Member Spotlight

Raef Granger enjoys thinking several moves ahead. One place this shows up is in his passion for Warmachine, a tabletop strategy game that involves carefully building models, learning their capabilities, and engaging others in deliberate, rule-bound battles. Success in Warmachine comes from preparation, patience, and an ability to fully understand the terrain before committing to a move. Those same qualities shape how Raef approaches academic support.

Raef arrived in ASP as a self-described latecomer, but with a remarkably deep toolkit. Before joining the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV as Assistant Director of Academic Success and Assistant Professor in Residence, he spent decades in legal practice, entrepreneurship, and professional coaching. He ran his own client-centered law practice, built a reputation in consumer bankruptcy, advised small business owners, and later coached professionals on leadership, time management, and mindset. Each chapter added a layer before he ever stepped fully into legal academia. It’s no surprise, then, that Raef gravitates toward Warmachine as it is a game rooted in intentional building and strategic patience.

Now at UNLV, Raef is still very much in the process of settling in, even as his plate fills quickly. In addition to working closely with students, he is serving as the host school representative for the AASE annual conference in May 2026. He is excited to welcome colleagues to Las Vegas and hopes attendees will truly experience the city and let loose just a little after full conference days. Behind the scenes, that welcome requires meticulous planning (coordinating room blocks, mapping session spaces, managing catering logistics, and tending to countless details) that ensure the conference experience feels seamless to everyone who attends.

Looking ahead to summer 2026, Raef is especially focused on the final cohort of students taking Nevada’s current bar exam before the transition to the new format. He wants to see them through this particular moment. His view of the bar exam mirrors his view of strategy games and life more broadly: the challenge is rarely just the substance. It’s managing the scope, the stress, and the stories people tell themselves under performance conditions.

When asked what he finds most rewarding about ASP work, Raef doesn’t hesitate. It’s the smiles. The lightbulb moments. The visible shift when a student realizes they can do this. Those moments are small, but they are decisive. In Warmachine terms, they are the turns where the board suddenly looks different and the path forward becomes clear.

At his core, Raef is a builder. He helps students assemble systems for learning, routines for managing time, and tools for responding to anxiety. He believes students already hold the answers they need; his role is to help them see the terrain, sharpen their strategy, and move forward with clarity and confidence. Our academic support community is stronger for educators like Raef, who remind us that success is rarely accidental. Thoughtful preparation can turn even daunting battles into opportunities for growth.

Michele Berger’s dedication to her students is the throughline of her career. She began as a high school English teacher, where she first discovered her passion for working with students. Although she left the classroom to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer, she found herself missing being in the classroom and returned to teaching, this time at the law school level. That pull ultimately led her to a career in Academic Success and Bar Preparation.

Michele is currently an Assistant Professor at Albany Law School, where she teaches both Academic Success and Bar Prep courses and works closely with students one-on-one. Her path to Albany has included roles at several institutions, including Charleston School of Law, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, Gonzaga University, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law. She credits this range of experiences with strengthening her teaching, broadening her toolkit, and connecting her with mentors who have shaped her professional growth.

At the core of Michele’s work is a deep and enduring commitment to her students. Even after they leave her classroom or her institution, she remains a resource and mentor. As she puts it, “I am a teacher first and an attorney second, and I’m your teacher until you no longer need me to be.” For Michele, the most meaningful aspect of Academic Success and Bar Prep is the opportunity to build lasting relationships with students as they navigate the full arc of law school, from orientation through the bar exam.

In 2025, Michele was awarded the AASE AccessLex Scholarship Grant for her project, Rewiring Legal Education: Teaching Strategies for Students with Traumatic Brain Injuries. This work is deeply personal. After experiencing a traumatic brain injury herself, Michele had to relearn how to learn. Having previously relied on a partially eidetic memory, she developed new strategies, such as spaced repetition, that transformed her understanding of how students can adapt their learning approaches. Her scholarship reflects both her lived experience and her commitment to making legal education more accessible and effective for all students.

Michele is also an active and engaged member of the Academic Success community. She has presented at AASE conferences multiple times, most recently on one of her favorite topics: the MPT.

When asked what advice she would give to a new AASE member, Michele emphasized the importance of connection: “Lean into the community. Go to the meetings and meet people because it can make your life much easier. I’ve been a one-woman show in the past, and it was the AASE community that helped me manage it because there were so many wonderful resources that I was able to tap into, and I’m grateful for those connections. Since then, I’ve had the privilege to pay it forward within the AASE community, and I’m grateful for those connections too!”

Preyal Shah has served as Assistant Dean for Academic Success at South Texas College of Law Houston since 2022, but her commitment to academic success and bar readiness spans more than 16 years. Over the course of her career, Dean Shah has designed and built academic success and bar preparation programs at multiple institutions, including St. Mary’s University School of Law, the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law, and New York Law School.

She was drawn to academic success work, Dean Shah explains, because it places her alongside students at the moments that matter most—when they are questioning their abilities, learning how to think like lawyers, and wondering whether they truly belong in law school. That proximity to students’ most vulnerable and transformative moments continues to motivate her. She is also energized by the variety inherent in academic support work, noting that her role can shift dramatically from day to day. “One day I am teaching legal analysis, the next day I am troubleshooting exam strategy, and the next I am helping a student rebuild confidence after a tough semester.”

Her interest in supporting students can also be seen in her scholarship. Dean Shah received the 2025 AccessLex AASE ASP Faculty Scholarship grant for her work titled Supporting Anxious Law Students: Pedagogical and Institutional Responsibilities in Legal Education. The project grew directly from her years of close work with both first-year and bar preparation students. She explained that many students she encountered were not struggling due to a lack of ability, but because they felt overwhelmed, uncertain, and afraid of making mistakes. She observed that students were often “paralyzed by perfectionism,” with normal confusion misinterpreted as failure rather than an expected part of the learning process.

