Law School Academic Support Blog

Academic and Bar Support Scholarship Spotlight

1.  Ratner, Morris A. and Goggin, Stephen and Moscato, Stefano and Greer, Margaret and McGriff, Elizabeth, Determinants of Success on the Bar Exam: One Law School's Experience 2010-2023, __ J. of Legal Educ. __ (forthcoming, 2024).

In this study, UC Law SF faculty and outside researchers collected and analyzed data to assess the impact of multiple factors on bar passage.  It is not a stretch to infer from the article that robust, well-supported, and strategic academic support initiatives can foster students' bar success.  

From the Introduction:

The most effective pre-graduation interventions we studied resulted from a paradigm shift: UC Law SF improved bar outcomes after it moved from an academic skills development model focused on the most at-risk students based on entering metrics or law school GPA (LGPA) to a model of pervasive, integrated, and iterative skills instruction aimed at all students. Examples include: (1) requiring and encouraging students to take upper-division bar subject classes, with each additional bar subject class taken associated with a 3% increase in the probability of first-time bar passage in the post-2016 period; and (2) offering for-credit bar skills classes in the 3L year focused on improving MBE performance (Critical Studies 2) and on overall bar test taking (Critical Studies 3). The impact of these interventions varied by law school GPA band.

UC Law SF’s post-graduation bar success interventions proved to be particularly positively impactful given the strong connection between the percentage of commercial bar preparation courses that graduates complete and first-time pass rates. The most effective of these interventions included the following: (1) tracking individual student performance in post-graduation commercial bar preparation courses and advising and coaching individual students to complete a greater percentage of the classes; (2) offering supplemental law school-administered practice bar essay feedback during bar study; and (3) advising students to effectively practice MBE test taking. Combined with LGPA, the percentage of completion of post-graduation commercial bar course and regular postgraduation practice on bar essays and MBE questions turned out to be powerful predictors of first-time bar passage.

2.  Baldwin, Chelsea (Washburn), Bad Therapy: Conceptualizing the Teaching of "Thinking Like A Lawyer" as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, 55 St. Mary' L. J. __ (forthcoming, 2024).

From the abstract:

Law students and lawyers experience mental illness and substance abuse at higher rates than the general population and other learned professions. This is bad for an individual’s wellbeing as well as their clients and society because mental illness and substance abuse increases stress which in turn decreases effective decision-making and judgment, and in worst case scenarios leads to attrition as individuals choose death by suicide which has cascading social and economic impacts. This Article identifies practices in legal education that likely combine in a causal mechanism, although not a sole cause, to the higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse experienced by students and lawyers and proposes a series of alternatives and mitigations to lessen impact. This work builds upon that done by Lawrence Krieger and Kennon Sheldon, as well as Jeremy Organ, David Jaffe, and Janet Stearns et al. on the subject of law student well-being. This is a multi-factor and multi-causal problem, and where prior work focused on students’ self-determination and subjective well-being, this Article looks at the educational practices that results in administering cognitive behavioral therapy en masse to law students without the protective mechanisms that surround intended therapy with a professional.

After providing a brief primer on the regulatory system that applies to counselors and therapists, the A-B-C model underlying human psyche and the various orientations that help individual’s change their psyche, this Article examines how legal education administers a course of cognitive behavioral therapy to law students without the surrounding protections that exist when a trained therapist administers CBT. The Article concludes with a number of ways to introduce protective mechanisms to legal education, reduce the harmful applications of cognitive behavioral techniques in the course of education, and suggestions for future research.

[Posted by Louis Schulze, FIU Law]

Showtime!

 

My neighbor (and fellow ASP'er) in our faculty suite leaves for his classes by clapping his own face and announcing, “Showtime!”  He is quoting a drug-addled playboy from the movie All That Jazz, and we are all old enough to get that reference and find it funny[1]. I think as we move into exams, students are also contemplating these weeks as their “showtime”, but they are more likely channeling the movie Beetlejuice. Why?

