Law School Academic Support Blog

Celebrate AASE, and each other, in Santa Clara!

I hope everyone is well aware that next month we will be coming together, as a community, in lovely Santa Clara, CA!

The deadline for IN PERSON REGISTRATION is May 8th. Please go here to register.

Some conference highlights:

Newbie Conference: Monday we will be holding the "Newbie Conference", featuring presentations from Paula Manning, Jamie Kleppetsch, Rebecca Flanagan, Kris Franklin, Shane Dizon, and Steven Foster! If you are new to academic support you won't want to miss these presentations! Plus, it's a great way to meet other academic support professionals.

Bar Panels: Our first plenary is on Shaping the Bar: The Future of Attorney Licensing, with Joan Howarth. If you haven't come across her new book, I suggest you pick it up now! 

On Wednesday, we also have a panel with representatives from the NCBE. We bring questions, and the NCBE has committed to answering our questions. The session will be moderated by AASE President, Ashley London and Bar Advocacy Chair, Marsha Griggs. These are sessions that are definitely not to be missed!

 

You can see the entire conference schedule here. 

And don't forget there is fun to be had! Tuesday afternoon we'll have a reception immediately after sessions end so that people can mingle and catch up, picture of location below! 

Ghosted

­This past semester I’ve been lucky that my classes don’t actually begin until noon at the earliest. I haven’t had this schedule since I was a second-semester senior in college with very few credits left to finish. But, as a result of this scheduling bonanza, I have been able to set up one on one meetings with 1L students before their classes begin in the morning. This is a both a good and bad thing. I have had one student who prefers only in-person meetings on Mondays when I may not start classes until 12:30 p.m., but my last class ends at 8:00 p.m. That student’s classes began at 9:30 a.m., so that makes a very long day for me. And this student didn’t always show up or communicate that they would be absent from our early meetings either before, during, or after our scheduled time.  I would get into my office by 8;45 a.m. at the latest to be there and ready to meet and would usually end up getting some coffee when they didn’t show. I left a note on my door when I did that in case they were running late.

After two straight weeks of this non-communication or attendance, I was, understandably (I think) a bit pissed. I assumed I was being ghosted by a student who decided that Academic Support just wasn’t something they needed. I felt disrespected and devalued because my time was clearly not worth anything to them.

But then I remembered that when this student did come to meet with me, they were fragile. They had recently left the military and had some mental health issues-and above all, the military background combined with coming from the South meant that they were unbelievably polite when they sat across from me in my office. They used so many ma’ams that it made me feel old and I asked them (jokingly) to stop to which they replied, “my apologies ma’am.” We both laughed.

I also realized that this student was not someone who would ghost me, or anyone else, if they were okay, which I now doubted they were. It was a good reminder that a student can get lost. They can get lost in big classes, they can get lost in a big building, and they can get lost socially when other students are also stressed and hurried. Instead of being someone this student disrespected, I was someone this student had, in a way, trusted to see their absence and go looking for them.

I sent an email to the student expressing my concern at their absence without judgment or hints of being pissed. I got no answer. I took this information to our Dean of Students and asked her to check in. I was the only one who asked.

Sometimes I need to look for the red-flags and not just see the red.

(Liz Stillman)

MPT advice, part 1 in a series

As 3Ls transition from law students to bar prepares, I am mindful of the fact that commercial bar prep companies, while very good at teaching to the MBE and MEE, often leave a need for supplemental resources for the MPT. With that in mind, the next few Thursday posts (beginning May 4, 2023), will be dedicated to strategies and tips for the MPT. 

Reading the overview below might generate lots of questions: "what do you mean by 'MPT to-do list'?" "'two-sentence introduction'--huh?" "When you say 'other side' why don't you just say counterargument?" "What 'C-RAC Handout'???" If you are asking those questions, then these upcoming Thursday posts are for you! The overview is below, and the next post on MPT for the bar exam will be on May 4, 2023.

 

Overview of an approach to the MPT

Your approach to an MPT should look something like this:

1. Briefly (spend less than 8 seconds) peruse the table of contents and get a general idea of what you have been provided
2. Read the task memo carefully:
1. Make your to-do list
2. Start filling in in your answer (ex., letterhead, memo heading, section headings, substantive headings, two-sentence introduction, etc. the "mindless" things we explained in class) as much as you can from the task memo
3. Start formulating questions. For instance, if you are assigned to draft a memo analyzing whether Greene is a partner or associate of our client, you should be thinking, "When or under what circumstances, are two attorneys partners?" "When, or under what circumstances are two attorneys a partner and associate?" "What factors impact or determine that relationship?" Don't read the MPT packet like it's People magazine and you are waiting for something to present itself to you as important. YOU have to be thinking as you are reading. If it helps you stay focused, you can write those questions down on your scratch paper. These are what BarBri calls your “research questions” I believe.
3. Now, turn to the Library. Some bar prep companies say to read newest cases, older cases, then statutes. That is fine, but a little fussy for my personal taste: I recommend reading the Library in order, but I just don't have strong feelings on this. Do what works for you.
1. Fill in the rules in your answer under each substantive heading (when I say "rules" I mean the rule statement in four parts). You are looking to find out the answer to the questions you thought of. When you find the answer to those questions, you've likely found something important that needs to go into your rule section. Do your rules in the order we taught in class. Review the C-RAC Handout for a refresher.
2. As you fill in your rules in your answer, you should start to formulate questions about the facts. For instance, you may have found something in the rules that indicates that the way an attorney is paid—contingency vs. salary or hourly—may impact whether the person was a partner, an associate, or neither. So, when you flip to the File, you will start reading with that in mind: “I need to find something about how this attorney was paid.” Some call these your “fact questions.”
4. After finishing the library, go to the file. Read thoroughly. You should not "skim" anything in the MPT packet, but you should read actively. That means you can read briskly, slowing down when you encounter information or factors that are operative facts under the law you have already filled into your answer. You will read some stuff slower and some stuff faster. But you must read everything.
1. Start filling in your analysis. Apply the rule from the authority case to your facts. Look for facts that are similar to the facts in your "authority case" (as explained in the C-RAC handout).
2. Write your application paragraph to essentially say "our facts are like the facts in the authority case, so our case will likely come out like the authority case" (or “our facts are different, so different result”). Do not use that exact language, I’m just giving the general idea, here.

