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June 4,
2014 | |
Greetings,
This
week, we discuss the impact of the February Bar
Program, introduce newly-minted alum Lindsay
Schroeder, who earned the highest score on the
Arizona bar exam in February, and provide a quick
report on visits with alumni and admits (future
alumni!) in the Golden State!
Until
the footnotes,
Marc
|
In
2012 Arizona Law spearheaded a proposal, with the
state's other law schools (yes, there are other
law schools), to allow qualified 3L students to
sit for the February bar exam. The Arizona Supreme
Court authorized a two-year pilot project for
February 2014 and February 2015. Based upon the
results of the pilot, we are hopeful that the
Court will make the February Bar program
permanent. (At
present, we do not have complete results, but we
know that our students collectively exceeded the
first-time taker pass rate by more than
10%.)
Each law school had
latitude in designing a program that best met its
students' needs. Of
36 third-year students statewide who opted to take
the test, 24 were from Arizona
Law.
Under
the leadership of Professor Rob Williams and other
faculty and staff, and with input from the bench
and bar, we designed a curriculum to enhance
success. In January and February, students took a
special 2-unit course that offered in-depth
assessments of their individual performance.
Faculty worked with students to overcome problems
in those areas, as well as to prepare them more
generally -- not only for the bar exam, but
for professional life after law
school.
Students also took a
commercial bar review course of their choice.
Following the exam, students returned to a special
set of "Feb bar" classes (open to all 3L and,
where space allowed, 2L students) focused on
experiential learning. Each of these classes was
designed to have students apply the full range of
skills and knowledge they acquired during law
school.
Each
student had their own reasons for participating in
the February examination. Some are moving straight
towards practice, some are starting their
clerkships early, some are sitting for a second
state examination in a non-uniform bar exam state
(such as California, Texas, Illinois and New
York), and others wanted the summer months to
pursue their personal passions.
We
are proud of all of our students who took the
February Bar. These pioneering students
remind us all to be bold.
Arizona's
"early bar" project is the first of its kind in
the country and continues to attract national
attention. We're proud to be leaders in the
national dialogue about reforming the final year
of law school. See The National Law Journal's
coverage here, or read a more detailed account
of the project in The Bar
Examiner.
|
Lindsay Schroeder
('14)
Two people each
year--
one in May,
and one in October--
can say they aced the bar exam. This year, one of
them is recent graduate and
February Bar examinee Lindsay
Schroeder--
an honor she
will carry throughout her career. The Arizona
Supreme Court ranks the top three scores from each
examination, and Lindsey placed first among 397
applicants.
|
Lindsay with fiance
Matthew |
When
asked why she decided to take the exam in
February, she says:
"Initially, I loved the
possibility of becoming a licensed attorney almost
immediately after graduating and avoiding an
additional two months of studying post-graduation.
As the decision time approached, though, I
realized that having an open summer would give me
time to establish my involvement with some
community organizations before beginning
work."
Lindsay
will start as an associate at Bryan
Cave beginning in the fall, but
this summer she is fueling her passion for
community involvement. She plans to work with the
Volunteer Lawyers Program
of Phoenix (VLP) and a Phoenix
legal aid organization. She will also serve as a
mentor to rising high school seniors as they
assemble their college applications.
During
law School Lindsay devoted her time, energy, and
skills in support of others. She was an Arizona
Law Delegate, participated in VLP's Service Center
and Guardianship clinics, served as a mentor for
the Latino Law Student Association, worked in the
college's Veterans Advocacy
Clinic, and wrote for the
Arizona Law Review.
Lindsay came to Arizona
Law for many reasons -- including the size of
classes, reasonable cost, and the welcoming
environment. Most importantly, she notes, "I
trusted that Arizona Law would provide me with
top-quality educational
experiences, both in the classroom and in hands-on
settings."
Originally
from Batavia, NY (near Buffalo -- where her family
still resides) Lindsay came to the University of
the Arizona in 2005, earning a BA in Philosophy,
an MA in Higher Education and now a JD She
enjoys spending her free time with her fiancé,
Matthew Hesketh ('11), and convincing her family
to become snowbirds!