1. They may feel like they are haunting us for information. They aren’t-this is information they need, and we should be able to share it with them. They should not have to channel superpowers to be able to move forward on their journey.
2. They are looking to feel powerful in a system intended to render them somewhat powerless. Right about now, I am fielding more questions about the structure of exams than the material they contain. Attempting to game (or find the patterns in) the system is honestly a way of procrastinating while continuing to think you are being productive. Yes, knowing the “enemy” is a strategic tool; knowing the law is better.
3. Students are attempting to help each other through a new situation. And unlike our favorite freelance bio-exorcist who has his own agenda, students are not using their “knowledge” for their own gain. They are truly attempting to guide others. This is heartening in these times.
4. Exam time is chaotic. There isn’t a lot of structure imposed on students’ schedules, but there is a lot to do (see my prior posts on exam plans).  And finally,
5. Fatigue and a lapse in personal hygiene might lead to hair and wardrobe choices similar to those seen above. Exams are exhausting and stress about exams is exhausting. 

The good news is that if you say, “Academic Support” three times, we will come and help you. Well, okay, you would need to be in our direct vicinity to actually summon us this way, but you could email, text, stop by, call-and you would only have to do it once.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1] Since law professors are so not any of these things really….

The Outline Test

Exam prep is nearly upon us.  Now is the time when the academic support world is finishing up the semester-long project of convincing students to use effective study methods instead of traditional but flawed ones.  I wager that most academic support faculty urge students not to spend their study time endlessly re-reading outlines.  There is plenty of scientific evidence showing that this passive learning method is suboptimal.[1] 

But we face obstacles.  First, students have heard from everyone who has ever gone to law school – aunts, uncles, parents, friends, random passers-by – that re-reading outlines is the best way to study.[2]  Those folks are wrong,[3] but coupled with the fact that students have been wrongly taught since grade school that re-reading constitutes “memorizing,”[4] this reinforcement from well-meaning supporters is powerful.

Also, instructors sometimes tell students to focus on re-reading outlines repeatedly.  Plenty of legal educators fall for the post-hoc, ergo prop[5] and anecdote[6] fallacies and believe that because they were successful using certain methods, those methods are optimal.  The advice of a well-meaning professor is particularly compelling.  After all, when the person doing the grading tells you to do something a certain way, going against that grain feels awfully risky. 

So, you have a student who is on the verge of academic dismissal who is dead set on re-reading outlines.  What can you do?

Enter what I call, “Outlines Tests.”  An Outline Test converts passive learning to active learning.  It moves students away from the “illusion of mastery,” and pivots them towards “uncued recall practice.”  The illusion of mastery is a byproduct of re-reading.  When a student reads a torts outline twice on Monday and then again on Tuesday, their perception on Tuesday is that they know the material.  However, this perception arises out of recognition, not cognition, meaning that although they feel like they have memorized the rules, the reality is that they merely recognized the material from Monday.  If forced to write out the rule without looking at the outline, the student would quickly realize that their perception of mastery was an illusion.    

Uncued recall practice has the opposite effect.  Also called “The Testing Effect,” this method uses testing as learning.  If a learner takes a test, unaided by external materials, they are forcing themselves to recall information without cueing.  Educational psychologists agree that uncued recall practice is superior to cued practice (e.g., re-reading outlines) even though it feels harder.[7]

Here is how Outline Testing works.  First, the learner reads a heading in their outline and stops.  They then look away from the outline and try to recall everything they know on that single topic.  So, if they hit the heading in their Civil Procedure outline on joinder (God help them), they should read that heading and mentally recite every nook and cranny of their present knowledge.  When they are done, they read the joinder portion of the outline to observe which parts of the outline they forgot or misstated.  Employing metacognition, they then circle back to those newly discovered weaknesses and reformulate them.[8] 

Thus, instead of Zombie reading through a 50-page outline, Outline Testing evokes engagement by leveraging every human’s ego-driven desire to get questions right.  The added bonus is that this method plays into the student’s desire to listen to supporters and instructors.  By conducting the post-testing outline read, the student is complying with the advice of friends, family, and faculty, thus easing their anxiety about breaking rules. 

That is not to say that this is the optimal method.  I would like to see students also taking closed-book practice exams.  These force students not only to recall the rules but apply them in the context of a problem.  This would result in practice on issue-spotting, rule knowledge, application of law to fact and, if timed, exam time management.  But if a sufficient amount of practice materials are not available, or they are entirely banned, Outline Testing at least fosters some form of active learning, via uncued practice, and pulls students away from focusing solely on re-reading. 

Louis Schulze, FIU Law

[1]  See Brown, et al., Make it Stick (2014); Roediger HL 3rd, Karpicke JD, The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1, 181–210 (2006).  See generally Jennifer M. Cooper & Regan Gurung, Smarter Law Study Habits: An Empirical Analysis of Law Learning Strategies and Relationship with Law GPA, 62 St. Louis U. L.J. (2018) (finding evidence that the use of practice problems in law exam preparation is positively associated with performance).

[2]   “A majority of students repeatedly read their notes or textbook (despite the limited benefits of this strategy), but relatively few engage in self-testing or retrieval practice while studying.”  Karpicke, J. D., Butler, A. C., & Roediger III, H. L., Metacognitive strategies in student learning: Do students practice retrieval when they study on their own? Memory, 17(4), 471–479c (2009)

[3]  Many scientific publications demonstrate that re-reading is less effective.  See e.g., Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T., Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58 (2013) (investigating the efficacy of ten different study methods and concluding that passive learning techniques, such as re-reading, highlighting, and summarizing notes, were all low-utility methods).

[4]  “A significant body of research demonstrates that compared to simply rereading or even elaborative study techniques such as concept-mapping, free recall during study increases memory of various types of information."  C.L. Bae, D.J. Therriault, J.L. Redifer, Investigating the testing effect: Retrieval as a characteristic of effective study strategies, 60 Learning and Instruction 206-14 (2019); see also Jeffrey D. Karpicke, Janell R. Blunt, Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping, Science, 331,772-775 (2011). 

[5]  This logical fallacy occurs when the speaker reasons that the concurrence of two events proves causation.  Thus:  “I used this method in my 1L exams, I succeeded in those exams, therefore this method caused the success.”

[6]  This logical fallacy occurs when the speaker relies on a personal and/or singular example to support a proposition.  Thus:  “I used this method in my 1L exams, so this method must be effective.”

[7]. See Butler, A. C., Repeated testing produces superior transfer of learning relative to repeated studying. J. of Experimental Psych: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(5), 1118–1133 (2010); Bruchok, Christiana; Mar, Christopher; Craig, Scotty D.  Is Free recall active: The testing effect through the ICAP lens, J. of Interactive Learning Research (2017) 28(2), 127-148 (2017) (stating:  “A robust positive effect of repeatedly testing target information as compared to spending extra time studying the same information, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the testing effect or retrieval practice, has been reported in a wealth of literature.”)

[8]  This method is similar to one discussed in the Karpicke and Blunt paper, supra, note 4.  There, the authors suggested that creating a “mind map” (i.e., flowcharts) in an uncued fashion would further enhance an already effective learning method. 

Marathon Tuesday

Classes end here later this week[1] and while this date was on the academic calendar for well over a year at this point, this is news to some students. To be fully honest, I was taken by surprise as well. In fact, I was taken by surprise that yesterday was Monday and I should have written and posted this blog entry then. To be fair, there have been many distractions in the past week: protests, Passover, and here in Boston, a marathon coupled with some sports teams getting to the play-offs. It has been a lot.

I have to wonder (because if you know me, you are fully aware that I have never run a marathon and would have no direct experience), if the Boston marathon feels the same way the spring semester does: slow and steady at first, a bit of energy depletion at the 1/3 mark, regained momentum at the half to 2/3 mark, and then a feeling of going uphill[2] with no reserved resources left until you crest that hill and then have even more running to do before it all ends somewhat abruptly. The giant slope slightly after mile 20 of the Boston Marathon is literally called Heartbreak Hill.

