Download Full Volume - UDC Law Review

More documents

Recommendations

Info

YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 25The American Bar Association also relaxed its rules on in-house bar preparationprograms, authorizing schools to grant academic credit with some restrictions.ss Previously, under Standard 302-7, law schools were prohibited fromrequiring mandatory participation in bar support programs nor could bar classacademic credit hours be extended to courses which counted towards the school'sgraduation requirements. s9 A school also could not require passage of a barpreparation class as a requirement for graduation. Following the ABA's newrules on law school bar preparation programs, the Director of the BPTF submitteda proposal for academic credit for a two-credit bar skills essay writing class ona pass/fail basis to the UDC-DCSL Curriculum Committee. 9o This proposal representeda pedagogical shift in the BPTF's approach. The class would focus onincreasing essay writing skills with some substantive review. Moreover, the classwould be taught by a group of adjunct law professors, directed by ProfessorTanya Washington who was affiliated with the PTEX Company and who specializedin bar essay instruction. Many of the PTEX professors were from other arealaw schools and/or served as members of the state and federal judiciaries. Thelectures focused on heavily tested areas of the Maryland Bar. There would beindividual feedback on written essays assigned each week and in class administrationand review of two essay questions per week. The Curriculum Committeeapproved the bar skills essay writing program on a pass/fail basis. 91 We continuedto offer instruction on the MBE testing over a three day period using PMBR as apart of the bar skills class.In the summer of 2008, the BPTF also developed a pilot program aimed atrepeat bar takers. The ABA relaxed its rule to allow for law school bar passagedata for subsequent takers to be counted in tabulating the overall bar passagerate for accreditation purposes. The new program aimed at enhancing the essaywriting skills and multiple choice testing, including the Multistate PerformanceTest. To direct the program, the law school hired Adjunct Professor BarbaraSmith, who was an instructor in the legal writing program and an experienced88 American Bar Association, Standard 301 (a) (2006-07), available at www.abanet.orgllegaled/standards. The changes were recommended by the Section on Legal Education.89 Id. The ABA has since rescinded the prohibition on counting credits towards graduation.However, schools cannot mandate participation as a condition of graduation.90 Memorandum from Derek Alphran, Professor, UDC-DCSL, to Louise Howells, Professor,Chair of the Curriculum Committee (Nov. 2006) (on file with the author). The committee had athorough discussion of the need to offer a for credit bar course. Several schools like the University ofBaltimore and Howard Law School had begun to offer for credit bar courses. See also Minutes ofFaculty meeting, Nov. 18,2006 (on file with the author).91 UDC-DCSL Course Catalogue, available at http://www.law.udc.edu!?page=ASP.
26 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICI' OF COLUMBIA LAW REVIEWinstructor in bar tutoring and bar preparation courses.92 The program was wellreceived by alumni. 93C. PTEX Essay Writing PracticumThere are some cultural and structural reasons, specific to the legal academy,that may make law schools hesitant to implement in-house bar preparation programs,despite challenged bar passage rates. 94 However, "[p]roviding bar preparationas part of law school curricula does not need to change the orientation ofdoctrinal professors," and preparing students to pass bar exams "does not need toconvert law schools into bar exam schools and may help students become effectiveattorneys. ,,95 An effective bar preparation course must be tailored to addressand strengthen these known skills and knowledge-based deficiencies. Accordingly,the PTEX Bar Skills Essay Writing Course was developed to introduce andreinforce effective bar exam writing skills, within the context of the specific testingformat of most bar essay exams and the Multistate Perfonnance Test. Moreover,the PTEX course adopts an integrated approach to bar preparation that isfocused on teaching exam taking skills, writing skills, legal and factual analysis,time management, and effective study strategies. Bar preparation experts haveobserved:[T]hat students usually do not just randomly fail bar exams. Rather,when we work with repeaters we usually discover many deficienciessuch as: 1) Failing to understand the "big picture" of the licensingprocess; 2) Underestimating the amount of hard work necessary topass; 3) Failing to invest enough time in study hours; 4) Failing to planin advance for the bar preparation period ... 5) Possessing deficientlegal analysis skills such as identifying issues, stating rules, and applyingrules to factual situations to reach logical conclusions; and 6) Failingto communicate effectively in writing. 96The PTEX approach to teaching and reinforcing essay exam writingskills implements several factors that have been identified as "criticalto academic support success." These include: 1) Grounding the learningprocess in specific substantive contexts facing students, but keep-92 The program offers a ten week course focusing on heavily tested areas of the bar. The summerprogram also offered a three Saturday PMBR tutorial as part of the alumni program. Studentsenrolled in the essay class also took three Saturday workshops on MBE testing by PMBR at no cost tothe students.93 The overall 2008 bar pass rate also included results from the pilot bar class of repeat takers.94 See Riebe, supra note 34, at 283 ("[L]AW SCHOOLS have not traditionally been the forum inwhich STUDENTS learn about and prepare for BAR EXAMS •••• ").95 Riebe, supra note 34, at 289.96 Riebe, supra note 34, at 279-80 (citations omitted).
Page 2: University of the District of Colum
Page 6 and 7: University of the District of Colum
Page 8 and 9: 2 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRWr OF COL
Page 10 and 11: 4 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICr OF CO
Page 12 and 13: 6 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTIUcr OF CO
Page 14 and 15: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. UNIVERSIT
