Department of Academic Support Programs

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 extensive four week Summer Pre Law Program during the month of July. Both the Academic Assistance Program and the Academic Skills Enhancement Program is offered in the fall and spring. An Academic Counseling component and Disability Services for Testing 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)

Academic Support 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 and helps 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 semester, the weekly sessions are presented for Torts I, Criminal Law, Basic Civil Procedure, Contracts and Legal Writing I. During spring semester Civil Law Property, Constitutional Law, Obligations, Torts II and Legal Writing.

The required legal writing courses for first and second year students emphasize clarity, organization, legal analysis and exposition. Individual and small group instruction in communication skills is also provided.

Academic Enhancement Skills Program (Fall and Spring)