| The Learning Curve |
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A Publication of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section of Academic Support
The Learning CurveCurrent and past editions of The Learning Curve, featuring articles and teaching ideas from the AALS Section on Academic Support. Issues
Full Issues & ArchivesClick on a title below to open the full PDF edition of The Learning Curve.
Articles & Excerpts
Selected Articles from The Learning CurveExplore individual articles and excerpts from recent and past issues. Follow the links to read the full article within the PDF edition. Building an Equitable Bar Exam: Acknowledging Adult DisabilitiesOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2025 “Applicants with adult diagnoses often face denials of testing accommodations despite documentation; high costs and access delays compound these inequities.” … Improving Self-Regulation in an MPT Course by Eliminating Grades on Formative AssessmentsOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2025 “Grades can cause students to focus on points rather than on developing skills; shifting grading to good-faith effort can center reflection and metacognition.” … Negative to Positive: A Whimsical Approach to Building Student Confidence During Bar PreparationOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2025 “A simple classroom ritual using a playful ‘positive dragon’ helps students reframe negative self-talk, reduce anxiety, and build confidence during bar study.” … Montessori Principles Adapted for a Law School Academic Support ProgramOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2025 “Montessori’s focus on prepared environments, autonomy, hands-on work, and coaching can translate to ASP to better support Gen Z learners.” … The Bootcamp Model: A Head Start for First-Generation StudentsOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2025 “A pre-1L four-day bootcamp builds early skills, demystifies expectations, and forges cohort bonds for first-generation students.” … Are You Listening?Originally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2025 “A ‘deep listening’ exercise cultivates presence, trust, and empathy—skills essential to client service and teamwork.” … Defying Middle Child Syndrome: A Proposal for Achieving Bar Success by Reimagining the 2L ExperienceOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “Traditional law schools have long privileged the 1L and 3L years, leaving 2Ls stuck in a middle-child role that undermines bar readiness.” … Leading Up: Academic Support and Power DynamicsOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “As ASP professionals assume broader roles, institutional hierarchies persist; ‘leading up’ can strategically influence policy and culture from non-tenure positions.” … Crisis Inspires InnovationOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “Remote teaching during the pandemic—paired with nationwide racial reckoning—sparked empathy-driven changes that centered inclusion and community in law classrooms.” … More Than Belonging: Tying Diverse Identities to Law School SuccessOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “Increasing representation is not enough; programs must connect students’ diverse identities to concrete strategies and structures that drive academic success.” … Drawing Upon Choice Architecture to Improve Students’ Study PracticesOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “Students know formative, interleaved practice helps—yet they struggle to follow through; redesigning defaults and cues can tip behavior toward better habits.” … Success After Failure: Strategies for Working With Repeat Bar TakersOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “Growth mindset says we learn from mistakes, but failing the bar feels devastating; targeted structure and coaching can restore momentum for repeat takers.” … Supporting Our First-Generation StudentsOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “We need more first-generation law students because we need more first-generation lawyers; the profession remains far from representative.” … Orienting the Family: A One-Day Program for the Families of First-Generation StudentsOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2022 “Entering a professional school is daunting—especially without family guides; orienting families equips support systems alongside students’ own preparation.” … Giving Good Advice to Law Students: A Holistic ApproachOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2021 “At semester’s end, students run the emotional gamut; effective advice meets the whole student—context, identity, and circumstances, not only grades.” … An Open Letter to New ASP ColleaguesOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Summer/Fall 2021 “Welcome to ASP—an evolving field with unique challenges and outsized impact; here are macro-level observations for those just starting.” … Wednesday Morning LiveOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2021 “Teaching and learning remotely are difficult; without shared space, we must design experiences that still build presence, engagement, and community.” … Keeping It Real: The Increasing Importance of Relating Law School Skills to the “Real Life” Practice of LawOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “I’m relatively new to the world of Academic Support. In 2016, I joined the team at North Carolina Central University School of Law…” … Developing Students’ Awareness of Their Comfort (and Terror) ZonesOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “Learning theory tells us that students learn best when they are challenged—sometimes by something as simple as straining to read text in a gray font.” … Combating the Epidemic of “I Did Everything I Was Supposed To Do”Originally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “After failing bar results, I often hear: ‘I did everything my bar course told me.’ The problem is the one-size-fits-all approach.” … Why We Need a Better Bar ReviewOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “Alums want clearer visual aids, time-stamped outlines, and more flexible structures; a redesigned bar review should meet real student needs.” … The Zen of Overcoming ProcrastinationOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “Whether student or professor, roadblocks to efficiency abound; here are practical strategies to get unstuck and move forward.” … The Science of Willpower and Exercising Power Over Your WillOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “Successful study requires willpower—really, self-regulation. What is it, and how can students build it intentionally?” … Teach Me What You’ve Learned: A Classroom Technique for Repeated Spaced RetrievalOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “Without a knowledge framework, novel information is hard to consolidate; repeated spaced retrieval helps students absorb and retain doctrine.” … Helping Students: Lived Experience Provides Meaning For a World of FictionOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2020 “Our lived experiences shape how we interpret words and stories—insight that can be harnessed to improve bar-prep learning.” … Choose Your Own Academic Adventure: The Impact of Autonomy in Academic SupportOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “Like the classic interactive books, giving students real choices in ASP can increase engagement and ownership of learning.” … Brick-by-Brick: Building Bar Success with a Comprehensive Academic Skills ProgramOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “There’s no one-size-fits-all fix for bar passage; comprehensive, scaffolded programming builds success over time.” … What’s Gonna Work? Teamwork: The Hallmark of Good Academic Success ProgramsOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “Teamwork isn’t just for children’s shows; collaboration is a core feature of effective ASP programming.” … Flipping the Bar ClassroomOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “A pre-bar course can flip doctrine delivery to free class time for skills and practice.” … Effective Teaching Strategies for 2L Remedial CoursesOriginally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “As ASP evolved into a standard law-school department, second-year remedial courses need rethought goals and methods.” … A New Fish in a Big Sea: Welcome to the World of “ASP”Originally Published in The Learning Curve, Winter/Spring 2019 “Reflections from a newcomer to ASP—lessons learned and challenges in the early years.” … |
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