After this spend the rest of your time writing. Polish a bit. You now have your conclusions, so go finalize your two-sentence intro and finalize your headings. Make sure you have addressed "the other side" for each issue, as appropriate. Do a quick re-read of the task memo, or your to-do list. Did you cover everything assigned? Time's up! and now it's time to submit!!

(Lisa DeLaTorre)

 

 

AASE at 10 Years: The Commitment to Diversity

This post, by Russell McClain, Dean for Diversity and Inclusion and Director for the Academic Achievement Program at The University of Maryland Carey School of Law, is part of the series that recognizes the history of AASE.

I am honored to have an opportunity to join in celebrating ten years of the Association of Academic Support Educators.  As I reflect on AASE’s impact, I am drawn to its commitment to diversity and equity. 

As many of you already know, academic support is deeply rooted in law schools’ efforts to diversify the legal profession.  On the heels of affirmative action policies of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, academic support programs grew organically as professors, administrators, and others worked to support people from historically underrepresented communities who struggled to fit into an academic and professional environment that was not created with them in mind.

“Do you remember Boulder?” the saying goes.  In the 90s, representatives of these disparate, home-grown, academic support efforts converged at an LSAC conference in Colorado, and the profession of academic support was born.  AASE stands on the shoulders of those “Boulder” folks—Kent Lollis, Paul Bateman, Okianer Christian Dark, Linda Feldman, Rod Fong, Jenny Kamita, Joanne Harvest Koren, Kris Knaplund, Paula Lustbader, Ruth Ann McKinney, David Nadvordney, Martha Peters, Vernellia Randall, and Laurie Zimet—and upon other early work by Charles Calleros, Amy Jarmon, Herb Ramy, Michael Hunter Schwartz, Thorny Steele, Ellen Suni, Charlotte Taylor, Dennis Tonsing, and Ricardo Villarosa. (To anyone I may have missed, please know that I did my best here.)  I think it is impossible to celebrate AASE without first acknowledging the foundation laid by these trailblazers, and, second, recognizing that their focus was on how to help students of color succeed in law school.  AASE was created with the intention of building on this foundational work.  We are stewards of a compelling legacy.

In light of this history, I was delighted when AASE created the Vice President for Diversity board position.  I was even more delighted when AASE leadership committed to ensuring the inclusion of diversity and equity-focused programming at each of its conferences, and then to hosting biennial conferences focused exclusively on diversity-related issues in academic support. 

Early AASE conferences in Chicago and Baltimore underscored this genuine commitment and showed the range of AASE members whose scholarly interests focused deeply on issues of equity.  I hope as we emerge from post(ish)-pandemic cocoons, we see these efforts continue. 

As we celebrate ten years of AASE, I encourage all of us to recommit ourselves to equity in legal education.  Our work often (and necessarily) calls on us to focus on how to study, outline, and take exams, and we increasingly are drawn to place our attention on bar passage.  (When, oh when, will we see NextGen bar questions?)  And it is all too easy to forget where our roots are planted.

But we ignore race, identity, and belonging at our own peril.  We must remember that law school is not a place made for students of color (or poor people or women or LGBTQIA+ identities or religious minorities—or basically anyone not white, heterosexual, cisgender men—for that matter).  The law school environment can be hostile and undermine these students’ ability to achieve the excellence of which they already are capable.  Our academic support is meant to reveal this excellence, and reinvigorating our commitment to helping students from marginalized groups realize their innate potential will help us be and do better.  We are more than traders in academic skills, bar passage, and study habits—important as those things are.  We are purveyors of growth mindset, bulwarks against stereotype threat, sowers of academic and social belonging, defenders from impostor syndrome, and catalysts of self-efficacy and high aspirations. 

Happy birthday, AASE!  I am proud of you and of all the people whose efforts help all of our students—and particularly the most vulnerable of them—succeed.  You are all amazing!

New York Academic Support Workshop on May 5th

This year’s topic is a broad one – Transitions. (Logistically, yes, it means the names on this call are a wee bit different than what you’ve seen in past years.)