These observations led Dean Shah to explore anxiety’s connection to pedagogy. Over time, she came to see how clarity, structure, and transparency in teaching can either heighten stress or meaningfully reduce it. That realization shaped her focus on designing a holistic, beginning-to-end approach to academic and bar success that intentionally integrates skill development, confidence-building, and psychological safety, rather than waiting to address anxiety only once it reaches a crisis point.

Beyond her institutional and scholarly work, Dean Shah is an active member of the broader academic and bar support community. She is involved with AASE and has contributed to planning the organization’s annual conference. When asked what advice she would give to a new AASE member, Dean Shah emphasized the importance of fully engaging with the community from the start: “Introduce yourself, attend programs both in-person and online, ask a lot of questions and follow up with people whose work resonates with you. This is one of the most generous professional communities you will find – people share materials, ideas, and hard lessons. This is a community that wants each other to succeed in their respective roles. Start building those relationships beyond your own institution.”

If you want to understand how Michael Levine approaches academic support, start with knowing about his relationship with his Peloton. An early adopter, Michael has spent more than a decade riding daily with instructor Jess King. The rhythm, structure, and steady motivation that guides his cycling also infuses his work with his students.

Michael’s path to ASP spans nearly four decades. He began practicing in 1988, spending 12 years in commercial litigation and serving as a court-appointed mediator in the D.C. area. In 1996, he launched a consulting business training attorneys in legal analysis and writing—a practice he continues today. A year later, he entered academia, spending 25 years teaching legal writing at The George Washington University Law School.

Today, Michael serves as Associate Director in the Office of Academic Excellence at American University’s Washington College of Law. He designs academic skills and bar-prep programming, teaches advanced legal analysis and methods, trains legal education advisors, counsels students, and serves on WCL’s Academic Success Committee. One of Michael’s most recent innovations is his set of priming workshops. These sessions help students understand learning objectives before opening their casebooks so they can read with purpose, enter class with greater ownership, and begin outlining and practice-testing earlier and more effectively. He hopes to share this method more broadly with the ASP community soon.

Outside of work, Michael’s life includes an eclectic musical palate, and his beloved rescue dog, Sasha. Sasha, unfortunately, fears the bike like a vacuum cleaner and must be kept far away during his workouts. Travel is also on the horizon, including time in the Caribbean and in Santa Fe, a place he finds “mystically serene.” And, in May 2026, he’ll be in Las Vegas for the AASE annual conference. Not long ago, he saw U2 at the Sphere in Vegas and was blown away by the high-tech, immersive experience!

AASE is fortunate to have Michael in our community. He is an educator who brings rhythm, clarity, and heart to everything he does.

Professor Antonia “Toni” Miceli is a nationally recognized leader in academic and bar support and an expert on bar licensure. Her career has been driven by a deep commitment to reducing unnecessary barriers, demystifying the licensure process, and creating a more equitable and humane pathway into the legal profession.

Professor Miceli entered academic and bar support out of a love for teaching and a clear-eyed understanding of how daunting the bar exam and transition into practice can be. Grounded in the belief that legal education and licensure should be accessible to all students, her work centers on helping students build the skills, strategies, and confidence needed to succeed.

She spent thirteen years at Saint Louis University School of Law as Director of Academic and Bar Success before joining Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in 2024 as its inaugural Director of Bar Success.

Professor Miceli’s scholarship exposes structural barriers in the licensure pipeline, particularly for students with disabilities. She describes her work as “shining a light on the fragmented, often exhausting pathway to licensure that students with disabilities must navigate.” In recognition of this work, she received the 2025 AccessLex–AASE Faculty Scholarship Grant for her project Stop Moving the Bar: How State Practices Undermine Disability Rights in Legal Licensure.

Beyond licensure scholarship, Professor Miceli is deeply involved in bar preparation initiatives, including work with AccessLex Institute’s Building Bar Skills Initiative and coauthoring The Ultimate Guide to the UBE.

A former President of AASE, Professor Miceli continues to serve the organization through the Member Engagement Committee. She encourages new members to lean into the AASE community, emphasizing the value of mentorship, collaboration, and shared expertise in supporting both students and colleagues.

Shane Dizon is Senior Advisor in Instructional Design and an Adjunct Professor at New York Law School. Having done academic and bar support at 7 different law schools over the past 15 years allegedly makes him an ASP veteran, or alternatively, an "old guy." A prolific conference presenter, Shane is the keeper of the national dataset on all ASP job postings since 2022, on which he annually reports at the Northeast Consortium of Academic Support Professionals (NECASP) fall conference.

Since 2023, he has served as a co-organizer of the New York Academic Support Workshop, the oldest regional ASP conference in existence. He was the inaugural recipient of the AASE Guiding Light Award in 2019, “in recognition of the knowledge and experience he brings to new colleagues in a supportive, transparent, and intelligent way.”

In recognition of the thousands of students he has helped to succeed in law school and on the bar exam, Shane also received the California Western Student Bar Association’s Excellence in Academic Advising Award in 2017 and the Brooklyn Law School Latin American Law Students Association’s Faculty Award in 2021.

Outside of ASP, Shane has been Co-Author and Co-Editor of Immigration Law Service 2d, Westlaw's multi-volume immigration law treatise, since 2010. He is the only full-time ASPer working on Central European Time, in a place where they make a dish no one's ever heard of called ... paella.

Shane has never met a board game that he didn't like or otherwise want to teach to friends or just his college roommates' kids. On that note, he is unreasonably excited to reprise teaching the ASP community his very favorite game of chance - craps - at the AASE conference in Vegas this year, something he first did at the very first national conference in 2013.

Since joining Texas Tech Law in July 2022, Erica M. Lux has grown in her ability to deliver academic support through innovative programming and genuine dedication to student success. Her role encompasses helping students navigate the challenges of law school with empathy and expertise.