Our students are closing in on the foot of Heartbreak Hill today. Exams loom over them and look huge and insurmountable from where they stand. Their race strategy has to change at this point because classes will end and then they need to approach, climb, and get over the exam hill to get to finish line. If there were only one exam our students needed to take, then this would be the point where we distribute the shiny blankets and medals and send them on their sweaty way, but they often have still more exams to take. Too often students prepare for exams as if the one hill were the end of the race, or worse yet as if it were an entire series of Heartbreak Hills. In Boston, there are more than 5 miles to go once you have survived Heartbreak Hill.

I think approaching exams the same way you would approach a marathon might be helpful, so here is what I suggest to students:

1. Have the right equipment: do the case briefing and outlining. Go to class, take notes, go the TA review sessions. Gather your materials and synthesize them. Test some different strategies out early in the semester to see if they can withstand the task.
2. Start training early: do hypos, practice exams, and multiple choice questions early and often. But don’t over train by trying questions that you haven’t covered in class yet, you will strain and panic. Study what you have learned.[3]
3. Be organized in your training: plan out your studying. It may seem like there is a lot of time for studying (hopefully), but unplanned time can be easily squandered. Make to-do lists (not too long), and enjoy the satisfaction of crossing things off of them.
4. Build stamina: by starting to time yourself on answering the training questions about ½ through the semester.
5. Know your route: make an exam plan that is a calendar of what exams you have when and how you plan to prepare for them.
6. Take care of your body and mind; before, during, and after exams. This is not a good time to not feel your best. Eat, sleep, exercise, and breathe.
7. Warm up before you start, and cool down after you finish: otherwise you will be very, very sore the next day. I’ve seen some Boston runners on the Tuesday morning after the marathon wearing their medals but unable to walk down the stairs to the subway. For students this means taking some mental space to enter and exit the exam zone.

Reminding students that exams are not a series of sprints but rather a cohesive marathon of tasks is one way of making sure they look at the big picture and plan ahead. Planning is everything.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1] Well, law school classes end, but my undergraduate classes go for a week longer. The lack of sync amongst academic calendars just baffles me.

[2] The Boston Marathon Route: https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/enter/course-information

[3] Or think you should have learned but didn’t quite get in class. Not ideal, but it could be foundational material you need to move forward.

If You Failed the February 2024 Bar Exam…

As results trickle in from the February administration of the bar exam, there are moments of joy and sorrow happening around the nation. If you passed the exam, CONGRATULATIONS! If you failed the exam, please know:

You are not a failure. You are a successful human being.

You know this. I’m just reminding you of the facts.

There are people you can lean on.

It can feel hard to share the disappointment, stress, and even shame you might be feeling. There are people in your life who can’t believe you did something as hard as graduating from law school. There are people in your life who look up to you – who think you are the smartest person they know. There are people in your life who are so proud of you, and they are even more proud of you now for trying. Let them in.

Your school is behind you.

With all the national attention on the bar exam and pass rates, it can feel like you are a statistic. You are not. I graduated from a big undergraduate institution and a large law school. As a student, it felt comfortable to blend into a crowd. I didn’t understand how my faculty members felt about their law school community. Now, as a faculty member, I can tell you, a student’s success is my joy, and their disappointment is my sorrow. I deeply care about my students passing the bar because I care about my students. And I have yet to meet a colleague who doesn’t share this sentiment. Ask for our help and support. We want to give it.

Your February results do not dictate how you will do in July.

It takes over 400 hours of studying, thousands of multiple-choice questions, hundreds of essays, and multiple, timed MPTs to pass the UBE. It also takes stress management. If there were things outside of your control that prevented you from hitting these targets, acknowledge that. Failing the bar exam doesn’t come down to a lack of intelligence or ability; it comes down to dedicating the right amount of time to the right activities for ten weeks.

The work you did studying this past winter is not a waste. It will only ease the burden as you prepare for July.

You will feel surprised at how much you remember when you crack open those books open again.

You are in good company.

