Role playing in first-year legal education can serve to teach doctrine and to encourage self-reflection and student cooperation. Role plays used to meet these goals in a contracts course include: a contract controversy, jury instructions and argument, mock appellate argument, negotiation, a trial, counseling, and legislating. (MSE)

Many states have limitations on the number of times a student may retake the bar exams, but a variety of preparatory techniques can increase chances of success: hypnosis, reduction of test anxiety, better studying techniques. (Journal availability: 1155 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637, $1.00.) (MSE)

Administration of the Derogatis Stress Profile to 509 medical students, 380 law students, and 215 graduate students at McGill University (Ontario) revealed that medical students are not greatly stressed relative to other groups, so other explanations must be sought for elevated levels of depression in some. One clear stressor found is the…

Examines factors influencing socialization of foreign students enrolled in United States law schools. Discusses emotional problems commonly experienced by foreign law students and difficulties they may have in adjusting to American culture, finding a meaningful role in law student community, adjusting to and being socialized through law school…

The paper reviews and critiques the 13 existing (1987) law school assistance programs and proposes a national repayment-assistance debt-forgiveness program which would involve an income-contingent repayment "tax" coupled with an assurance to creditors of repayment by means of a "guarantee" or "insurance" fund. (DB)

Describes the development of a computer assisted instruction (CAI) package for use in teaching basic aspects of legal research. The discussion covers implementation of effective CAI techniques, identification of learning principles applicable to the design of the program, and the feasibility of converting practical aspects of learning principles…

Describes the benefits of racially diverse student bodies at law schools. A diverse legal profession enhances the appearance of justice and increases public confidence that the system is unbiased and accessible to all. Citizens cannot respect a system of justice that appears to perpetuate prejudice and exclude certain people from its…

Two models (exam and oral argument performance) to predict academic performance using ability, affective, and cognitive variables were evaluated using students in their first year of law school. Different processes appear to operate in each of the two academic tasks. The implications of the results for law school education and future research are…

This article focuses on Italy's Higher Education reforms and hotly debated developments. These developments are experience credits and online universities. The reform replaced the existing degree system, in which most undergraduate programs lasted four years--although the average graduate actually took more than seven years to earn a degree--with…

The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) documents dimensions of quality in legal education and provides information about law student participation in effective educational activities that law schools and other organizations can use to improve student learning. This paper presents select findings from the 2007 survey administration,…

The University of Utah developed and implemented a project for curricular reform at its Law School called "Capstone-Cornerstone." It was designed to provide each year of legal education with a distinctive purpose and a logical progression in the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills, provide different levels of exposure to…

Based on the importance for newly licensed attorneys to conduct legal research, this study assessed the relationship between bar exam scores and scores on a test designed to measure certain important legal research skills. It also investigated whether differences in performance level among racial groups on the Research Test paralleled differences…

The U. S. Supreme Court ruled that any student suspended from a public high school is entitled to a hearing; the University of Oregon student government offers prepaid legal assistance to students. (Author/MLF)

Many students entering law school are surprised to find that the debating activities there (moot court, mock trial work, and trial advocacy courses) bear little resemblance to the debating they did at the undergraduate level. Those who teach, whether speech communication or prelaw, have an obligation to communicate to students the differences…

A study investigated the effect of law students' personal values and attitudes on their demonstration of adversary behavior by comparing their responses to a questionnaire about Machiavellianism and the adversary principles of the American legal system with behaviors in witness interviewing. (MSE)