Building a Culture of Success
Erica has significantly enhanced student engagement by introducing new support features, including the Academic Success Fellows program—students trained to teach academic success skills to their peers. Under her leadership, the team has grown to meet expanding student needs.

"The most fulfilling part of my job is truly student success; whether in individual meetings, at student workshops, or just the joy of passing the bar exam," Erica shares. "Their success just makes my day."

A Path Shaped by Experience
Erica's journey to this role was anything but linear. She began as a pre-med student and even started medical school before realizing it wasn't the right fit. A transformative internship on Capitol Hill sparked her interest in law, though it took another decade before she found herself at Texas Tech Law.

Before law school, Erica worked as an Events Director and in student life support at Texas Tech Law, and in test prep; always bringing a teaching-centered, student-focused approach. "I didn't want to sell a course without talking to a student about their goals, their academic challenges, and where they wanted to go in life," she explains.

As a law student, she tutored Civil Procedure and Property, continuing her commitment to supportive, learning-driven instruction. After graduation, she briefly practiced in BigLaw, but the experience led to burnout and important realizations about being neurodivergent.

When the Director of Academic Success position opened, the timing was perfect. "This role was the right fit at the right time, and it has really helped me to understand the joy I get from helping struggling students see a path forward."

Looking Ahead
Last semester, Erica accepted a tenure-track position as Bar Readiness Assistant Professor at Texas Tech Law, beginning Fall 2026. She's excited to continue supporting students in this new capacity while building a body of scholarship focused on helping neurodivergent law students thrive.

Writing for the ASP blog has been a growth experience. "I sometimes wonder, 'Am I experienced enough to talk about this?'" she admits. "But I have found my confidence growing; including my ability to write more succinctly."

As a neurodivergent professor, Erica continues working on communication skills; meeting people at conferences, writing clearly, and finding the balance between sharing and listening. These ongoing challenges inform her empathetic approach to teaching.

A Legacy of Light
When asked about her legacy, Erica's answer is touching and personal. After her father passed away, she was moved by how many people shared that he made them smile, even on their hardest days.

"I want my legacy to be smiles," she says. "Sure, I want to build a body of scholarship and be a great faculty member and colleague; but I also want to help law students achieve their goals and start their own fabulous careers. By building a positive program and classroom, and being a person who tries to smile often, I want to carry on my dad's legacy in this way."

Through her work, Erica embodies the belief that academic success and genuine human connection go hand in hand, creating not just better students, but brighter futures.

Dayna Smith's journey to academic support work wasn't a straight path but perhaps that's what makes her perspective so valuable. With a background in Biology (B.S. and M.S.) and experience in toxic tort litigation, Smith brings an unusual breadth of experience to her role as Director of the Academic Success Program at Vermont Law and Graduate School, a position she assumed this past August after joining the institution three and a half years ago.

"I've always been drawn to teaching, even though it took me some time to get here," Smith reflects. That draw first manifested during her own time as a law student at Vermont Law, where she served as an ASP Mentor and Teaching Assistant.

Even while practicing law, she couldn't shake what she calls "the teaching bug"; bar tutoring in the evenings, until she eventually transitioned to the University of Illinois College of Law's LLM program, where she served in various roles before discovering her true calling. "Academic support and bar support were [her] favorite" she says, leading to her return to Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) in 2022.

Building Community Through Writing and Service
Since September 2024, Smith has been contributing to the ASP blog, an outlet she clearly cherishes. "Writing for the blog gives me the opportunity to explore my interests without committing to a full law review article," she explains.

Smith is particularly proud of her program's recent successes with ASP mentor engagement, results she traces back to changes in one of her orientation sessions. She recently shared these insights at the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) conference, relishing the opportunity to both showcase what worked for VLGS and learn from colleagues' initiatives.

Overcoming Challenges, Building Connections
Despite her comfort presenting to large audiences, Smith identifies shyness as her greatest professional challenge. "While I am comfortable with students and presenting to large rooms, I struggle with networking and putting myself out there," she admits. AASE has been instrumental in helping her overcome this hurdle.

"Academic and bar support work is draining and time consuming, so having a network of others who are living a similar experience is important," Smith emphasizes. For those facing similar hesitations, she offers straightforward advice: "If you're nervous to put yourself out there, join a committee!"

A Legacy of Possibility
When asked about her professional legacy, Smith doesn't hesitate, even while acknowledging it might sound "a little cliche": "I want my legacy to be in the students who didn't think they could do it but did." The transformation she finds most rewarding is watching first-year students who lacked confidence develop into thriving legal professionals. "While I'm just one piece of that student's larger support system, I hope they remember the role ASP played in their journey and share that information to destigmatize asking for help and using resources."

Working alongside what she describes as "an amazing group of faculty, staff, and administrators who are dedicated to student success," Smith continues building a program focused not just on academic excellence, but on helping every student recognize their own potential.

Amy Vaughan-Thomas has dedicated the past ten years to supporting students on their journey through law school at the University of Massachusetts School of Law. In addition to her academic support role, she teaches doctrinal courses in Professional Responsibility, Business Organizations, and ADR, and serves as Grievance Officer for the UMass Dartmouth Faculty Federation Union.

"I always dreamed of being an educator, yet I never dreamed that I would have the privilege to be a lawyer," Amy reflects. As a proud product of public education and a first-generation student, she credits her success to the mentors who guided her path: Marc D. Adelman, Shane Dizon, Carly Sassi, Dan Rawlins, and Rebecca Flanagan. "My life and career wouldn't be what it is today without each of you," she says, extending additional thanks to the countless ASP community members she learns from every day.

Amy's experience writing for the ASP blog has deepened her connection to the profession. "The frequent opportunity to participate in the community makes me feel more connected to my colleagues and forces me to set aside time to enrich my writing," she explains.

