Clearing the Way for Student Success

The law school’s Jump Start Program, led by William MacDonald, assistant dean for academic and bar success, invites a group of accepted students into an intensive prep camp in the weeks preceding the start of classes.  

The training begins with a week devoted to incoming international students.  They’re coached in reading and understanding case law, and the concepts of legal writing, and are exposed to U.S.  legal terms.  These students are then joined by approximately two dozen incoming domestic students who have been identified as those who might benefit from this preparatory coaching.  

“We want students to be aware that there are going to be demands on them right from the first week, and we don’t want them to be blindsided by that,” MacDonald says.

Integrated into every step forward is a key pillar of the law school’s strategic plan: to “cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive community that celebrates differences, encourages collaboration, and promotes the success, wellness and sense of belonging of all members.” That broad mandate shows itself in myriad ways.  Many are student-led, including the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, which works to ensure all students know they are a valued part of the law school community and feel their voices are heard.  Student affinity groups also carry this idea forward, with new groups for first-generation law students, students with disabilities, Indigenous students and military veterans.

Under the leadership of the school’s DEI Office, extensive programming and anti-bias and cross-cultural competency training is provided to faculty, staff and students, fostering an atmosphere in which differences are valued.  The law school also partners with UB’s Office of Accessibility Resources to ensure expanded services and equitable access for students with specific needs.

And for those juggling infant care and coursework, a relaxing and private dedicated space for nursing mothers is available in the Charles B. Sears Law Library. 

Mental and physical health go hand in hand with excellence in the classroom, and the law school’s Office of Student Affairs works tirelessly to facilitate it.  Wellness programming is offered as classes begin, with a series of “Fall Into Wellness” events including “Wellness Wednesdays.” The programs connect students with university and law school resources, and address some of the stressors that law students encounter: test anxiety, depression, perfectionism and imposter syndrome.  

The spring semester arrives with “Spring Into Wellness.”  Programs explore meditation and mindfulness, financial and career well-being, physical health—even random acts of kindness.  The semester concludes with “Wellness Week,” daily mini-events in the stressful week leading up to final exams.  One of the most popular features: therapy with dogs, sure to ease anxiety with a wag of the tail.   

The law school also hosts an on-site counselor and is in the midst of construction on a new wellness space in the law library, a refuge for meditation and quiet escape.

A signature strength of the law school is its commitment to making the justice system work for all.  That means helping to connect its students with opportunities to put their passion for the law to work for those who need it most.  

Summer positions with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and law-related positions that further the public interest are typically unpaid but offer students life-changing exposure to access to justice work and real-world experience as practicing lawyers.  Thanks to the generous support of our loyal donors, the law school’s summer fellowship program provides more than 30 fellowships to offset living expenses and encourage students to do this important justice work.

This past summer, for the third year in a row, all our summer fellows who needed financial help received a stipend, enabling students to gain experience in elder law, prisoners’ rights, housing issues, educational advocacy and more.

For most law students, the ultimate destination is the bar exam, the final hurdle before a graduate can practice.  Preparations for the rigors of the exam are incorporated throughout the law school journey and new initiatives aim to increase bar readiness. They include a mini-bar exam administered at the end of students’ first year replicating the style of the New York State bar exam, which familiarizes students with the exam format and provides valuable feedback to the faculty.  Additionally, students are encouraged to take challenging upper-division courses to grow their areas of expertise.  

But the support and encouragement doesn’t end at Commencement.  Following graduation in May, the law school coordinates a summer bar prep program that provides group and individual study space in the law library, as well as courses in test-taking strategies, and a series of supplemental workshops and Q&A opportunities taught by the school’s doctrinal faculty.

For students in financial need, scholarships funded by both private donations and a significant investment by the University cover the cost of commercial bar prep courses, eliminating the need for many to have to work while preparing for the bar and freeing up valuable study time.  The goal is to help all students complete at least 90 percent of their bar prep courses—a mark that has been shown to significantly improve their odds of passing. 

And the results are paying off: