Academic Support Programs and Academic Counseling
One of the most comprehensive Academic Support
Programs in the country is administered by
Southern University Law Center. Through its Office
of Academic Support Programs, the law school offers
an intensive four week Summer Pre Law Program
during the month of July. Both the Academic
Assistance Program and the Academic
Enhancement Skills Program is offered both in
the fall and spring semesters. An Academic
Counseling component and Disability Services is also
available throughout the academic year.
Academic Support
Programs are designed to assist students who have
not been in an academic setting for a number of
years and for those making the transition from
undergraduate education to professional legal
education. The programs provide opportunities to
analyze and synthesize precedent, interpret
statutes, construct policy arguments and train
students to write and speak with clarity and
precision. Once basic law school learning skills
have been developed, students are expected to
proceed with their studies without significant
supplemental assistance.
Summer Pre law
Program
(July)
The Law Center starts
building the foundation knowledge and understanding
of the structure and content of the legal system,
law school pedagogy, and learning theory through its
four week Summer Pre Law Program. Through
instruction in three substantive courses (Torts,
Contracts, Basic Civil Procedure), students are
introduced to legal skills, emphasizing legal
writing and legal analysis through a skills
orientation component of the program. Participation
is selective. Because most students welcome any
assistance offered to help them succeed in law
school, students do not object to being invited to
attend the summer program. Every indication is that
students who complete the pre law program are
considerably more confident, perhaps the most
important ingredient in exam success beyond learning
applicable law.
The Academic
Assistance Program
(Fall and Spring)
The weekly sessions are
mandatory for all students enrolled in first-year
courses. The Academic Assistance Sessions help
students understand doctrines and develop or refine
their study and analytical skills. The program
consists of weekly sessions of two-hours each during
both the fall and spring semesters where emphasis is
placed on study techniques, analytical skills and
exam writing. Each session or seminar is designed
to help students become independent learners. The
substantive law is used as a tool for teaching
students how to read and analyze cases, how to brief
cases, how to organize their notes and briefs, how
to outline, how to prepare for exams, how to analyze
exam questions, how to organize exam answers, and
finally how to write exam answers.
During the fall the
weekly sessions are presented for Torts I, Criminal
Law, Basic Civil Procedure, Contracts and Legal
Writing I. During the spring semester weekly
sessions are presented for Civil Law Property,
Constitutional Law, Obligations, Torts II and Legal
Writing.
Academic Enhancement
Skills Program
(Fall and Spring)
The Academic Enhancement
Skills Programs emphasize clarity, organization and
legal analysis. The hands-on skill sessions uses
progressive exercises to demystify the exam writing
process and reinforces the practical skills learned
in academic assistance workshop.
The self-directed format
allows students to advance at their own pace as they
gain confidence in their study and exam taking
skills. Participation is mandatory for students
with academic probation status and voluntary for
others.
Academic
Counseling/Advising Component
During the school year,
students are encouraged to use the academic
counselors for informal discussions about the
students’ undergraduate background, career goals and
concerns that the student might have about their
legal education.
Academic Support
Programs
provide tutorials, advise
students of law school expectations, motivate
students in the pursuit of their legal studies,
assist students in their development of effective
study strategies, time management skills and
examination techniques, and proctor special
accommodation exams. Academic Support Programs are
available for both the day and evening divisions.
Disability Services
It is the policy and
practice of Southern University Law Center to comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and
local requirements regarding students and applicants
with disabilities. Under these laws, no qualified
individual with a disability shall be denied access
to or participation in services, programs and
activities of Southern University Law Center.
Southern University Law
Center will make reasonable accommodations for
documented disabilities. These accommodations may
include, but not limited to, course load
modification, exam accommodations, readers,
interpreters, and note takers. Such accommodation
will not be provided if it fundamentally alters the
nature of the program or would be unduly burdensome
either financially or administratively. Students
requesting accommodations are required to identify
their need as early as possible to the Associate
Vice Chancellor for Academic Support Programs who
will meet with the student to develop an appropriate
accommodation plan. Requests for accommodations
must be made as early as possible in order to allow
adequate time for evaluating documentation and
working out specific accommodations and
arrangements, including funding for auxiliary
services. Late or last minute requests for
accommodations may not be able to be reasonably
provided because of the time required to make such
arrangements.
Spring
Application Deadline: March 12,
2010
Fall
Application Deadline: October
15, 2010
Staff
Berryl Gordon-Thompson, Esq.
Assoc. Vice Chancellor
Email:
bthompson@sulc.edu
Telephone: (225) 771-4913
Fax: (225) 771-5895
Eric
Claville, Esq.
Academic Counselor
Email:
eclaville@sulc.edu
Vacant – Evening Division
Academic Counselor
Pamela Thomas Anderson
Administrative Assistant IV
Email:
panderson@sulc.edu
Teaching Assistants
Mailing address:
Southern University Law Center
Office of Academic Support Programs & Academic
Counseling
Post Office Box 9294
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
Physical address:
Southern University Law Center
Office of Academic Support Programs & Academic
Counseling
2 Roosevelt Steptoe Drive, Suite 220
Baton Rouge, LA 70813