Among her proudest achievements is her chapter in Brittany Rapoza's book, Fostering First Gen Success and Inclusion. "I was able to highlight several first-gen stories and showcase the differences amongst first-gen law student experiences," Amy notes. "I hope this work informs the broader law school community and allows readers the opportunity to place themselves in the shoes of first-generation law students."

Amy is equally proud of her hard-working partner and their son, acknowledging that "they sacrifice for my professional growth and I am grateful for my family every day."

Like many in the profession, Amy grapples with balancing her workload and her tendency to say yes to new opportunities. "As my career and personal responsibilities increase over time, I find that I need to lean more into empowering my 'no,'" she admits.

Looking ahead, Amy hopes to contribute her growing knowledge about advancements in technology and education to serve the profession and broader legal community more effectively and efficiently. Through her teaching, scholarship, and dedication to student success, she continues to pay forward the mentorship that shaped her own journey.

If you ask Scott DeVito what first drew him to academic support, his answer is immediate: teaching. While scholarship matters deeply to him, his driving passion is helping students grow—particularly those who need additional time, structure, and encouragement to unlock their potential.

Before entering law and academic support, Scott earned a Ph.D., completing a dissertation focused on probabilistic causality. That analytical foundation shaped his approach to legal education and informed his early academic success, including earning top marks in his 1L torts course.

Scott’s approach to the bar exam is refreshingly pragmatic. In his view, the challenge is less about the law itself and more about volume, pressure, and performance psychology. His scholarship reflects this perspective, focusing on equity and transparency in bar licensure. His article, “The Kids Are Definitely Not All Right,” used multi-school data to reveal a statistically significant negative correlation between the percentage of accommodated students and first-time bar passage, calling for improved data transparency from bar examiners.

Building on this work, Scott and his colleagues are launching a three-year, IRB-approved longitudinal study examining the relationship between testing accommodations and first-time bar passage. His goal is to move conversations from anecdote to evidence, empowering schools to design better-informed student supports.

Scott’s impact also includes institutional leadership. As Dean of Florida Coastal School of Law, he led a major turnaround that returned the school to full ABA compliance and improved bar passage by more than twenty-five percentage points. He later served as a founding faculty member at Jacksonville University College of Law.

Across roles and institutions, Scott’s focus remains constant: listen first, measure what matters, and build systems that turn hope into habit. His work exemplifies academic support as a duty of care within legal education.

Christopher Engle-Newman knew early on that he had a passion for teaching, mentoring, and coaching others to achieve. With his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, he was perfectly positioned to enter the bar support and academic success world, although he says this world found him.

Now the Director of Bar Success and a Visiting Assistant Professor of the Practice at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Professor Engle-Newman has built a career dedicated to student growth. After law school, he stayed in higher education through student support and administrative roles until his bar prep professor, Scott Johns, invited him to join DU’s Bar Success Program. This is where Professor Engle- Newman saw his passions for teaching, mentoring, and coaching collide with his law degree in a way he did not expect. Professor Engle-Newman credits Johns as a decade-long mentor, saying, “without a doubt, I would not be here without him.” Professor Engle-Newman has been recognized for his impact and innovations, including receiving NALSAP's inaugural Innovation and Impact Award in 2019.

Professor Engle-Newman’s scholarship focuses on adapting to AI and online education from a pedagogical lens. His 2025 AASE AccessLex Scholarship Grant-funded work, Can Asynchronous Learning Teach Law Students to Think Like Lawyers?, and forthcoming article in the University of Pittsburgh Law Review, Assessing Law Student Learning in the Age of AI, explore the exciting opportunities AI and online learning open within law schools and the profession. With proper application, Professor Engle- Newman believes AI can enhance feedback and skill development in the mechanical aspects of lawyering, while allowing educators to focus on human-centered lawyering skills, while online learning expands access to the profession. Professor Engle-Newman presents on his scholarship, as well. Those who attended the 2024 AASE Conference will remember Professor Engle-Newman’s engaging plenary session, A.I. Can’t Replace Us: Power of Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning.

An active member of both AASE’s Scholarship and Planning Committees, Professor Engle-Newman encourages newcomers to “join a committee so you can be better integrated and connected to the AASE community.” He noted, “This has made all the difference for me in gaining confidence and growing as a professional and individual as I enter my 5 th year in this work full time (and I still have a long way to grow).”

Originally from Italy, Laura Soprana-Dec earned her law degree at UC Irvine and became a California-barred attorney. During her time in practice, she discovered a passion for guiding others. Whether mentoring young associates, interviewing incoming summer associates, or ensuring those associates had enriching experiences, Laura found joy in building connections and supporting professional development. That passion eventually led her to academia.

When Laura joined the Academic Success Program team at George Mason’s Antonin Scalia School of Law in June 2025, she brought with her not only years of legal practice but a philosophy that places students’ well-being and growth at the center of every interaction. Her journey from practicing attorney to ASPer reflects a deep commitment to mentorship and a belief that preparing students for success means more than teaching bar tested rules. Laura’s advising philosophy is grounded in listening first. She values the exchange of information, noting that these conversations help her stay attuned to students’ evolving needs. Her goal is to create a space where students feel heard, respected, and supported.

Laura’s holistic approach extends beyond bar exam preparation. While her motto, “Don’t be scared, be prepared,” captures her practical focus, she emphasizes that academic success is about more than passing a test. “ASP is not just one class in the final year,” she says. “It’s about preparing students for practice, for the realities of lawyering.” Laura expressed her excitement for the upcoming NextGen bar exam. As a former practitioner, Laura sees this reform as an opportunity to align legal education more closely with professional readiness.

One-on-one advising remains the most rewarding part of her role. These sessions allow Laura to address immediate concerns while fostering long-term confidence. Her sensitivity to individual learning styles is informed by personal experience: as a parent of a child with special needs, Laura has developed a heightened awareness of how strengths and challenges manifest in educational settings.