Check out this list from JD Advising of impressive people who failed the bar exam.

Try again.

No one will ever ask how many times you took the bar exam, or what you scored. Even if you feel defeated, try again. Being an attorney will define your life. Taking the bar again will not.

(Ashley Cetnar)

The Call Came from Inside the Building

**I will issue the disclaimer (and warning?) here that this post has very little to with Academic Support and does talk about violent world circumstances. I have tried (feebly, I admit) to tie this into status issues, student self-advocacy, and the importance of belonging to student success, but again, it is extremely tangential. I promise that next week’s entry will be about exams and how you should register for the AASE Conference.**

About a week ago, I returned from Israel. I had been there to celebrate my nephew’s wedding[1].  It was surreal to be sitting in a lively European-style square next to a stunning sea having coffee[2] while also knowing that the white wispy looking lines over the water were patrol drone trails. It was similarly implausible to be at a wedding where we engaged in most of the usual marriage rituals[3] but also noting that one of the photographers had what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun somewhat cavalierly tucked into the back waistband of his pants. There was no holster or covering; it was just positioned there for a right handed person to draw quickly. Sun, sea, joy, family, and yet an undercurrent that this was only a façade.

My brother-in-law is a faculty member at a law school in Israel. He told me how their semesters are completely off schedule due to the war. Students, faculty members, and administrators have all been called into military service and returned at times that are not in sync with the usual academic calendar. Even COVID didn’t do this. And yet, I would be entirely remiss if I did not also say that schools in Gaza are completely shut down due to the war and continued violence. Inconvenience is not the same as rubble. The destruction of schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure that assists civilians to live their lives is repugnant.

So, we went to the Saturday night anti-war protests in Tel Aviv. There were thousands and thousands of people there.[4] We were at least four teeming city streets away from the speakers, but we could see and hear everything on screens set up along the way. We stood in the shadow of IDF headquarters and loudly told them that they were doing terrible things. It was by far the most comfortable place I have sat with my feelings about this entire conflict. I could say what I thought about the egregious behavior of the Israeli government without ever having to engage my (now 24/7) filter to determine where and when some of the protests cross the line into abject anti-Semitism.  It was oddly freeing.

For context, about a  week before making this trip, I had been approached by a fellow faculty member to join a group of “like-minded” colleagues in a Faculty for Justice in Palestine group at my law school. This was not a public invitation to all the faculty; it was more of a recruiting whisper network, and I was invited because I had expressed my dismay to one colleague who fully knew about my family in Israel as well as my internal conflict. I had shared this with someone I respect and trusted. Part of me thought, “wow, they think I am cool enough to do this!,” and part of me said, “nope, I will not be their token Jewish person.”  A third part of me thought I would get listed on Canary Mission and get turned away at the border unable to attend the wedding. I am still not sure how I feel about the invitation or the people who sent it, but nonetheless, I politely declined. I can say that I felt almost completely comfortable in the space of my workplace until then and now that security has been frayed. I’m not saying that I was threatened in any way, I was not, nor am I now.  I just feel less like I belong there and, honestly, really sad about that. The folks who invited me vote on my contract.[5] The folks who did accept the invitation to attend their information session also vote on my contract.

Even as someone who always encourages students to advocate for themselves, I am at a loss as to how to repair this set of circumstances for myself. If I had tenure, I would have forwarded the email I received to everyone on the faculty and administration or asked to put it on the agenda at the next faculty meeting, but I do not feel that I can or should do that. And here’s another truth: I really do not want to know which of my colleagues did accept the invitation because I want to continue walking the halls feeling like I belong. We know, as ASP professionals, that belonging  begets community which in turn begets success.

This past Saturday night, far from the protests, we celebrated my mother-in-law’s birthday in Rhode Island while drone strikes from Iran targeted Israel. Luckily very few hit anything before being intercepted. And even luckier, my family is fine-not that anyone who asked me to join them weeks ago inquired.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1] And really, does anything make you feel older than that--short of grandchildren?