I had the privilege of
awarding Lindsay with the "Dean's Bar Ace Award"
during the graduation ceremonies. Her hard work
and determination are a model for us all.
Connect with Lindsay on
LinkedIn
|
Lindsay with her parents
at the Awards Ceremony to receive the Dean's
Ace Award |
|
Arizona Law
in Southern
California |
Last week I
spent a day visiting alumni in San Diego, and two
days with alums and future alumni (some of our
great admitted students who plan
to attend this coming fall) in Los
Angeles.
More students come from
California than any other state, outside of
Arizona, and it is the largest out-of-state
employment destination for our
graduates.
Spending
time with alumni allows us to connect with old
friends, make new ones, learn about changes in
their lives and in their practice areas, and share
information about all of the developments in legal
education, and our leadership at Arizona
Law.
Special
thanks to Randy Lopez ('07) of The
Law Offices of Borton Petrini LLP, and
Andrew Pappas ('09) of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
LLP, in Los Angeles for their assistance
in organizing these LA events, and to Cheryl Dunn
Soto ('93) for the event she hosted earlier this
spring in San
Diego, and for her continuing interest in
deepening the Arizona-San Diego
connection.
Throughout
the summer we will be traveling the country,
connecting with Arizona Law alumni and friends of
the college. If you are interested in helping to
organize law alumni in your area, connecting to
the larger University of Arizona alumni efforts in
your city, hosting an event (large or small) in
your area, reaching out to admits or those
thinking about the College of Law, or counseling
current students interested in working in your
area, please let us know by emailing our Alumni
Coordinator, Marissa White.
And
keep an eye on upcoming events in the footnotes,
below. I hope you will join us whenever we
are near you.
|
Coming
soon!
Arizona Bar Convention and
Dean's Reception
(all alumni and friends
welcome)
Friday,
June 13th
6:00
- 8:00pm
Home of Dean Marc Miller
& Professor Christina Cutshaw
3040 E Ina Road
Tucson,
AZ 85718
RSVP
here.
*
* *
Arizona
Law Week in DC
Global
Programs Luncheon
Tuesday, June 24,
2014
12:00
pm - 1:00 pm University of Arizona DC Office
2111 Wilson
Blvd, 7th Floor
Arlington,
VA 22201
RSVP here.
Meet
the Dean Reception
Tuesday, June 24,
2014
6:00pm
- 7:30 pm
Pillsbury
Winthrop Shaw Pittman
LLP
2300
N Street NW
Washington,
DC 20037
RSVP here.
Arizona Law Admissions
Luncheon
Thursday,
June 26, 2014
11:30
am - 1:00 pm
Greene
Turtle Restaurant
601
F Street NW
Washington,
DC 20004
RSVP here.
Arizona
Law Alumni and Friends Reception
Thursday,
June 26, 2014
6:00
pm - 8:00 pm
Front Page
Restaurant
1333 New Hampshire Ave
NW
Washington, DC
20036
RSVP
here.
Alumni
Breakfast
Friday, June 27,
2014
9:00 am - 10:00
am
Morgan
Meguire
1225 Eye Street
NW, Suite
1150
Washington, D.C.
20005
RSVP
here.
*
* *
SAVE
THE DATE - PLAN AHEAD - Centennial Homecoming
Weekend
November
7-9, 2014
For
more information, CLICK HERE to visit
our Homecoming 2014 website.
*
* *
We are gearing up for the
Arizona Bar Convention at the beautiful Westin La
Paloma in Tucson next week. If you are there
please say hello.
I
will be participating in a panel discussion on the
changing legal profession, including challenges
for small firm lawyers and College of Law
responses on Wednesday morning. My wife and
I are hosting an alumni reception on Friday
evening. If you are in Tucson, I hope you
will join us. All alumni are
welcome.
Warmly,
Marc L.
Miller
Dean & Ralph W. Bilby Professor of
Law
James E. Rogers College of Law
Looking for a way to
make an impact?
Make a donation to our
student scholarship fund. Every dollar
invested produces a solid return and helps to
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