Laura’s son plays tennis and volleyball—sports Laura herself played. Laura’s experience gives her confidence when coaching her son. That same principle guides her work with law students. Having navigated the bar exam and practice of law herself, Laura understands what it takes.

The family is embracing their new East Coast home, trading San Diego’s perpetual sunshine for four distinct seasons of the DC Metro Area. Laura will be at LexCon in Savannah next month, and looks forward to connecting with other ASPers there.

Amanda Compton's journey into ASP is both inspiring and heartfelt. Initially a tenured law professor at Charleston School of Law, Amanda made a significant life change to be closer to her husband in the DMV area. This move led her to pivot to ASP, but her dedication to student success in bar exams had long been a part of her teaching philosophy. Even as a doctrinal professor, Amanda infused her pedagogy with ASP practices, such as review sessions, practice questions, and final exams designed to mirror bar exam questions. Her personal experiences as a law student deeply influenced her approach to teaching, ensuring her students were well-prepared for the bar exam.

Amanda's commitment to academic support extends beyond her classroom. She has actively participated in scholarly activities, including presenting at LexCon '24, where she presented strategies to help LLM students prepare for the bar exam. Her work involved examining curriculum, policies, and procedures to better support these students.

At her previous institution, she played a crucial role in directly assisting LLM students, showcasing her versatility and dedication to diverse student populations.

For Amanda, the most rewarding part of her role is witnessing the "lightbulb moments" when students grasp complex concepts. She finds immense satisfaction in easing student concerns and helping them embrace the bar skills class, which is sometimes initially met with resistance. Her ability to clarify and set students' minds at ease is a testament to her effectiveness and passion as an educator.

In her new role at GW Law, Amanda is excited about the opportunity to be the architect of an integrated bar support program. She looks forward to pulling together various pieces of programming and developing new initiatives under the bar support umbrella.

Amanda offers valuable advice for both new and seasoned ASP professionals. For newcomers, she emphasizes the importance of patience with all stakeholders, including students, faculty, and administrators. Understanding the holistic needs of students and advocating for the necessary resources are key to a successful program. For seasoned ASPers aspiring to teach doctrinal law, Amanda highlights the importance of producing scholarship and advocating for support and parity within their institutions. She encourages collaboration and collective efforts to enhance the status and recognition of ASP and legal writing professors.

Amanda's journey and contributions to academic support are reminiscent of the transformative journeys in "The Wizard of Oz,” “The Wiz,” and "Wicked." Just as Dorothy and Elphaba navigated their paths with courage and determination, Amanda has navigated her career with a steadfast commitment to student success. Her story serves as an inspiration to educators and academic support professionals alike, proving that with heart, brains, and courage, one can achieve great things.

Jennifer Ciarimboli's recent recognition as a 2024-2025 AASE AccessLex Scholarship Grant recipient is a testament to her innovative work and commitment to legal education. The grant supports her research, which has led to a significant achievement: her article, "Honing Homework: Assigning Less and Better to Increase Learning and Quality of Life in Law School," has been accepted for publication in Volume 32 of the Widener Law Review. This accomplishment highlights her dedication to improving student learning outcomes and well-being.

Professor Ciarimboli's journey to her current role as an Associate Professor in the Suffolk University Law School Academic Support Program is marked by a diverse and accomplished legal career. Before entering academia, she served as an in-house counsel at both Re:Sources, a Publicis Groupe Company, and at Sapient Corporation.

In these roles, she advised on various global legal issues, including contracts and compliance. Her career began as an associate at Goodwin Procter LLP. Her experience with academic support started even before law school, at the New England Institute of Art. This multifaceted background provides her with a unique and valuable perspective on legal education and the challenges students face.

Professor Ciarimboli's academic credentials include a B.A. in English, cum laude, from Boston University and a J.D., cum laude,from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she was an Article Editor for the Notre Dame Law Review. She is a member of the Massachusetts bar. Her passion for both the law and the success of future legal professionals is evident in her work, where she continues to make a significant impact on legal education.

Eurilynne has entered her tenth year of dedicated service in ASBP at Florida A&M University College of Law, emerging as a respected expert in her own right. She enjoys exploring new ways to shift the needle on bar passage by implementing holistic, targeted interventions into the law school experience. She is an inaugural Fellow of the AccessLex P.L.E.D.G.E. Fellowship (class of 2022) and continues to build programming based on the research and findings from her capstone project, Should They Be Here? Exposing the Hidden Challenges of Underperforming Students in Law School.

Inspired by her passion for guiding underprepared students to success on the bar exam, Eurilynne aims to dispel the narrative that bar preparation is a task reserved for the months immediately following law school graduation. She is the innovator behind FAMU College of Law’s Resources for Increasing Success on Exams (R.I.S.E.) Program. The program cultivates a bar readiness perspective that permeates the law school community. By providing access to supportive and tangible resources with a focus on exam readiness from the first year of law school through the bar exam, the R.I.S.E. Program positively impacts students’ exam outcomes. The program has been applauded by FAMU’s Provost, who recently charged the University’s other licensure programs to use Eurilynne’s model as a basis for developing similar programs in each of their disciplines.

Eurilynne’s achievements in the legal academy led to her promotion in Fall 2024 to Associate Professor and Director of ASBP at FAMU College of Law.  She supervises a team of instructors, oversees the administration and operations of the ASBP Department, and facilitates the design and implementation of curriculum for first year and upper-level critical skills courses. Eurilynne also manages her signature R.I.S.E. Bar Prep Program, hosting bar prep activities ranging from “prep” rallies to mindfulness and wellness sessions to skills-centered workshops, simulated exams and more.

As a proud graduate of FAMU College of Law, Eurilynne treats her service to the new generation of learners at her alma mater as ministry. “I am privileged to play a role in sharpening the skills of future lawyers who, but for FAMU College of Law, may not have had access to the profession. Witnessing our students’ journeys from the professionalism oath administered during orientation to the swearing-in ceremony upon bar passage makes the work well worth it.”