Page 16 and 17: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 11In resp
Page 18 and 19: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 13uated f
Page 20 and 21: YES WE CAN. PASS THE BAR.The Univer
Page 22 and 23: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 17C. Iden
Page 24 and 25: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 19The Pro
Page 26 and 27: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 21Accordi
Page 28 and 29: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 23calcula
Page 32 and 33: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR.ing the su
Page 34 and 35: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 29writing
Page 36 and 37: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 31tion, s
Page 38 and 39: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 33activit
Page 40 and 41: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR.35Table 2B
Page 42 and 43: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR.37Table 5B
Page 44 and 45: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR. 39(X 2 =4
Page 46 and 47: YES WE CAN, PASS THE BAR.41ApPENDIX
Page 48 and 49: 44 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICT OF C
Page 50 and 51: 46 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICr OF C
Page 52 and 53: 48 UNIVEI~SITY OF TilE DISTRICT OF
Page 54 and 55: 50 UNIVm~SITY OF TilE DISTRICr (W C
Page 56 and 57: 52 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTIUCr OF CO
Page 58 and 59: 54 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICI' OF
Page 60 and 61: 56 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICT OF C
Page 62 and 63: 58 UNIVEI~SITY OF TilE DISTRICr OF
Page 68 and 69: 64 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF CO
Page 70 and 71: 66 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICI' OF
Page 72 and 73: 68 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICr OF C
Page 74 and 75: 70 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICr OF CO
Page 76 and 77: 72 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF CO
Page 80 and 81:
76 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICr OF C
Page 82 and 83:
78 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICI" OF
Page 84 and 85:
80 UNIVERSUY OF TIlE DISTRICT OF CO
Page 86 and 87:
82 UNIVERsrrv OF TilE DISTRICT OF C
Page 88 and 89:
84 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICT OF C
Page 90 and 91:
86 UNIVEHSITY OF TIlE DISTHICr OF C
Page 92 and 93:
88 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE Disnucl' OF C
Page 94 and 95:
90 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICT OF C
Page 96 and 97:
92 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DIS"IlUcr OF
Page 98 and 99:
94 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICr OF C
Page 100 and 101:
96 UNIVERSITY OF TI IE DISTRICr OF
Page 102 and 103:
98 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICr OF C
Page 104 and 105:
100 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICr OF
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
104 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICr OF
Page 110 and 111:
106 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTIUCr OF C
Page 112 and 113:
108 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICr OF C
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
112 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF C
Page 118 and 119:
A DISCUSSION ON THE DISTRICT OF COL
Page 120 and 121:
IGNORING THE LAW FOR EXPEDIENCY'S S
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
134 UNIVEI{SITY OF TilE DISTRICT OF
Page 138 and 139:
136 UNIVEI~SITY OF TIlE DISTRICT OF
Page 140 and 141:
138 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICT OF
Page 142 and 143:
140 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRIC(, OF
Page 144 and 145:
142 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICf OF
Page 146 and 147:
144 UNIVEHSITY OF TI IE DISTRICT OF
Page 148 and 149:
146 UNIVEI~SITY OF TIlE DISTRICr OF
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
152 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICT OF
Page 156 and 157:
154 UNIVEI~SITY OF THE DlsTRlcr OF
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
158 UNIVEH.srrv OF THE DISTRICr OF
Page 162 and 163:
160 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTIUcr OF
Page 164 and 165:
162 UNIVERSITY OF TilE Dls'nucr OF
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
166 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICr OF C
Page 170 and 171:
168 UNIVERSfrY OF HIE DISTRICr OF C
Page 172 and 173:
170 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICt' OF
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
174 UNIVEI{SITY OF THE DISTRICT OF
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
178 UNIVEltSl'l'V OF THE DISTIUCI'
Page 182 and 183:
180 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTRICT (W
Page 184 and 185:
182 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICT OF
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
188 UNIVERSITY OF TilE DISTRICt' OF
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
JURISPRUDENCE FOR A DIGITAL AGE: FR
Page 196 and 197:
JURISPRUDENCE FOR A DIGITAL AGE 195
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
THE CHILD ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
THE CHILD ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECfION
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS:A CASE A
Page 228 and 229:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 227under
Page 230 and 231:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 229ual,
Page 232 and 233:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 231Day c
Page 234 and 235:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 233who,
Page 236 and 237:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 235sions
Page 238 and 239:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 237Omars
Page 240 and 241:
THE RUCKUS IN THE CAUCASUS 239ment.
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
244 UNIVERSfl"Y OF TIlE DISTRICT OF
Page 246 and 247:
246 UNIVI ~ I(SITY 01 ' TI l E DIST
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
256 UNIVERSITY OF nlE DIS'IlUCT OF
Page 258 and 259:
258 UNIVERSITY OF TIlE DISTIUcr OF
Page 260:
show all

Download Full Volume - UDC Law Review

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?