For our blog this week, Christopher Engle-Newman and I discussed our experiences with legal scholarship and the AASE/AccessLex Scholarship Grant, in hopes that it might inspire you to pursue your own scholarship and some funding to help it along!

Chris: Erica, I am excited we get to talk about scholarship and the opportunity for grant money for the ASP-community to promote scholarship, especially since we did not initially see ourselves being scholars in our roles. I don’t know about you, but I found the idea of producing scholarship very intimidating, and I definitely felt like an imposter simply thinking about writing an article, especially since it wasn’t required or part of my role.

Did you experience something similar, and what prompted you to write your first article?

Erica: Thanks so much for reaching out and helping get this conversation started, too! Yes, I have always felt like an imposter—in law school, in practice, and in academia. Though, I think that is a more common feeling than many of us know.

When I first started to think about legal scholarship, I had just started my new role in law academic success. I had also (within the last couple of years) learned just how neurodivergent I was. And as I started my new job and began to learn about the NextGen bar exam, I did some practice questions online, which helped me realize just how challenging some of the wording and skills features could be for neurodivergent law students like me. Then it hit me, “I should write about this!” Having a faculty mentor tell me that my idea was not silly, that people would find it valuable, and that I should add to the conversation was immensely motivating and encouraged me to apply for the AccessLex Scholarship Grant with my idea.

Was your journey similar?

Chris: For me, scholarship was one of those things I had a love-hate relationship with, and as part of my faculty status, I was not required to do it, so I avoided it. At the same time, as a visiting professor, I knew that scholarship is currency in academia, and so my motivation to write something started from an extrinsic point of motivation — to become a permanent faculty member. Even if it wasn’t required for my role, I knew that it would benefit me to show I was capable.

Erica: Chris, I can definitely understand the love-hate relationship. It is time-consuming, especially for those of us in A/BSP who already feel stretched thin with our administrative work and bar efforts. But I find that the right project can move my feelings on a piece from an obligation or drag on my time to something that keeps me writing and researching. How did you decide to write on legal online education and what motivated you to write about it?

Chris: Finding a subject to write about was difficult at first, for me. I felt pressure to write something novel, and I did not think I had anything to add to any conversation. Then, in early 2024, I wanted to submit a presentation proposal for the AASE conference in Boise that year. AI had just made its big entrance to the world stage, with its ability to “pass the bar exam” and mounting worries educators had about AI, and I had an idea! That proposal led to me presenting at the Boise AASE Conference and then wonderful AASE colleagues immediately told me I should turn it into an article. Because I had already done some research, I thought, okay, I’m going to do this. It ended with a final published product just this last couple of weeks!

Erica: Congratulations on publication! That’s exciting!

Chris: Thank you! I am pleased the process is fully finished. I thought I was done for a little while, but then I attended the AASE Scholarship Committee Brainstorming session last April. In brainstorming, I knew a number of law schools were getting acquiescence from the ABA to offer fully online, even asynchronous, JD programs. With my background in online education, I leaned into my educational psychology background and this prescient issue to write about how to move legal education fully online using the learning science theories that exist. This new project is the basis of my AASE/AccessLex Scholarship Grant. 

Have you had any discoveries from writing scholarship that surprised you or you didn’t expect?

Erica: Although I was not seeking a faculty position when my scholarship idea came about, a couple of years later when a tenure-track opportunity opened that I really wanted to apply for, I was so glad I had my AASE/AccessLex scholarly work in my background. I also found, like you did, that as I learned more about this topic, I wanted to explore other ideas related to it (so I have now a backlog of ideas that sit in a regularly updated email message, each idea waiting to be chosen like the little alien dolls in Toy Story).  My scholarship has also opened opportunities to speak and present at conferences and to work with organizations on neurodivergent legal education. I have also met so many other great legal scholars and educators writing on neurodivergent tangential topics like accommodations, bar exams, and legal writing, which has grown my professional network.

As for getting started itself, that can seem daunting. I imagine many others relate to the question “But what do I write about?” I face this quite often even when writing on this weekly blog! However, to that, I will pose back a question my mentor recently asked: “Is there something in legal education you have an opinion on?” I found it to be such a simple question with such a profound answer. Because yes, we all have opinions about something in legal education. When you’re engaged in this field, as many of us within AASE are, you inevitably have opinions that can lead to greater conversations on the matter. That can be the start of your AASE/AccessLex Grant Scholarship application and scholarly work.

How do you identify ideas for future scholarly projects?

Chris: I love the question your mentor posed! I think that is a critical starting point. I had the experience early on trying to identify specific projects that I thought would help me professionally, often focusing too narrowly on topics that I ended up not caring about. Did those projects go anywhere? No, not an inch.

Then, once I identified something I had an opinion about, it went from a presentation to a publication. Since then, I have been invited to talk about my paper at my own law school, elevating how the faculty view my expertise outside of solely “bar prep.” It also helped me connect with others in the AASE community who were interested in scholarship (like you!). It has really enriched my experience as a member of AASE and the academic community at large.

In terms of future projects, I let my interests lead me! As I now work on that idea from the AASE Scholarship Committee Brainstorming session (and after being awarded the AASE/Access Lex Scholarship Grant from that idea), I am starting a longitudinal study of an intervention my colleague and I want to see if it helps with academic performance and bar exam success. Now, I find myself needing to avoid getting ahead of myself and ensure I can commit to the projects I started.

Since we’ve both been grant recipients for this scholarship award, what advice do you have for others who are considering whether or not to apply? What would you say to someone who is on the fence and worried about whether or not they can do this?

Erica:  I think it really comes down to: “Why not?” First, the application is simple, asking only for the general idea of what you are thinking about researching. Even for me, my idea that I pitched, that I presented on at AASE, and even ended up publishing evolved as I went. The best way to think of the AASE Scholarship Application is simply to say, “This is my starting point in scholarship.”

I think one of the things I was most worried about with the Grant was the requirement to submit for publication in a year. I was not sure how I could do that on top of my full-time staff role, which also did not require me to publish—so everything I did on it was in addition to my job. However, I found that it was more manageable than I thought. I got a mentor from the Scholarship Committee who I could run things past and brainstorm with. My university, recognizing the interest in my scholarship, opened up opportunities to support my time writing. Even preparing for the AASE presentation was a relatively light lift given that I had already done the research and was more using it as a sounding board and spotlight of my work.

Honestly, getting it out the door was probably the hardest part. I wanted to keep writing, keep making it better. But that was perhaps more me.

What would be your advice to someone on the fence as to whether they should apply for this Grant?

Chris: I echo everything you wrote about your process. The application is a starting point. It does not need to be a fully fleshed out idea that is fully crystalized and never changes. In fact, if the contours of your project don’t change as you research, then that is probably more concerning. The application is very straight-forward. If you have an idea you want to share with the world, then you should definitely apply.

Erica: Chris, thank you again for your time and thoughtful discussion!

Chris: I really appreciated this conversation, Erica! We plan on being at the brainstorming sessions, and if anyone has questions, you can reach out to either of us!

If you have an idea, but you’re shy about sharing it with the world, or you’re just not sure it’s worthwhile, come to one of the AASE Scholarship Committee Brainstorming Sessions this month. They are a great opportunity to talk about your ideas in small groups and get some very supportive and nonjudgmental feedback on how to shape your ideas further:

• Friday, April 10 – 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
• Friday, April 17 – 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT

The links will be in your email box this week!

And make sure you submit your application for the AASE/AccessLex Scholarship Grant by Sunday, May 2.

(Erica M. Lux &

Guest Blogger: Christopher Engle-Newman, Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of Bar Success, University of Denver Sturm College of Law)