side trying to decide whether to get back on the Colorado Trail, a 485 mile route from Denver to Durango.  We've done most of it but still have some 80 miles to go in some of the harshest high altitude trail conditions.  And it's monsoon season.  For those unfamiliar with the Southwest, that means moisture moving in, mixing with solar heat, propelling massive thunderstorms and showers with frequent lightning and flash flood conditions.  So whether to stay on the trail, after bailing a few days ago, requires lots of information about the weather.

It seems to me as academic support professionals that we are often called to be the weather forecasters and even observers at our law schools because our role is not merely intellectually.  Rather, it involves listening and learning and coming alongside those who are struggling and helping them navigate the often-time stormy conditions of law school life.  Law school is not an easy path for many.  It's our job, it seems to me, not necessarily to help make the journey easier but more rewarding, valuable, and beneficial.  Indeed, I have to say that's not just our job; it's an honor.   SJ

 

Bang!

Welcome back to the Law School Academic Support Blog! I hope you have had (or are still having) a wonderful summer. I feel like the waves of fall are starting to crash on my shore at this time of year, but it is, like the ocean, also familiar and soothing.

There is this great catchy tune, “Bang!,”[1] that one of my kids introduced me to by a band called AJR. It sounds very ‘80’s which is probably why it appeals to me so much-but my absolute favorite part of it is that they had the guy who does the NYC Subway announcements do some voice work in it-and that, to me, sounds like home. No, he doesn’t say, “stand clear of the closing doors,” but his voice is utterly unmistakable when he says, “here we go.”[2]

As we gear up for another fall (I can hear it approaching like a train into the station), we should remember that our voice as Academic Support professionals is unique in the law school setting. We may be the first voice students hear as they begin their journey, or a voice they hear when they are struggling later, or, hopefully, the voice on the stage cheering the loudest when they graduate. They will also hear us when they are studying for, taking, passing, or re-taking bar. Some students will never even know we were here-and that’s fine-but not due to any lack of trying to be seen and heard on our part. We are, in short, the center of the known universe for law students in it for the long haul with each new class that comes our way.

After a summer of blissful academic productivity-eh, who am I kidding? After a summer of having more downtime and slightly fewer students, I am printing out academic calendars, migrating materials on BlackBoard,[3] and updating syllabi. I have found a great pending U.S. Supreme Court case that will be argued in October for my undergraduates to concentrate on for our final assessment (it has pictures, and Prince!!).[4]  I guess I am ready… -ish.

I know I feel both the dread and the excitement of a new academic year coming at me. I’ll miss the flexible schedule-and my ratty everyday sandals-tremendously, but I am also excited to meet new students and get into the rhythm of the school year. So, let’s be sure to end our summers with a bang and get ready for what’s coming.

To quote Bang!,

“So put your best face on, everybody
Pretend you know this song
Everybody come hang
Let's go out with a bang
Bang! Bang! Bang!
(Here we go)”[5]

And, as always, stand clear of the closing doors.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4THFRpw68oQ

[2] He also says the word “metronome,” but that is inconvenient for this blog post.

[3] Which we seem to be abandoning shortly, most likely because I have finally mastered it.

[4] Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith, 11 F.4th 26 (2nd Cir. 2021). So much for my joke that the F.3d was a pop-up version-I suppose we have moved on to smell?

[5] https://www.billboard.com/music/lyrics/ajr-bang-lyrics-9501271/