You may have previously heard of the “Rule of 3s” in the context of writing—a literary technique that uses groups of three to help with narrative storytelling and remembering. I have even become of fan of using this in some of my previous blog posts on advice giving.

However, the Rule of 3 I want to talk about today is that in the context of law school institutional memory. Institutional memory can provide strength through culture loss prevention. Yet, it can also be weak or non-existent, as is sometimes the case with student organizations and journals. The Rule of 3 in law school relies primarily on institutional memory that develops based on the traditional law school term length of three years. After three years, you have an entirely new law student body. So how does this help academic and bar success programs?  

For academic and bar success, we can use this Rule of 3 to our benefit because it has great value for programmatic change and innovation, which we are known for. Whether you are a rookie ASP/BP professional aiming  to shift the culture of academic and bar success in your school, or a seasoned veteran trying a new program meant to drive engagement, the Rule of 3 in law school can help you successfully overcome challenges and implement successful programming.

Having worked as the events director at the law school, and then a law student, and now as an academic and bar success professional, I have seen this story many times—new deans and new visions, new administrative procedures and processes, and new programs and courses. Each time, there was initial resistance to the change, followed by some adaptations to improve it based on feedback, and then ultimately it became “just how things are.” The Rule of 3s really can work wonders for programmatic change within law schools.

And because what is a Rule of 3 lesson without three pieces of advice to take away, here are three ways that leaning into the Rule of 3 and law school institutional memory can help you implement your programs:

• Consistency. To be sure, when we try something that is not immediately successful, we may feel the natural instinct to scrap it and start over. Whether lack of immediate success is due to resistance (discussed below) or programmatic challenges, overcome this instinct to bail. Instead, know that the plan was developed soundly, continue to implement it with each new class, and evolve the program.

• Evolution. We may spend significant time planning new programs before implementing them, but that does not mean they are infallible. Instead, just as teaching a new course for the first time can make us aware of different or better ways to teach it next time, so can the implementation of a new program. Learn from the challenges (and feedback if you can get it!), and as you build consistency in bringing the program back each year, also improve it based on the lessons learned. Each new class of students teaches you something new about the program such that you can evolve it along the way.

• Resistance. Trying to implement something new, something people feel they do not want or do not need, will often meet resistance. Yet, as the classes change, so too does the amount of resistance you may face. In fact, it will likely start to wane as students grow more accustomed to it and then by the time your third class arrives, it is all anyone knows—and it is accepted.

While helpful in the writing context, the Rule of 3s as it specifically pertains to law students and law school institutional memory can improve the programmatic offerings in your academic and bar success programs. This can lead to long-term engagement, buy-in, and perhaps the positive results you seek!

(Erica M. Lux)