Before joining FAMU’s faculty, Eurilynne devoted eight years to public and private law practice, representing some of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens. A true servant at heart, Eurilynne spends much of her time away from ASBP spearheading her church’s quarterly CommUnity Giveaway where she collects donations of gently used clothing, household appliances, furniture and more and distributes them free of cost to neighborhood families in need. Her most cherished form of self-care is spending quality time with her family and frolicking in the magnificent waters of the Caribbean.

Erin recently returned to the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law after several years working at Chicago-Kent College of Law and is excited to continue building upon UIC’s extensive academic achievement and bar prep programming.

Whether an applicant is preparing for the bar for the first time or is retaking the exam, Erin aims to create programming that incorporates various learning tools and addresses different learning styles. As a first-gen law student herself, Erin is particularly mindful of ensuring these students have the necessary tools for success in law school, on the bar, and eventually in their careers. Receiving messages of bar exam success from alumni is by far the most rewarding part of her job.

While at Chicago-Kent, Erin stepped into a newly created position and was tasked with developing post-COVID bar preparation programming. Under the Office of Student Affairs, she oversaw the academic success and bar prep programs. She worked closely with Kent’s Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to grow both the programs and the team. Their collaborative efforts allowed more opportunities to get to know the students and develop programming tailored to this generation of students.

In her former role, Erin was also the co-principal investigator of an Access Lex Bar Success Intervention Grant. The grant was designed to provide targeted support to law school graduates facing significant challenges in passing the bar exam on the first attempt. In addition to alleviating some financial stressors, the program aimed to address the mental health aspects of the bar by reducing psychological barriers and mental stress.

She credits her achievements to the many ASP and law school colleagues she’s worked with over the years. The support and collaboration within the ASP community is unlike that in other organizations. Whether at a conference or just chatting with colleagues, she always feels she comes away with new ideas and perspectives.

Fun fact: before returning to work full time, Erin and two friends started an informal gaming business and created community scavenger hunts (The Amazing Chase) that raised money for local causes.

Krishnee began her career as a law school academic success professional eighteen years ago at her alma mater. Since joining the University of Richmond School of Law in July 2023, Krishnee has made a significant impact at UR and the larger ASP community. As a passionate advocate for student success, Krishnee has expanded UR’s Academic Success Program (ASP) to offer more comprehensive services, including a continuing orientation program designed to reach all 1Ls, an additional bar prep course focused on MBE strategies, and an enhanced post-graduation bar preparation support program for students taking the bar exam in jurisdictions outside of Virginia. Her work ensures that all students receive tailored, strategic support for academic success.

Beyond Richmond, Krishnee has served the broader legal education community in numerous ways. She served as a member of the editorial board for the AASE Newsletter and has served as a faculty expert with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) LawReady Academic Framework, in support of pre-law programs designed to enhance law school readiness. Krishnee’s commitment to academic excellence is also evident in her scholarship: she has co-authored an article, “Integrating Academic Success” that was recently published in Raising the Bar: Vol. 8 – Issue 2 by AccessLex, a book chapter on first-gen law students in the forthcoming book, Fostering First Gen Success and Inclusion: A Guide for Law Schools, and a book on academic success, Investing in Your Success: A Practical Guide to Achieving Your Best Results in Your First Year of Law School. She also recently completed a manuscript review for a soon-to-be-published ASP book by Carolina Academic Press.

Whether inside the classroom, supporting graduates, or shaping the future of legal education through scholarship and service, Krishnee exemplifies the values and mission of AASE. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity, access, and academic excellence in legal education.

Like many of us, Megan works with students at the most academically challenging time of their lives – preparing for the bar exam. She has the privilege of teaching several courses, including Professional Writing Skills (PWS) and Legal Analysis and Writing (LAW), Legal Writing for FLLMs, Professional Responsibility for FLLMs, Legal Methods, and Education Law: K-12. Additionally, she developed a workshop series to support alums preparing for the bar exam and supervises a cadre of adjuncts.

Megan is passionate about designing interventions to develop critical legal writing and reasoning skills. This drive and commitment to her students, their professional goals, and their successes drove her students to earn University of Houston Law Center  (UHLC)’s highest bar passage in over a decade on the July 2024 exam. She has developed new curriculum in several intervention and bar courses that is deployed uniformly by a cadre of adjuncts and faculty. Each course has a series of practice-based exercises, fosters mentorship and faculty involvement, and focuses on students seeing their progress and opportunities for growth. Megan said, “I firmly believe that we can craft and develop positive study habits and strong writing skills and provide more opportunities for students if we intervene early.”

She also enjoys sharing her passion for cultivating success with the community. She serves on the AASE Bar Advocacy Board and the AALS Academic Success Board. In 2024, she joined the Global Legal Skills Conference Planning Committee and coordinated presentations on legal writing and connecting with students from various international backgrounds. Megan has lectured on recommended methods and curricular changes to prepare for the NextGen Bar Exam, best practices for working with FLLMs, and post-COVID professionalism. Among these presentations in 2024 were three speaking engagements at the AALS Conference and the Global Legal Skills Conference in Bari, Italy. Megan recognizes she is privileged to present to the legal writing community, academic success professionals, and doctrinal professors worldwide.

Megan Davis joined the University of Houston Law Center, her alma mater, as a lecturer in 2018. She was promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor in 2022 and the faculty voted this fall to promote her to full Clinical Professor (effective Fall 2025 – yay!). As the first full-time academic support faculty member at UHLC, she has developed a program with tangible results.

When Megan isn’t at work, she continues to practice law on the side and tries to keep up with her two daughters and khaki mutt. She also loves to travel.

Andrew has served within the Dean of Students Office at George Washington Law since March 2019 where he built and oversaw the school’s formalized academic support program.  In his role, he counseled students on their academic performance, oversaw the management of the tutor matching program, prepared reports related to academic performance, managed the annual Academic Awards Ceremony, and delivered workshop programming. Beginning in summer 2021, he assumed the bar advising portfolio.

