2.2 The Professional Skills Center
The Professional Skills Center provides the academic support services at the Law School. Our goal is to ensure that each student has the opportunity to learn the doctrine (law) and academic skills necessary to become a lawyer in an environment that is appropriate to individual learning style and needs. Teachers are available to work with students primarily in the first and second years.
Because students’ needs change as they progress through law school, the Skills Center’s services are allocated differently over the course of the academic program. There is a focus on the first three semesters for day students and the first four semesters for evening students, when it is critical that students hone fundamental analytical, writing, and academic and study skills. Students can work with the Skills faculty to develop effective study skills and strategies, improve essay exam-writing, review doctrinal material from classes and simulations, and revise written work such as memos and writing samples.
The following are some of the major support services available to students in the first and second years.
Summer Law Institute
The Summer Law Institute (SLI) is designed to provide students with holistic exposure to the rigors of law school. Entering students are invited to apply to participate in this intensive, one-week introduction to law school doctrine, skills, and methods of study. During SLI, students are introduced to first-year legal doctrine and learn important skills to help them succeed in law school. Throughout the program, participants have the opportunity to prepare for class, participate in a mock class, take notes, outline doctrine, complete a practice exam, and receive feedback. Full-time sections of SLI are generally limited to approximately 20 students each. The evening section of SLI is co-taught in a large group, with frequent small group work.
First-Year Orientation
The Orientation program, First Week for First Years (FWFY), is required for all incoming students. The Skills Center sessions during FWFY include an introduction to the legal system; case reading and briefing; and legal analysis to give students grounding in the academic skills that they will need for success during the year. Students begin their Constitutional Law (LEDP) course during FWFY. Skills faculty use material from this course to reinforce skills instruction and provide exercises and hypothetical questions for additional practice.
First-Semester Services
The Skills Center provides extensive services to students in the first year in both the Full-time and Evening programs. During the first semester, there is a weekly “Skills Session” in each section (noted on the block schedule), focusing on both the skills and doctrine from Criminal Law, Constitutional Law (LEDP), and Contracts (LME) classes. Specific topics, such as class preparation (case reading and briefing), note taking, outlining, study strategies, and exam preparation are covered in the context of material drawn from the required classes. The Skills Sessions are entirely voluntary.
In addition, individual and small-group conferences are available via an online sign-up sheet. Students are invited to bring any questions or concerns regarding law school, such as doctrine, writing, skills, organization, study strategies, etc. From time to time, the Skills Center may also offer additional series of workshops on topics, including but not limited to, time management, practicing the art and science of writing essay exams, and close case reading. Information on these sessions will be distributed by Skills faculty.
In the Evening Program, skills sessions and individual conferences are offered regularly both on weekdays after doctrinal classes (similar to the Full-time program) and on weekends to fit student schedules. Weekend class and meeting format is generally flexible, allowing for either in-person or virtual meetings. Evening Skills provides the same services in the first five semesters of the evening program and concludes at the end of the 2L academic year.
In conjunction with the faculty, the Skills Center conducts review sessions for all midterm and final exams, and skills teachers are available to review exams with students.
Second-Semester Day Program Services
In the spring semester, Skills Center provides more targeted support for full-time day students. All second semester day students can access the optional weekly Skills Sessions and exam reviews Sessionsbut there are no longer individual appointments available on a sign-up basis. Instead, the Skills Center offers Legal Methods —a focused, semester-long, three-hours per week, non-credit workshop. Participation in Legal Methods is either by referral or permission of the instructor and requires a commitment to attend throughout the semester. Again, the work of Legal Methods is drawn from the required classes, but it is more focused in terms of individual written feedback.
To correlate with the amount of doctrinal skills experience accumulated at this point in the program, Evening students in their second semester continue to receive the same Skills Center services as they receive in the first semester, with sessions and individual/small group conferences available during the week and weekend.
Second-Year Day Program Services
In the fall semester of the full-time, second-year program, the Skills Center offers Individual Skills Development (a course similar to Legal Methods) to students referred, based on first-year GPA and student self-referrals. In addition, there will be exam reviews for selected required courses for the second-year class, as a whole. Skills Center staff will also offer office hours for individual or study group meetings.
By the second semester of the second year, most students are well acquainted with the rigors of the Law School curriculum and are successful in meeting its challenges. Consequently, the need for support services is designed on an individual basis to assist those who are most in need.
Evening students in their second year receive predominantly the same services that they received in the first year of the program, again in direct correlation with amount of doctrinal skills experience gained thus far, and again in flexible formatting (in-person or virtual meetings.)