The School of Law is committed to its students' success. Although the study of law is a difficult and challenging endeavor, the school attempts to work with students to maximize their efforts and see them through the process successfully. Several programs contribute to this effort.

 

The Law School Strategies Program  is a comprehensive program including academic skills lectures and courses, study group opportunities, and individualized assistance.

               

The Law School Strategies Program is available to all students. It is especially beneficial for those students who feel they need assistance in the transition to law study. The Law School Strategies Program is not remedial in nature. Rather, it is designed to maximize the potential of students who participate by teaching skills and strategies for success in law school.

 

The program begins with a brief summer program immediately before orientation. This is a limited enrollment program to give students a "jump-start" to their legal education. This program is followed up during the academic year with academic skills lectures and workshops focusing on learning styles, learning strategies, time management and development of skills necessary for law school success.

 

Two study group programs maximize student learning through peer teaching.  In Structured Study Groups, first-year students have the opportunity to participate in guided study groups in one of their first-year courses. The groups are led by an upper-class student who has successfully completed that course. The student leader attends the class with the first-year students and conducts weekly small-group sessions in which the leader models successful learning strategies for that class. In Comprehensive Study Groups, first-year students can participate in guided study groups that focus on academic skills across the entire first-year curriculum.  These year-long study group programs are open to all students.

Many of the materials used in the Law School Strategies Program are available to students through the program's Web site at

http://www.umkc.edu/law/enrichment.