Broadly, colleagues may view this call as an invitation to think about macro-level transitions. What should academic and bar support programs do at this current moment, where transitions abound: (1) a transition out of COVID-impaired and back to largely in-person legal education and academic and bar support (and what we resolve to take from it), especially for the Class of 2023; (2) the critical transition from the current Uniform Bar Exam to the NextGen bar exam, and its implications for pre-equipping the Class of 2026 and subsequent classes now; or (3) a transition for legal education into a period of applicant downturn and larger economic headwinds.

Others may view this call as an invitation to think about smaller-scale transitions. Specifically, how can we help this generation of platform-native students transition between or within academic and bar tasks: absorption to resource creation; exam reading to outlining to writing; legal reading, writing, and synthesis in law school to exam-speed counterparts; virtual connection to in-person community support and accountability? Between law school world and their external obligations, especially for first-generation students who often bear the weight of both their own individual worlds and family or household responsibilities?

Still others may view this call as an invitation to transition our expectations for the viability, status, and balance of our profession. How can we ease the transition for new ASPers from their previous professional success to full-time ASP work? Facilitate a transition from our current levels of status (or lack thereof) to better ones? From the trenches with students towards strategic planning and implementation? From an existence that more than occasionally exploits our trademark help-the-students-at-all-costs, can-do attitude to one that is more equitable and more respective of our boundaries as healers and human beings?

The workshop will take place virtually on Friday, May 5, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern.

We’ll divide the afternoon into three sessions (with short breaks in between):

• The first session will address transitions most closely related to academic success;
• The second session will address transitions most closely related to bar success;
• The third session will address potentially broader cultural, institutional, or status-related transitions.    

We hope to feature two or three discussion topics (or “vignettes”) during each session. Proposals from those interested in leading a discussion should summarize, in one or two paragraphs, the nature of the transition, and then pose two or three questions for the group’s consideration as we collectively grapple with the subject matter. We hope, in this way, to bring to bear the breadth of our experiences, viewpoints, insights, and abilities to find a way forward through the transition.

Please RSVP to attend the workshop—and submit proposed discussion topics—using this form, by Tuesday, April 25, at 5:00 PM Eastern. Because this is not a formal conference and will take place virtually, there’s no fee to attend. We’ll send out a finalized workshop agenda and Zoom details when we confirm who will attend and what specific topics our discussion leaders will present.

Assistant Director of ASP/Bar Prep at Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson School of Law is looking to hire a new Assistant Director of ASP/Bar Prep, scheduled to start July 1, 2023!  

Applicants should submit resume and cover letter to [email protected]. 

 GENERAL SUMMARY DESCRIPTION: Reporting to the Director of Academic Success & Bar Preparation, the Assistant Director of Academic Success & Bar Preparation (“Assistant Director”) is responsible for helping coordinate and supervise integrated academic success and bar support programs for students at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. The successful candidate will help support law school students to succeed in law school and graduates as they prepare for their bar examinations, including by teaching bar-related and academic success courses. The Assistant Director will also provide assistance with and will monitor learning outcomes, academic performance, academic support and bar preparation activities to all students, and will participate in other student retention activities as needed. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• • Work collaboratively with Director of Academic Success & Bar Preparation, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the faculty to assess and address the current needs for academic success and bar-related programming and support. 
• • Work with the Director of Academic Success & Bar Preparation and other department members to administer the integrated academic success and bar preparation program for current students and bar-takers, including by teaching classes; providing one-on-one and small group tutoring; developing and teaching workshops; providing support and guidance to the advanced student mentors and Learning Assistants; and completing other tasks as assigned. 
• • Teach sections of bar-related and academic success skills courses as needed (including fall, spring, and summer). 
• • Work collaboratively to tailor programming including courses and workshops to meet the needs of students and bar-takers each term (fall, spring and summer, including the February and July bar cycles). 
• • Collaborate to design, develop, and implement the Continuing Bar Candidate and Commercial Bar Support Programs. This includes, but is not limited to, one-on-one student meetings, essay and performance test grading, teaching workshops, and providing other general bar study support. 
• • Provide structured writing, organizational, and analytical assistance to current students and recent graduates, including through workshops and presentations. 
• • Participate in the presentation of academic success program activities beginning with Week One, the student orientation program. 
• • Provide administrative support to the Academic Success & Bar Preparation department as needed. 
• • Collect data regarding workshop and programmatic usage, programming assessments, and evaluations. 

 

 

• • Provide support and academic advice and counseling to students and recent graduates. This involves counseling students on both academic issues and other issues that might be affecting their academic studies. 
• • Enforce campus policies regarding commercial bar preparation access to Thomas Jefferson School of Law, as applicable. 
• • Participate in committees as assigned by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. 
• • Oversee student workers as needed. 
• • Represent the law school at and participate in outside conferences and other events organized for and/or by academic support or bar preparation professionals, as applicable. 