[2] And the most amazing pistachio croissants I have ever eaten-seriously, ask me about them at the AASE Conference and bring a paper towel for the drool.

[3] It was different than American style weddings, but most of the usual components were there: the aisle, the vows, the officiant, the dancing….

[4] Real thousands, not Trump thousands.

[5] Which luckily isn’t scheduled to happen again for another five years.

Director of Academic Success and Bar Passage at UND

North Dakota School of Law seeks a Director of Academic Success and Bar Passage.  You can apply here.

The Director of Academic Success and Bar Passage shall coordinate and assume primary responsibility for academic success and bar preparation programming at the University of North Dakota School of Law. The ability of our students to succeed academically – and to pass any licensure examination required for bar admission – is critical to the ongoing success of the School of Law. The position reports directly to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Administration of the School of Law.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Coordination and implementation of all major support services related to bar examination success/bar passage.
  • Teach regular bar exam workshops on core skills required for success on the bar exam, including skills relating to success on all portions of the Uniform Bar Examination (e.g., multiple choice, essay examinations, and practical examinations), and on the most commonly tested subjects, for UND Law students and alumni.
  • Administer practice tests at workshops and provide students with individualized feedback and scoring on practice tests.
  • Administer a simulated practice exam upon the completion of each workshop cycle and provide students with individualized feedback and scoring on the practice exam.
  • Provide counseling to students and alumni studying for the bar exam.
  • Advise students on course selection to maximize bar exam success.
  • Teach the School of Law’s primary bar preparation course each year.
  • A substantial in-person/on-campus presence is required; this responsibility cannot be adequately satisfied through fully online/remote operations. 
• Coordination and implementation of all major support services related to academic success and academic support.
  • Provide academic support counseling (e.g., providing students with practice problems and tests and providing individualized feedback to students on those practice problems and tests, advising students on course selection, discussing taking class notes and other general academic success skills, etc.) for students who have been referred to the School of Law’s mandatory academic advising program through regular one-on-one appointments.
  • Provide academic support counseling to all law students who wish to meet to discuss academic skills.
  • Conduct frequent academic success workshops on a range of topics such as class preparation, reading and briefing cases, classroom participation, outlining, exam strategies and skills, and time management.
  • Administer a practice exam for first-year students prior to their first graded mid-term exam each year.
  • Provide intensive instruction in academic skills during the first-year orientation.
  • Supervise academic success teaching assistants.
  • Teach academic skills/academic success courses as needed.
  • A substantial in-person/on-campus presence is required; this responsibility cannot be adequately satisfied through fully online/remote operations. 
• Provide programming and professional administrative support.
  • Work with Assistant Dean to coordinate, implement, and administer academic success programming during required first-year orientation program.
  • Compile information for various reports and develop and implement policies and procedures related to academic success and bar examination reporting.
  • Provide support to law students at the North Dakota bar examination in February and July
  • Other related responsibilities as assigned.
  • A substantial in-person/on-campus presence is required; this responsibility cannot be adequately satisfied through fully online/remote operations. - (Essential)
• Assist with School of Law administration.
  • Contribute to the success of the School of Law through collegial and constructive participation in senior administrative efforts.
  • Serve on School of Law and external committees.
  • Represent the School of Law in various public settings and interact effectively with the bench and bar, as well as with government officials.
  • Other related responsibilities as assigned.
  • Attendance at on- and off-campus events during and outside of ordinary business hours may be required; some additional travel may be required.
  • A substantial in-person/on-campus presence is required; this responsibility cannot be adequately satisfied through fully online/remote operations.

Required Competencies

• Strong commitment to public legal education and student success.
• Strong business communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly and effectively.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills.
• Clear ability to interact effectively and appropriately with students, staff, faculty, alumni, and appropriate external constituencies.

Minimum Requirements

• Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Passage of a bar examination.
• Successful completion of criminal history background check

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the US and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. This position does not support visa sponsorship for continued employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three or more years of experience in academic success/bar examination preparation programming at a law school.
• Passage of the Uniform Bar Examination.
• Current bar membership within the United States (and, if not already admitted to the North Dakota bar, the ability to become admitted to the North Dakota bar).
• Prior instructional experience in a law school environment.
• Prior experience counseling law students.
• Prior experience supervising law students.
• Record of strong academic performance in law school.

