Mission
The mission of the Office of Academic Excellence is to enrich each student’s
learning experience by ensuring a smooth transition to law school and arming
students with the skills they need to perform well in their courses and on the
bar exam.
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See allGoals
- Partner with students to strategically plan for their successful completion
of law school and passage of the bar exam. - Provide students with varied opportunities to learn, enhance, and refine the
skills necessary for success in law school and on the bar exam. - Promote a culture of academic excellence that encourages accountability,
productivity, creativity, and flexibility when it comes to learning.
Courses
- Legal Reasoning Workshop I (LRW I)
- Principles of Legal Analysis (PLA)
- Legal Reasoning Workshop II (LRW II)
- Bar Prep Strategies
Services
Tutoring
Our team of experienced attorneys and educators work with students in a one-on-one or group setting to provide instruction on a variety of skills. Tutors work with students both in-person and virtually and tailor their teaching approach to each student’s individual needs. Our tutors are available and ready to assist students during the day, in the evening, and on the weekends.
All students are welcome to work with a tutor as many times as they need
at no charge.
Skills Workshops
During the academic school year, the Office of Academic Excellence offers several workshops on various topics related to the skills necessary to succeed in law school such as how to study efficiently, manage your time, outline, and ace your law school exams.
During the summer, the Office of Academic Excellence provides workshops for our graduates as a supplement to their commercial bar preparation course. These workshops arm students with foolproof methods for earning the most points on each part of the bar exam and provide them with opportunities to practice their bar exam writing skills and receive feedback.
Highly experienced members of the faculty and the Academic Excellence Office teach all workshops.
We encourage all students to attend all workshops of interest to them.
Structured Study Groups
The Office of Academic Excellence runs a student-led program called Structured Study Groups (SSGs). The goal of SSGs is to allow first-year students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the doctrine they are learning in their substantive courses through consistent practice and feedback on their performance. SSGs are led by high-achieving 2L and 3L students who are selected by each professor. SSG Leaders work closely with faculty to develop the exercises and practice exams that students will have the opportunity to
complete for feedback in their SSGs.
SSGs meet weekly and all students are welcome to attend.
Resource Library
The Office of Academic Excellence maintains a resource library that includes a variety of study aids, legal research and writing books, and books on outlining, exam taking, legal analysis, and other critical skills.
Students are welcome to stop by the Office of Academic Excellence to review these resources and check them out.
Please contact us for more information about Academic Excellence at Mitchell Hamline.