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES: 

• • J.D. from an ABA or California-accredited law school and a proven record of academic achievement during law school. 
• • Admission to a state bar in the United States, California preferred. 
• • At least 2 years of experience practicing law or delivering writing or other instruction in an academic institution, law firm, or commercial bar prep company. 
• • Familiarity with bar-tested subjects and bar exam format. 
• • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 
• • Prior experience with academic support and bar preparation strongly preferred. 
• • Experience with curriculum design, including an understanding of educational learning theory, best practices in teaching pedagogy, and individual learning styles preferred. 
• • Experience teaching writing and/or working with students for whom English is their second language preferred. 
• • Experience with assessment and with data collection preferred. 
• • Familiarity with online technology preferred. 
• • The ability to think imaginatively and critically about techniques to improve our law students’ academic development and bar passage, and to design, implement and manage innovative programs to assist adult learners in reaching their potential. 
• • The ability to work well with a diverse student body, including having a cultural awareness of different learning styles. 
• • Strong teaching, interpersonal and counseling skills. 
• • Strong public speaking skills. 
• • Proficiency in Zoom. 
• • Ability to work collaboratively with faculty and staff. 
• • Ability to manage multiple priorities under deadlines. 
• • Ability to work effectively in a team-based approach to course design and implementation. 

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• • Able to sit or stand, type, read or write for extended periods of time. 
• • Able to handle high level of stress in a useful, constructive manner. 
• • Able to lift/carry materials and publications up to 20 pounds. 
• • Able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation. 

 

WORK SCHEDULE: 

• • Full time position, Monday through Friday, includes teaching evening classes and workshops. Some weekends will be necessary. Must be willing and able to teach evening classes as assigned Monday-Thursday. 

Survey reminder no. 3,564,722

Last week, we sent out another email with the individual and institutional survey links to all AASE members. If you didn't receive it, please email me at: [email protected] and I'll get it to you!

The data that we amass as a result of this survey will help our profession know a number of things:

1. Who we are: who are the ASP professionals in our nation's law schools
2. What we do: so, so much, but more specifically we will have information on what classes we teach, workshops we offer, bar prep (during and after law school), orientation programs...really everything we offer to our students.
3. How we are valued, classified, and compensated. This cannot change if we do not know the baseline.
4. How we spend our time in these roles, doing all this work.

 As promised (threatened?), here is a limerick for the occasion:

There once was a survey from AASE     

That didn’t take up all that much space

It asked for the info we need

To help us succeed

In making our tenure track case!

The deadline to answer (APRIL 14TH!!!) is TOMORROW!!!.

Please do not make me resort to sonnets.

(Liz Stillman)

The AASE Effect

This post part the series discussing the origins of the Association of Academic Support Educators, founded in 2013. Written by Toni Miceli. 

 

My first time at an academic support and bar prep conference was three days into my new job as the Director of Bar Exam Preparation at Saint Louis University School of Law (SLU Law). I flew to sunny California to attend an LSAC Newcomers Workshop back in August 2011, and I remember being grateful to have that immediate opportunity to learn from others in the field, particularly as I was still digesting what the program I was stepping into looked like. While I learned a TON of information on effective teaching and feedback pedagogy at that workshop, the most important lesson I learned from was that I had just become part of an amazing community of educators who went above and beyond, not just for their students, but for each other. I returned from that trip with so many ideas that I wanted to implement in my program and the email addresses of those newfound colleagues who were happy to answer my questions along the way.

A little over a year later, I received an email on the old Chicago Kent ASP list serve announcing the Inaugural Conference of the newly formed Association of Academic Support Educators, being hosted by the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law from May 28 to May 30, 2013. I jumped at the chance to attend, knowing that I would come back full of ideas yet again. What I didn’t realize was that I would also return to St. Louis a member of the new Bar Advocacy Committee, that within months would be drafting a letter on behalf of AASE to the ABA Standards Committee opposing proposed changes to ABA Standard 316. Not only had I met new colleagues in the field at that first AASE conference, but AASE had also given me allies with whom I could work to advocate for my students and our profession. I was again reminded that I was part of a community, and I quickly learned that our voices were stronger together.

It is hard to believe we are approaching the 10^th anniversary of that first AASE conference, but when I pause to assess where I am in my career, the growth of my role and program here at SLU Law, and even the friends I have on my iPhone favorites list, I can see the impact that 10 years of AASE has had on me. AASE gave me incredible and brilliant mentors who blazed a path in the academy through their teaching and their scholarship. AASE gave me a voice as a new ASP/bar prep faculty member, providing me with a platform to present my own ideas before a national audience, and later gave me the opportunity to lead through my roles on the Executive Board. AASE gave me recognition within my own school, both by giving me confidence in my newfound expertise and by allowing me the privilege of hosting the 6th annual AASE conference in May 2018. But most importantly, AASE gave me each of you – my colleagues and friends in the ASP/Bar Prep community. You are generous with both your time and your teaching materials. When we had to cancel the May 2020 conference due to the pandemic, I was blown away by how many of you stepped up to facilitate online workshops to fill the void and stay connected to one another. Ironically, that pandemic period ended up being my most productive publication period ever because of my fellow AASE members, who reached out and encouraged me to accept new writing opportunities, read my drafts, and celebrated with me each step of the way.

So, to those of you who are new to AASE, as I was new the first time I came together with this amazing group of individuals, I can’t tell you how excited I am for what is in store for you this May at the 10^th Annual AASE Conference. But even more so, I am excited for all that comes after for each of you. May you find the joy, confidence, friendship, inspiration, understanding, and home that I have found with my AASE family. See you in Santa Clara!