Director of Bar Success at Arizona State

JOB DESCRIPTION:
The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law seeks a personable and driven individual with experience working in bar exam success for the position of Professor of Practice and Director, College of Law – Bar Exam Success. The professor and director will create, teach in, and oversee a new comprehensive bar exam success program at the College of Law. They will work closely with the College of Law’s senior leadership. This is a full-time, 12-month, and non-tenure track position.  You can apply here.

Essential Duties:

• Teach bar exam-related classes and facilitate bar exam workshops and other events
• Develop and implement bar exam success programming
• Lead efforts to engage faculty on bar exam success strategies and techniques
• Provide one-on-one counseling to students and recent graduates
• Monitor and assess bar exam trends
• Manage relationship with an outside bar exam success company as part of an institutional partnership, if appropriate
• Work with Student Services, Career Services, and Academic Success Program teams to identify at-risk students, develop targeted interventions, and best ensure student satisfaction
• Create and send student communications
• Collaborate with relevant student organizations
• Collect and analyze data to improve bar exam success efforts
• Plan and oversee budget
• Physical presence at the workplace or the college is an essential function of this job
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the goals of the department

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor
• 10 or more years of professional experience

Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success on the Uniform Bar Exam or other bar exam
• Deep understanding of bar exam content and preparation strategies including the NextGen Bar Exam
• At least three years of experience teaching bar exam success classes and workshops with demonstrated results
• Experience creating and implementing a comprehensive bar exam success program
• Strong commitment to supporting students
• Demonstrated experience in: 
  • higher education administration;
  • maintaining effective working relationships;
  • organizational skills and project management;
  • working in a fast-paced environment;
  • working with diverse constituencies;
  • effective verbal and written communication;
  • working with students and recent graduates;
• Demonstrated knowledge of: principles, practices and methods of program administration and management budget planning, financial and statistical analysis and standard fiscal management
• Evidence of exceptional strategic, analytical, conceptual and communication skills, along with being a collaborative, adaptable, pragmatic and effective problem solver

Application Instructions

Required Materials:

• CV
• Cover letter
• Three references

All application materials must be submitted via Interfolio in order to be considered. The application deadline is April 26, 2024. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they are received until the position is filled.

Additional information about the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and Arizona State University is available at law.asu.edu. Information about Professors at ASU, including status, rank, titles, and appointment categories, can be found at Academic Affairs Manual.

If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact Andrew Jaynes, at [email protected].

Associate Director of Academic Success at Tennessee

The University of Tennessee College of Law is excited to be accepting applications for a faculty member who will serve as Associate Director of Academic Success and also teach in our wonderful legal writing program.  In other words, the successful candidate will have duties both in ASP and in legal writing.  To learn more about the position, please visit this link: https://apply.interfolio.com/142999

AASE Board Nominations

  The AASE Executive Board is excited to announce that it is time to begin receiving nominations for both our elected board positions as well as for our annual awards! The deadline for both is May 1, 2024.  

   Voting for the Executive Board positions will be conducted at our 2024 Annual Meeting to be held in gorgeous Boise, Idaho at the University of Idaho College of Law from May 20-23.  (If you haven’t registered yet, here’s a helpful link: https://associationofacademicsupporteducators.org/events/2024-11th-annual-aase-conference/). The first day will be devoted to a pre-conference Scholarship Workshop that you won’t want to miss!

   At our Business Meeting, during the conference, we will announce the award winners as well as introduce and welcome our new Executive Board members. So, stay tuned for more details and be sure to make plans to be at that meeting. We will also announce our upcoming host schools and conference sites.

   As always, feel free to reach out to myself or any member of the Executive Board for further details. We can’t wait to celebrate our ASP/Bar Studies stars and welcome our new Board. We have a lot of great things planned and want you to be a part of it all!