There’s an old expression about what to expect in law school: “The first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, and the third year they bore you to death." The Phoenix School of Law is doing everything it can to take the fear out of law school by preparing incoming students for what lies ahead.
The PhoenixLaw Summer Boot Camp will help students sharpen their critical thinking, writing and analytical reasoning skills, and lay the groundwork required for success in law school and beyond. The four-day program begins July 28th - two weeks before the start of the fall semester, and is intended to ease the transition from undergraduate students to law school and motivate students to succeed.
According to the American Bar Association, almost 50,000 students enrolled in law schools during the 2008-2009 academic year, but as trends show, less than a third of those students will actually graduate with their law degree. Most students bring old study habits they used in college – or a natural intellectual ability that got them by. These habits don’t always work in law school. Understanding the material and memorizing is not enough, since there is a tremendous amount of written analysis in a specific legal form that must also learned. Students who begin law school with less proficient study skills find law school difficult, and may possibly end their first year on academic probation or worse – dropping out. PhoenixLaw’s Summer Boot Camp is aimed at students who may need the extra help in getting prepared for the three-year (or longer) road ahead.
“Success is a journey, not a destination. This program is the start of the journey for these students as they begin their pursuit of a J.D.,” says Jasmine Crowe, PSL Boot Camp Creator. “My hope is that participants will gain valuable knowledge and tips to help them be successful in their journey ahead.”
Crowe adds that this Boot Camp is a pilot program, and that attendance is limited to fifty students. Because PSL has rolling enrollment (new classes begin in fall and spring), more Boot Camps may be added each semester.
During the boot camp, students will learn the essential study skills for law school; build a basic understanding of the law; understand how to brief a case; and learn the skills of reading, writing and thinking like a lawyer. The courses will be taught by PSL professors, and will give the students and faculty a head start on building a mentoring relationship. While attending the boot camp, students will also become familiar with the school’s many features, and out-of-state students will get a chance to discover the Phoenix area.
The $99 registration fee covers all meals, housing (Hilton Garden Inn), transportation and program materials. More information and registration for the Phoenix School of Law Boot Camp is available at www.phoenixlaw.edu/lawbootcamp.
About Phoenix School of Law
Phoenix School of Law is Arizona’s only law school offering full-time, part-time day, and part-time evening programs. The School received provisional approval from the American Bar Association in June 2007. PhoenixLaw’s mission pillars are to provide student outcome-centered education, produce professionally prepared graduates, and serve the underserved. For more information about PhoenixLaw, visit www.phoenixlaw.edu or call 602-682-6800.