10 Years of Leadership

As we look forward to our conference in Santa Clara, it's a good time to recognize that AASE would not have been around for a decade without outstanding leadership. Leadership from the Academic Support Community, a community often already spread thin.

We've had a total of 37 past and present executive board members! When you look at the chart below, you'll also see how many of those members served for multiple years, and sometimes in multiple positions. 

 

 

 

And now, it's time for YOU to be part of that legacy of leadership. This year we will be voting on a President-Elect, Treasurer-Elect, and Secretary-Elect. Nominations for open executive board positions are due by Thursday, April 20, 2023. Feel free to nominate yourselves, or someone you think would be an amazing leader. The form to nominate is here. You must be an AASE member to nominate, and must be an AASE member to run for office. 

Have I Mentioned the Survey(s)?

You and I both know that I have mentioned it (a number of times). Last week, we sent out an email with the individual and institutional survey links to all AASE members. If you didn't receive it, please email me at: [email protected] and I'll get it to you!

The data that we amass as a result of this survey will help our profession know a number of things:

1. Who we are: who are the ASP professionals in our nation's law schools
2. What we do: so, so much, but more specifically we will have information on what classes we teach, workshops we offer, bar prep (during and after law school), orientation programs...really everything we offer to our students.
3. How we are valued, classified, and compensated. This cannot change if we do not know the baseline.
4. How we spend our time in these roles, doing all this work.

 I have even composed a Haiku to inspire you to respond (I think we forgot to add poetry as a category of ASP work on the surveys, but nonetheless):

Please take the survey,

the data will help us all,

as professionals.

The deadline to answer (APRIL 14TH!!!)is coming sooner than you think. Please do not make me resort to limericks.

(Liz Stillman)

 

Associate Director of Academic Success at Texas Tech

Texas Tech is seeking an Associate Director to expand their department.  The description is below.  You can apply here.

Position Description

Helps to coordinate the operation and activities of the Law School’s Office of Academic Success Programs (OASP); works closely with students in groups and individually to promote student success; helps to develop and implement OASP policies and procedures; helps to organize and set OASP tasks and priorities; and helps to administer the OASP budget. Works under the general supervision of the Director of Academic Support Programs and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Works cooperatively with the Associate Dean for Student Life and collaborates with staff/faculty who assist with the Law School’s student success initiatives and the bar preparation program.

About the Department and/or College

Consistently recognized as a Best Value Law School, the National Jurist recently rated Texas Tech Law the Best Value Law School in Texas and 16 nationally (National Jurist, Fall 2021). With a faculty and staff dedicated to student success, an unparalleled record of advocacy competition championships, and alumni who are among the best in their fields, Texas Tech Law provides a legal education that is second to none.

In addition to the value, advocacy, and community provided by Texas Tech Law, we have the benefit of being located in Lubbock, Texas – "The Friendliest City in America." Lubbock has grown from its Wild West roots to a modern cultural crossroads featuring award-winning wineries, museums, and world-class musical and theatrical talent.

Major/Essential Functions

This is a full-time, 12-month staff position that serves as the Associate Director for Academic Success Programs. The Associate Director's is to work with the Director to help law students develop the skills and knowledge needed to reach their top academic performance in law school and when taking the bar exam.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborates with the Director to design and implement academic success programs
• delivering and assessing a comprehensive program of academic success for all law students from orientation until taking the bar exam 
• working one-on-one with law students on academic probation and self-referred law students to help them develop good habits and effective methods to improve their academic performance
• Collaborates with the Director to plan and host academic success workshops related to legal analysis, critical reading, exam-taking, time management, etc. 
• Teaching and/or supporting one or more sections of Introduction to the Study of Law, a required first-year, 1-credit  course taught by several faculty/staff;  possibly teaching other courses related to academic success
• Co-coordinating the tutoring program with 1L doctrinal professors
• providing academic counseling for students
• participating in activities for academic success professionals through regular participation at conferences
• cooperating with the Associate Dean for Student Life on student success and support
• collaborating with faculty/staff who assist with the Law School’s student success initiatives
• collaborating with faculty/staff who assist with the Law School’s bar preparation program by hosting bar exam and MPRE preparation workshops, especially during the spring semester and during the summer leading up to the bar exam

Required Qualifications

A J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school. Successful passage of a bar examination. Three years or more progressively responsible experience. Additional education may substitute for experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven track record as a collaborative and cooperative team-player
• Additional years of progressively responsible experience
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching and mentoring
• Experience in academic success programs at a law school (or equivalent experience) 

Associate Director of Academic Success at Tennessee

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE COLLEGE OF LAW invites applications from candidates to direct and expand the bar preparation component of its Academic Success program.  The Associate Director of Academic Success Program develops, administers, and assesses the bar preparation program and makes additions and modifications to the program, focusing on initiatives to increase bar passage rates.

