Academic Support Mission
The mission of the Academic Support Counselor is to assist all first year law students develop certain skills necessary for optimal performance in law school and to work individually with students who need more in-depth assistance with legal analysis, exam-writing, and other matters.
1L Skills Workshops
Each academic year, the Academic Support Counselor presents a series of workshops on case-briefing, note-taking, outlining, time management, and exam-writing. The workshops provide information that will enable students to develop methods that suit their individual needs. Part of the workshops is the insights of a panel of second- and third-year law students who are Honors Fellows in the Lawyering Program. These students describe techniques they found successful during their first year of law school, and by doing so provide a continuous source of year-to-year feedback.
Case-Briefing, Note-Taking, and Introduction to the Socratic Method
During orientation, the Director of Academic Support provides students with a description of how to 'brief a case' in preparation for class discussion. Presented three times (to groups of two small sections), this discussion of case-briefing should prepare students to begin the process of reading and analyzing cases for their first days of class. In addition to describing the methods of briefing a case, the discussion covers the purposes and benefits of briefing as well as discussing the importance of taking appropriate notes during class. After the workshop, students will brief one short case in preparation for the Introduction to the Socratic Method Workshop.
The case-briefing and note-taking session is followed by a second session during orientation in which students will experience a mock lecture introducing the Socratic Method. Students will discover how and why their case briefs have prepared them for discussion and will begin to understand what steps they should take for preparation for class during the semester ahead.
Time Management Workshop
The time management workshop emphasizes that students must consciously and aggressively manage their time. Students at Cornell encounter a rigorous weekly academic schedule of approximately 15 hours of class time, requiring perhaps as much as 55 hours of preparation per week.Students are encouraged maintain a healthy balance of sleep, proper diet, exercise, and healthful relaxation to maintain their ability to meet the rigorous demands of their academic pursuits. To the extent most students further enrich their studies with the many extra-curricular activities available at Cornell, the need for intelligent and diligent time management is apparent.
Students are encouraged to create a time management plan that will enable them to organize and prioritize their activities, and to allocate the proper time to each activity. At the workshop, the Director of Academic Support provides a sample weekly schedule to assist in the discussion and as a reference for students’ own plan.
Outlining Workshop
The outlining workshop is presented just prior to Fall break and is intended to provide students with a basic understanding of the law exam outline. Students are provided an explanation and guidance about appropriate outlining techniques. Experienced and successful advanced students revisit their first-year outlines and explain what techniques were successful and what techniques were not. The Director of Academic Support and the panel of students discuss the value, if any, of commercial outlines and outlines prepared by other law students.
Exam-Taking Workshop
The exam-taking workshop is presented in late November/early December. The primary goal of this workshop is to introduce students to the art and science of taking a law school examination. The student panelists answer a series of frequently asked questions focusing on how to read the exam, organize an answer, and write a clear, succinct essay. The workshop provides tips on issue-spotting, rule formulation, and legal analysis with an emphasis on thinking in the alternative. Where possible, the suggestions are tailored to specific professors.
Individual Counseling
The Director of Academic Support is available throughout the academic year to assist J.D. students with a variety of matters. The Director of Academic Support has office hours posted each semester and is available for appointments as needed. Students will benefit most from individualized counseling when seeking further assistance on the topics covered in the workshops or in working on long-term improvement on individual topics and skills. The Director is available to all 1L students, but is also available on a limited basis for work with 2L and 3L students. As necessary, the Director will propose a program of individual consultations to address issues that need long-term work.
LL.M. Support
Case-Briefing, Note-Taking, and Introduction to the Socratic Method
The Director of Academic Support also provides a workshop for LL.M. students during orientation week. This workshop covers the same material as the two workshops offered to 1L students and includes additional information of interest to LL.M. students. In addition to the orientation workshop, 1L students typically get guidance and instructions on case-briefing and note-taking from their first year professors. However, LL.M. students often begin taking classes that are only offered to 2L and 3L students. Consequently, LL.M. students might not receive these elementary recommendations. This workshop attempts to provide those insights and to address other issues that LL.M. students might encounter.
Individual Counseling
The Academic Support Counselor is available throughout the academic year to assist J.D. students with a variety of matters. The Academic Support Counselor has office hours two days per week and is available for appointments other days as needed.
The counselor will provide individualized suggestions on the topics covered in the workshops. The counselor will also assist 1L students develop their legal reasoning and exam writing abilities in all 1L subjects. The counselor is also available on a limited basis to work with 2L and 3L students. As necessary, the counselor will propose a program of individual consultations to address issues that need long-term work.
LL.M. Support
Case-Briefing and Note-Taking Workshop
A case-briefing and note-taking workshop designed specifically for LL.M. students is presented at the start of each fall semester. This workshop covers the same material as the workshop offered to 1L students but includes additional information of interest to LL.M. students. In addition to the orientation workshop, 1L students typically get guidance and instructions on case-briefing and note-taking from their first year professors. However, LL.M. students often begin taking classes that are only offered to 2L and 3L students. Consequently, LL.M. students might not receive these elementary recommendations. This workshop attempts to provide those insights and to address language issues that LL.M. students might encounter.
Contacts
John Mollenkamp
Director of Academic Support
321 Myron Taylor Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853
jrm367@cornell.edu
Office Hours:
Monday 2:00 - 6:00 pm
Tuesday 10:10 - 12:20 pm
Thursday 10:10 - 12:20 pm
Maurice Haltom
Counseling and Psychological Services
252 Hughes Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
mh84@cornell.edu
Office Hours:
Wednesdays 2:30 - 4:30 pm
(607) 255-5208
Anne Lukingbeal
Associate Dean and Dean of Students
165 Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
anne-lukingbeal@postoffice.law.cornell.edu
(607) 255-5839
John DeRosa
Assistant Dean for Student and Career Services
144a Myron Taylor Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
john-derosa@lawschool.cornell.edu
(607) 255-9982