In 2023, Andrew‘s article Camera-aware and camera-scared: 2020-2021 1L’s was published in INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD, AALS Student Services Section Publication, Volume 3, Issue 1. This article gave him an opportunity to summarize one of his dissertation’s findings.  He sought to understand how 1Ls experienced the Socratic Method on virtual learning platforms, and found that student self-consciousness was extreme.  Many students shared that they felt intense pressure to perform well during cold-calls, fearing that mistakes could negatively impact their academic and professional futures.  The virtual setting exacerbated their feelings of anxiety and imposter syndrome.  To mitigate these potential issues, he made the recommendation that law professors adopt-camera optional policies and utilize warm-calling (‘panel method’).

Andrew began his doctorate at George Washington University in spring 2020 when the COVID19 pandemic was on the horizon.  He completed his coursework in 2022, and defended his dissertation in spring 2023.  He is currently working on his next project which examines the experience of first-generation law students and their ability to form a community of inquiry.

Chelsea Baldwin continues to make numerous significant contributions to the ASP field. Washburn University School of Law recognized her many accomplishments when they recently promoted her to Director for Academic Enrichment & Bar Passage.

Chelsea is a distinguished member of the ASP community and all working in ASP have benefitted immensely from her many contributions. She is particularly savvy at utilizing technology and has generously shared her tech knowledge with the greater ASP community through presenting, sharing, and mentoring. Like the excellent educator she is, she is endlessly patient with those who are less technologically gifted.

Chelsea plays a pivotal role in maintaining the supportive and cohesive ASP community. She single-handedly created and manages the Academic Support and Bar Prep Google group. This indispensable group proves ASPers with an endless source of much needed support, knowledge sharing, community building, and camaraderie.  In addition, AASE benefits from her tech expertise through the Online Presence Committee, which she has Co-Chaired for several years.

Chelsea has dedicated her career to helping students transition into the rigors of law school and then again into the rigors of bar exam preparation. Chelsea is an excellent professor, a gifted teacher, and is beloved by her students. She always goes the extra mile to ensure her students get precisely what they need to flourish and succeed.

In addition to the topic of technology and project management in legal education, Chelsea has presented to national legal education audiences on topics such as stereotype threat in legal education, teaching skills in legal education, and supporting the mental and emotional health of students during legal education. Her scholarship is currently focused on finding scalable ways to mitigate some harmful emotional effects of the intense cognitive restructuring that legal education produces in many individuals. You can read about it in her fascinating article in St. Mary’s Law Journal titled, Bad Therapy: Conceptualizing the Teaching of “Thinking Like A Lawyer” as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which is available on her SSRN page .

On January 5, 2024, Tia Gibbs was awarded the Junior Faculty Award by the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) in Washington, D.C. This award is presented to an outstanding recent entrant into legal education who demonstrates a commitment to justice, equality, and academic excellence through their teaching, scholarship, and/or social justice advocacy.  Tia was presented with this award at SALT’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, January 5, 2024, at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.  SALT is an organization committed to advancing teaching excellence, social justice, and diversity.  It includes a community of progressive law teachers, law school administrators, librarians, academic support experts, students, and affiliates.  For more than 40 years, the organization has worked to improve the legal profession, the law academy and expand the power of law to underserved communities.

The SALT award was based on her work helping individuals pass the bar exam and her volunteer work in the legal community. Tia represented individuals in evictions during the Covid 19 pandemic. She also curated two exhibits as the Historian for the TJ Reddick Bar Association.  The first exhibit in 2023 was the Chambers v Florida exhibit at Old Dillard Museum which explored the 1940s Supreme Court Case Chamber v Florida.  The 2024 exhibit was Brown to Broward, which explored the Brown v Board of Education decision and the local implications in the Allen v Broward School of Public Instruction case of 1970.  More information about the award is available at SALT, which is excited to honor champions of justice, diversity, and teaching excellence – Society of American Law Teachers (saltlaw.org)

Tia Gibbs is currently a member of the faculty at the Georgia State University College of Law and serves as the Director of Academic Advisement and Bar Success.

Zach returned to his Alma Mater as the Assistant Director of Academic Success in October of 2022 and immediately jumped into the space where ASP meets diversity. Previously, Zach served as the Legal Clinic Outreach Coordinator with Equality Ohio, and was able to offer courses on LQBTQ+ issues.  He has taken that same passion for justice to Akron Law, where he has been instrumental in developing the ReBound Program for students who are retaking the bar exam.  Zach co-presented on the program in May at the AASE conference.

At Akron Law, Zach spends most of his time working with students who are preparing for the bar exam and teaches our Advanced Legal Applications course and administers our MBE course.  Zach also assisted in revamping Akron’s pre-law course, Fundamentals of Lawyering, where he focused on many of the skills that students will need to be successful law students.  Zach also sits on a committee which focuses on diversity.

Zach also presented at the AASE Diversity Conference, discussing ways to advocate for less able-bodied students in systems designed against them.  As a member of the AASE Diversity Committee, Zach also assisted in the planning and preparation for the Diversity Conference.

If you attended the AASE conference in May, you likely were greeted by Liza-Jane Capatos. She, and the rest of the team at Santa Clara University School of Law, did a wonderful job welcoming AASE to Charney Hall, and the beautiful Santa Clara University campus.

Liza-Jane is an Associate Clinical Professor of Law and since 2015 has been the Assistant Director of Santa Clara Law’s Office of Academic & Bar Success (OABS). Liza-Jane specializes in academic support and is responsible for training and overseeing the Academic Success Program Fellows, who are upper-division peer mentors tasked with meeting weekly with small groups of 1Ls to provide academic skill instruction and support. She teaches Advanced Legal Writing: Bar Exam, or Santa Clara’s in-house bar writing course, Criminal Procedure: Adjudication, and Community Property. She has also recently developed and taught a Performance Test Workshop course. In collaboration with her OABS colleagues, she developed a newly approved 1L first-semester academic skills course, which debuted in Fall 2023.