Among other things, the Associate Director will be responsible for the following:

• Administering all aspects of bar examination preparation services for the law school’s students and graduates, including teaching and/or administering the law school’s bar preparation course;
• Compiling and analyzing bar examination data relating to graduates’ performance;
• Providing individualized tutoring, mentoring, and counseling of students and graduates to prepare them for the bar examination;
• Identifying “at-risk” students, and encouraging their full participation in the law school’s bar preparation program;
• Monitoring bar-takers’ compliance with commercial bar preparation study programs;
• Maintaining expertise in all aspects of the bar examination with particular emphasis on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE);
• Regularly assessing the quality of the program and making modifications to the course to ensure the program’s effectiveness in preparing students for the bar exam;
• Regularly interacting with the faculty to facilitate improvement in student performance in law school and on the bar examination; and
• Monitoring the program budget, ensuring proper use of funding associated with the Academic Success Program; and
• Performing other tasks as assigned from time to time by the Dean, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Director of the Academic Success Program.

Minimum Qualifications:

Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to the practice of law, preferably by taking and passing the UBE. Three years legal experience, preferably in the area of legal education. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an emphasis on communicating clearly and concisely. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community. Detail-oriented with excellent organization and time management skills. Ability to work collaboratively and professionally. Ability to work empathetically and patiently with students and graduates. Ability to properly protect and disseminate confidential and sensitive information.  Excellent program planning, implementation, and assessment skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

Three (3) years of experience working in legal education in the areas of teaching, academic assistance, or academic advising, or similar administrative, teaching, or practice experience. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with University of Tennessee academic policies and procedures and FERPA requirements.

In furtherance of the University’s and the College’s fundamental commitment to diversity in our faculty, student body, and staff, we strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, veterans, and others whose background, life experiences, viewpoints, or philosophy would contribute to the diversity of our faculty, staff, curriculum, and programs.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is an R1, land-grant university located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The City of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, varied nightlife, active neighborhoods, and eclectic shopping and restaurants. UT is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Applications must be submitted through this link. Applicants should submit a letter of interest, a CV, and the names and contact information for three references. While applications will be considered on a rolling basis, applicants should submit their materials no later than April 17, 2023, for best consideration. For questions, please contact Professor Michael Higdon, chair of the search committee.

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status.

Quick Response to MBE Mean

The National Mean MBE score came out on Friday.  You can read the NCBE press release here. My quick research indicates that it is either the lowest or one of the lowest mean scores in history.

I waited a day to think about what I wanted to say about the score.  My thoughts ranged from disdain to despair.  Anxiety skyrocketed for my students who won't get results for a couple weeks.  I wanted to talk about how this can't possibly be the worst set of test takers in history, or the rigidity in licensing continues to ignore at least a year of pandemic education for many of those students.  However, I always fell back on heartbreak.  I am heartbroken and sad for all those who didn't pass.  My disdain for the MBE pales in comparison to graduates' inability to pursue their dreams.  The focus on percentages misses the individual stories of graduates who will lose tens of thousands of dollars in delayed work.  I could write for hours about the problems with the MBE, but until NextGen, it will continue to be an artificial hurdle to practice.  That is heartbreaking.

(Steven Foster)

Director of Academic Advisement at Georgia State

Georgia State Law in Atlanta, GA is hiring a new Director of Academic Advisement and Bar Success.  This faculty position will be responsible for our academic advisement, academic success, and bar preparation programs.  The job posting is attached.  Please share with anyone you think might be interested.  Applicants should apply with a statement of interest, resume, and list of references at academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/24508.  

If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected].

AASE: 10 Years of Winners

Since AASE was founded, it has been a support system for all of those working in Academic Support. A community that uplifts one another, and offers constant support. From my very first conference, where I knew absolutely no one, it was easy to find people willing to share information, guidance, a lesson plan, handouts, or just a meal where you both could commiserate about life.

At the 2016 meeting in New York there was a discussion about starting a tradition of giving out awards. Many thought this was a great idea, since ASPers are generally unsung and unrecognized for their work. It also felt very "Asp-ish" to recognize and support one another in a very official capacity. However, I distinctly remember there were concerns about singling people out, because doesn't EVERYONE work hard? Shouldn't we ALL be recognized for our efforts? Is it ASP-ish to only award SOME of our membership? The reason this stuck with me is because I feel like the conversation really speaks to the essence of AASE - wanting to support each other and lift one another up, but without putting others down or diminishing the accomplishments of others.

Personally, I think we found a great balance and have been able to recognize 20 outstanding AASE members in 5 years, and I can't wait to recognize more in the next 5!

Our very first award winners in 2017 were:

Elizabeth Bloom

Reichi Lee

Joanna Harvest Koren

In 2018 we recognized:

Rebecca Flanagan

Nancy Luebbert

in 2019 we decided to actually name our awards, and recognize:

Amy Jarmon — ASP Inspiration Award

Herb Ramy — Enhancements in ASP Award

Jendayi Saada — Spirit of ASP Award

Shane Dizon — Guiding Light Award

Raul Ruiz — ASP Innovator Award

Kent Lollis — Order of Distinction

Sadly, in 2020 we had to cancel our annual meeting, and didn't get to recognize anyone. However, in 2021, we recognized:

Dena Sonbol — Institutional Leadership Award

Lesa Byrnes — Student Support & Impact Award

Paulina Davis — Mentorship Award

Kirsha Trychta — Impact Award

In 2022, we recognized our first group award, among others:

Academic Support Black Woman's Collective - Guiding Light Award

Antonia Miceli - Enhancements in ASP Award

Goldie Pritchard - ASP Inspirational Award

Liz Stillman - Spirit of ASP Award

Marsha Griggs - ASP Impact Award

Now, it's time to decide who we recognize in 2023! 

