The Office of Academic Excellence aims to:
- 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; and
- Promote a culture of academic excellence that encourages accountability, productivity, creativity, and flexibility when it comes to learning.
The following services are available to J.D. students:
Tutoring
Experienced attorneys and educators work with students in a one-on-one or group setting to provide instruction on a variety of academic and bar prep skills. Tutors work with students both in-person and virtually and tailor their teaching approach to each student’s individual needs. Tutors are available and ready to assist students during the day, in the evening, and on the weekends.
To request tutoring please complete the Tutor Request Form found on the Academic Excellence website.
There is no charge for tutoring services.
Workshops
During the summer, the Office of Academic Excellence provides bar preparation workshops for graduates as a supplement to their commercial bar preparation course.
Resource Library
The Office of Academic Excellence maintains a virtual resource library that includes a variety of videos and handouts on outlining, exam taking, legal analysis, IRAC, and other critical skills. Students can access the resource library through the web page of the Office of Academic Excellence. The Warren E. Burger Library also maintains a resource library of several very useful study aids and guides.
Legal Methods
Legal Methods is a one-credit course that all students take during their first semester of law school to help them quickly develop the skills they need to succeed in law school and lay a foundation for ultimate bar passage. The course covers critical reading, case briefing, outlining, legal analysis, IRAC, exams, health and wellness, and professionalism.
Bar Prep Strategies: MPT
Bar Prep Strategies: MPT is designed to teach, reinforce, and enhance the skills that are necessary for successful completion of law school and bar passage. Through completion of past MPT problems, class exercises, individual feedback, and self-reflection students will work to master the skills of critical reading, legal analysis, and IRAC. While this course does not replace the need to take a commercial bar prep course, it will provide early preparation to help students learn key bar exam skills and test taking strategies for the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). While this course is required for some students, it is open to all students. This course is only offered in the fall semester.
Bar Prep Strategies: MBE and MEE
Bar Prep Strategies: MBE and MEE is available to students during their last spring semester of law school. It centers on two parts of the UBE, the Multistate Essay Examination (MEE) and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). While this course does not replace the need to take a commercial bar prep course, it does provide early preparation to help students learn key legal principles tested on the bar exam and bar exam-taking techniques and strategies. Through this course, students will work to master their skills through lecture, modeling, completion of past bar exam questions, written feedback, and self-reflection. Students will also strategically plan their approach to their bar exam preparation post-graduation to ensure passage. While this course is required for some students, it is open to all students.
For more information, see the Academic Excellence website.