To many new law students, law school can seem very foreign – an experience for which none of their previous educational experience has prepared them. Unfortunately, no course in law school focuses on the law school environment or expectations.

The Academic Success Program fosters academic excellence by easing the transition to law school.  The program provides all first-year students with the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to be a successful law student.

The focus of the program centers on the process of critical thinking and analytical skills, which will transcend any one particular course; the program does not provide a substantive review of course material. Specific skills covered in the program include reading and briefing cases; note-taking; time and stress management; course outlining; and taking final exams.

There are three components of the ASP program: the 2-week summer program, just before the start of the fall semester, that is limited to 30 first –year students, and the fall program, consisting of nine workshops, that is open to all students. Each program provides students with a preview of what is expected of law students and thereby relieves some of the typical anxiety experienced in the first year of law school. The summer program requires that students admitted to the fall 1L class complete an application and submit it to the admissions office. The third program is a specially designated class, conducted in the spring semester, for first year students on academic probation.

The Academic Success Program fosters academic excellence by easing the transition to law school. The program focuses on providing first-year students the opportunity to learn skills required for success as a law student-critical thinking and analytical skills; reading and briefing cases; note-taking; time and stress management; course outlining; and taking final exams.

Each program previews expectations of law students, thereby relieving some anxiety typical of the first year of law school.