If you know someone who deserves to be recognized for their work in 2023, please submit a nomination describing why the ASPer deserves recognition to [email protected] by Monday, April 3rd.  

See you in Santa Clara, where registration is still open here. 

(Melissa Hale)

Academic and Bar Support Scholarship Spotlight

Scott, Jason M. (AccessLex) and Jackson, Joshua (AccessLex), What Is Quality? Advancing Value-Added Approaches to Assessing Law School Bar Exam Performance (SSRN 2022). 

From the abstract:

U.S. News & World Report rankings and tier groupings are often used as proxy measures of law school quality. But many of the factors that contribute to both law school outcomes and U.S. News rankings (e.g., undergraduate GPAs [UGPA], LSAT scores, admission rates) do not reflect the impact law schools have on student outcomes, such as bar passage and employment. We propose a method for measuring institutional quality that is based on a school’s ability to improve its graduates’ likelihood of first-time bar passage while controlling for those students’ preadmission characteristics. Using a value-added modeling technique, we first isolate each law school’s expected bar performance for the 2013–2018 bar takers given those cohorts’ entering characteristics and the school’s attrition and transfer patterns, then identify the degree to which this prediction overperforms or underperforms the school’s actual bar performance. Additionally, we utilize a bar pass differential rather than a school’s first-time bar pass rate, allowing us to account for variation between jurisdictions’ grading and cut scores. Finally, we provide a ranked list of law schools based on their added value for each entering cohort.

2.    Buffington, Joe (Albany), Conditional Answers to Multiple-Choice Questions: Three Linguistic Problems (and Solutions) for 'if', 69 J. of L. Educ. 384 (2020).

From the abstract:

Multiple-choice questions are a staple of the law school experience, and they appear on the bar exam in every state in the United States. While it’s reasonable to ask whether multiple-choice items are optimal tools for assessing whether students have accomplished curricular learning objectives or demonstrated minimum competence to practice law, the American Bar Association (ABA) requires under its standards for the accreditation of law schools that law schools prepare their students for admission to the bar, and whether schools have done so is measured in large part by their bar pass rates. If for no other reason, ABA-accredited law schools would seem to have a duty to educate their students in multiple-choice technique.

But how many law school professors are prepared to educate their students in multiple-choice technique, as opposed to the doctrine underlying the multiple-choice items, in their formative and summative assessments? Is it possible to instruct students in best techniques for answering multiple-choice questions without being aware of best practices for constructing such items?

The aim of this short article, in which I use linguistic methodology to probe some problems for using “if” as a conditional qualifier in multiple-choice answers, is to suggest that the better response to the latter question is no and from there to inspire new conversations in the legal academy regarding best practices for constructing multiple-choice items.

3.  Gutowski, Nachman (St. Thomas (FL)) and Bell, Kayla, How Are Bar Exam Results Reported? A National Guide (SSRN 2023). 

From the abstract:

Below you will find a detailed explanation of all publicly available information on every jurisdiction in the United States and if/how they release Bar Exam pass rate information. Additionally, a searchable and editable excel formatted list is available upon request to [email protected] and allows for manipulation and interaction toward creating groupings and understanding choices made. Finally, visual aids in the form of maps have been provided at the end of the document, depicting some of the most used and referenced data points to allow a quick view of the national landscape.

The impact of these choices is far-reaching. You are invited to utilize this data to support your scholarship.

BOLO

Please be on the lookout for the 2023 AASE surveys later this week. We plan to launch the individual and institutional surveys on Wednesday and have them remain open until April 14^th.  We are looking to collect data on who we are, who we serve, our status in the academic hierarchy, and what we do both inside and outside the ASP/Bar Prep paradigms. We will be presenting our findings at the AASE 10^th Anniversary Conference in May.

Please, everyone, fill out your individual survey when you receive it!  It is entirely anonymous. If you are a program director, you get to fill out two surveys (yay!): one for yourself and one for your school.

Our quest for equity begins with the collection of data. We are valuable members of every law school’s faculty team, and while it seems unsavory (and sometimes outright unfair) to have to prove ourselves to get the respect (and salary) we deserve, we must. More participation gives our data more credibility for use later on.

Be counted and seen!

(Liz Stillman)

Director of Academic Success at Richmond

The University of Richmond School of Law invites applications for a faculty position

that will design and implement programming and courses related to Academic Success

and Bar Support. We seek a colleague who is knowledgeable about the science of adult

learning and best practices for bar exam preparations, is passionate about assisting all

students in achieving their full potential, and who will thrive in a collaborative

environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Designing academic success programs and workshop for 1Ls;

• Developing orientation and pre-orientation programs to help matriculating

students enter law school with the tools they need to succeed;

• Supporting students preparing for the bar exam, including developing and

teaching bar preparation courses;

• Advising and coaching students on an individual basis;

• In collaboration with senior leaders, developing and implementing programs and

workshops for faculty on topics such as providing helpful feedback, academic

advising, bar coaching, and integration of skills and learning strategies into

academic coursework and co-curricular efforts.

