The Aspen Advisor Week in Review for August 10,2018
This week’s articles discuss the many ways law school is different from undergraduate, and how preparing for law school can be more challenging than you think. Vik Amar, Dean of the Univrsity of Illinois College of Law, gives both new and returning students his top 5 tips for succeeding in law school this coming semester.
Law School Toolbox wants students to know it is okay to tell your family your studies come first. It is true that law school is unlike anything else and that can be difficult for family members, near and far, to understand if they haven’t been their themselves. For students that want to attend law school but may not have the GPA or LSAT scores to do so, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law has created a program that will throw would-be law students right into the mix with regular J.D. students to see if they can compete. Through ASU’s Masters of Legal Studies Honors Program, students will be able to take fall classes and be graded right alongside traditional law students — and the 1Ls and their professors will have no idea that they’re any different.
You can also listen in as Kevin Davis and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discuss the Supreme Court during this polarizing period. They discuss the long-term effects of this session’s blockbuster cases, the cases they anticipate will carry importance during the next term, and the role a justice’s ideology plays in their decision making.
Lastly, Vermont Law School has hired Jennifer Rushlow to be their new Environmental Law Center Director. Jennifer’s background includes time at environmental advocacy group, Conservation Law Foundation, where she argued for some of the toughest climate-change laws in the country in front of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Aspen Authors in the News
ABA Annual Meeting 2018: Blockbuster Supreme Court Decisions in a Partisan Era
Kevin Davis and Dean Erwin Chemerinsky take a look at the state of the Supreme Court during this time of intense polarization.
Digital Textbooks
Schools Work to Thwart Textbook Price Barrier
A number of undergraduate schools are turning to Cengage Unlimited to help their students gain more affordable access to course materials.
Law School Students
Starting Law School? Don’t Start Lord Of The Flies, Too.
Law school has the capacity to offer you great abilities, but it also has the ability to take your humanity away from you.
It's Time to Have That Talk with Your Family
Getting into law school is just the first step. It is important to discuss how little time you will have for non-law school related activities at the beginning of the semester.
5 Pieces of Advice for New and Returning Law Students
Important tips and tricks from a law school dean that will help you start the new academic year on the right foot.
Legal Education
FAMU Law School Introduces Marijuana Courses
FAMU law students can now anticipate enrolling in “Cannabis Law and Cultural Justice” or “Marijuana Law and Policy” to advance their knowledge on the legalities of marijuana.
ABA Holds Off on Removing LSAT Requirement for Law Schools
A separate proposal to streamline the organization's law school accreditation procedures was adopted.
Vermont Law School Hires New Director
Vermont Law School has tapped a lawyer for a New England-based environmental advocacy group who won a major climate case in Massachusetts to be its next director of the Environmental Law Center.
A Top Law School’s Tryout Admissions Program for Students with Bad GPAs and Low LSAT Scores
No law school in the country has a similar 'audition' process for would-be law students.
Other Legal News
Donald Trump Featured In LSAT Test Prep Questions As ‘Unfit’ For Presidency, Supporter Of ‘Racist’ Policies
You have to see these examples to believe them.
The Aspen Advisor Week in Review is a collection of interesting articles from the past week that pertain to Legal Education. Some may be especially relevant to law professors and others to law students. Many stories focus on the pedagogical, technical, and financial innovation occurring in law schools today. We hope that these articles inspire you.
Neal Johnson is the Associate Director of Marketing for the Legal Education division of Wolters Kluwer Legal and Regulatory Solutions U.S.