The Law School believes deeply in the transformative power of legal education, and

Academic Success programming is vital to its mission. The new Director will join others

on the faculty who have been working in the field for years as well as a broad crosssection

of the faculty who have been applying ASP insights in their own classes. Other

existing programming that will contribute to the success of the new Director includes an

established Professional Identity Formation Program (which is run by a full-time director

and faculty member) as well as numerous wellness initiatives managed by the Dean of

Students.

This is a full-time, 12-month, non-tenure-track faculty position. Depending on

experience, a successful candidate will be hired as Assistant or Associate Professor of

Law, Legal Practice and will be eligible for promotion and for a five-year presumptively

renewable contract. A J.D. degree is required as well as at least three years of relevant

teaching experience.

The University of Richmond School of Law is a top-ranked law school that combines a

rigorous academic program with extensive clinical and experiential learning opportunities

to prepare students for 21st-century legal practice. The law faculty are among the best

teacher-scholars in the nation with a commitment to producing knowledge that expands

the understanding of law and contributes to the improvement of society. The Law

School also cultivates a genuinely collegial community marked by engagement, civility,

inclusivity, and concern for others and the greater good.

The University of Richmond is a private university located just a short drive from

downtown Richmond, Virginia, Through its five schools and wide array of campus

programming, the University combines the best qualities of a small liberal arts college

and a large university.

The University of Richmond is committed to developing a diverse workforce and student

body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of

difference in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development,

and institutional success. Our academic community strongly encourage applications that

are in keeping with this commitment. For more information on the School of Law, please

visit https://law.richmond.edu/

Applicants should apply by submitting cover letter & current curriculum vitae to

[email protected].

Spring!? Break

Why was last week called spring break when it wasn’t spring yet? Technically, it was a late winter’s folly or perhaps a mid-semester break, but spring, not so much. Before we took our week off, I met with numerous students and asked them about their plans for their time away from school. They mainly responded with the following:

1. Outlining: “I am going to catch up and make sure they are all up to date.”
2. Reading: “I am going to get ahead in my reading so that the week we return isn’t stressful.”
3. Practice questions: “both multiple choice and essay!”

To which I said, “fabulous, and?” They scrambled a bit to find the one aspect of studying they had not mentioned that would be what I wanted to hear. They asked, “what else should I be doing?”

I was worried that these students wouldn’t take some time to do something fun, do something restorative, or disengage from being a law student for at least a few hours. We all know that after the break, the semester has turned a corner and started running downhill to finals. There are no other breaks (except here in Massachusetts, we have one long weekend for the marathon) until exams.

Yes, outlining, reading, and practicing are exactly what students should be doing at this time in the semester, but not taking care of body and soul for at least some of this time seemed like a lost opportunity to be in the right space to start the downhill run. I prescribed some discrete fun: walk down to the aquarium and watch the harbor seals for a few minutes, take the commuter rail somewhere new for an afternoon, cook a meal/dessert or better yet, a pie for Pi day, look at the ocean, really anything. It didn’t have to be an all-day event, and there is a lot of free fun to be had in Boston if you are a student. I stopped short of making them swear an oath to loaf a bit, but I did stress the importance of a little downtime. 

Sure, I will encounter students who come in for their meetings this week tan, or on crutches from ski-related injuries, who will say they did nothing but have fun over the break. I wish them well. Me? I did class prep, grading, laundry, and baked the most heavenly fluffy peanut butter and chocolate pie[1] for Pi day. And I wore sweat pants. Every. Single. Day.

(Liz Stillman)

 

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvthKMp4XS/

Advice from a Part-time Student

As a parent, I usually know what is best for my kids.  That isn't always what they think is best, and that is when conflict arises.  However, sometimes they find a way to get to the right conclusion without my guidance.  I just have to get out of the way, which is not my strongest quality. 

Many of our students are the same way.  With space and information, they can find a way to the right conclusion, even if it requires help from their peers.  I was incredibly proud of one of my part-time students a couple weeks ago.  A student asked me in class about potential job offers and what to do if they required working during the summer.  I give my standard answer about working the least amount possible and exhaustion, but students legitimately worry about a job as much as bar prep.  That is when one of my part-time students spoke up.  She said the hardest part for her during law school wasn't the actual number of hours each week.  Finding those hours is hard, but she could find hours in the day.  She emphasized the hardest part was the mental exhaustion from getting everything done.  She worked hard and did the vast majority of the work during her time, but she reiterated that the mental load was enormous.  The load was so large, that she found a way to not work during the summer after working full-time for four years of law school.  The impact she had on the entire class was obvious.  I just had to sit back and let the discussion happen.  That may have been the most productive fifteen minutes of the entire class period because I let the students lead.

I won't always let the students provide advice because sometimes it isn't ideal.  However, many students can find their way to the right answer with only slight direction and hearing from peers.  Teaming up with a good group of third-year students to pass along a message could make a big impact in bar prep programs.

(Steven Foster)