Before transitioning into academia, Liza-Jane worked in Criminal Appeals. While she loved research and writing, she missed interacting with people as a part of her daily work, so she finds great professional satisfaction in teaching and advising her students. Liza-Jane particularly loves helping first-gen students acclimate and make sense of their new environment. As a first-gen student herself, Liza-Jane pairs her personal experience with her academic wisdom when working with Santa Clara’s robust first-gen student population.

Liza-Jane lives in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains, where she can smell the redwood trees daily, with her family, which includes two children and a small zoo (a dog, a cat, a hamster, a bearded dragon, and two chickens). She is also a talented artist and creates watercolors and ceramics in her limited free time.

Steven Foster has long been an inspirational leader in the Academic Support community and in recognition of his many contributions, he received the 2023 AASE Inspiration Award.

Steven has taken on the important role of AASE Bar Advocacy Committee Chair and he has already been impactful in leading the publication of AASE’s concerns regarding recently announced changes to the Next Gen bar exam. Steven is the lead editor of the Academic Support Blog on the Law Professors Blog Network and served as a Law School Success Fellow for CALI.

Steven Foster currently serves as the Director of Academic Achievement at Oklahoma City University School of Law. His time in Academic Support began at OCU in December 2008, where he built a comprehensive program over the next 14 years. He enjoys teaching all the 1Ls and nearly every 3L, but his greatest joy each year is attending the swearing-in ceremonies. Prior to joining OCU law school, he was an associate at Fenton, Fenton, Smith, Reneau, and Moon where he practiced insurance defense. Steven received his J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law and his BA from the University of Oklahoma.

Taylor Israel’s journey to ASP is similar to many ASPers. We are engaged with our legal education as a student, and, after a period of time following bar licensure, we return to legal education to find professional fulfillment. Returning to legal education becomes a celebrated homecoming. This journey has nuances for each person, and Taylor’s story provides insight on how impactful the gravitational forces are that bring us to the profession.

Taylor received her JD from the University of San Diego School of Law. As a student, she had the opportunity to be a student representative for one of the major commercial bar review courses, and later worked as a full-time staff member for that same company. But, when an opportunity presented itself to return to her alma mater to fill a temporary vacancy, Taylor leaped at the chance. Eventually, Taylor found her current home at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and currently serves as the school’s Director of Academic Success and Bar Preparation. In summer of 2022, she was promoted to a faculty position, giving the school’s ASPers a voice in faculty meetings and votes. She was also recently voted Full Time Faculty Member of the Year by the student body.

Taylor leads a team of two others in her office. As the office’s leader, she tries to be a good role model of work-life balance. As a part of that balance, Taylor recognizes the importance of celebrating wins, including the completed bar licensure of her students. In 2020, Taylor organized virtual swearing in ceremonies for the students unable to have a in-person ceremony. Creating these smaller swearing in ceremonies was rewarding for both her, and the students. When asked why her office orchestrates these and not another, Taylor replied, “Our job is licensure, not just the bar exam.  We want to see the job done all the way.” Taylor has possibly discovered the most effective way to mentor future ASPers to come home to ASP.

Common attributes of ASPers include “student-focused, hard working, and dependable.” These words describe so many of our AASE community so well: superheroes doing important work, but not seeking recognition.  Bryan McDermott is an ASP superhero who deserves recognition. Bryan McDermott currently serves as Assistant Dean for Academic and Bar Support at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law—his alma mater.  He oversees all bar passage efforts, provides academic support, and is responsible for management of the externship program and experiential curriculum.

Prior to returning to Catholic, Bryan served as a judicial clerk in the Montgomery County, Maryland Circuit Court and practiced insurance defense at a small Montgomery County law firm. While the work provided many opportunities for professional development and learning, he found the work unengaging. As happens with many in ASP, a new job was posted at his alma mater with emphasis on academic support and bar passage. Bryan applied, was offered the position, and began a career transition. Having begun at the ground floor, he now acts as one of the school’s key leaders in welcoming new students and leading them through their academic journey all the way to bar passage.

The key to finding fulfillment in his current role is witnessing the academic success of his students as they journey from 1L orientation all the way through bar admission. Bryan’s greatest joy is reviewing bar pass lists, and seeing his students. These names appear because of the attention Bryan gives his students, how hard he works, and his steady and reliable presence at the Columbus School of Law. Thank you, Bryan, for your superhero work.  You deserve this recognition for your contribution to the ASP community.

Kris Franklin, a core founder of AASE, is a name well known to those in the academic support world. But did you also know that Kris is an enthusiastic member of a Brooklyn curling team? Or did you know that Kris was a U.S. Presidential Scholar and graduated cum laude from Yale University with a B.A.? These are only two quick facts about an impressive life and career.

Kris, who has been conducting ASP and ASP-adjacent work at New York Law School for 20 years, has co-authored two recent articles of note –

“Directed Questions: A Non-Socratic Dialog about Non-Socratic Teaching” unpacks the “directed questions” method of law teaching. This pedagogy still requires students to read and understand judicial opinions before class, but the cases and statutes are “tools” to help students respond to a series of questions that must be answered before class. Those questions are then reviewed and discussed during the class period. This active learning approach helps students to “develop a cognitive schema” that enables them to “understand the material in a richer way,” according to co-author Rory Bahadur.

“How to Train Your Supervisor”, co-authored with Paula J. Manning, offers excellent advice to law students and new attorneys about how to get the best supervision possible. The article notes that a shared sense of responsibility for supervision creates more effective and efficient interactions. The article also discusses what law professors can do to help prepare their students for supervision, including how to get the most from feedback.

Both articles provide practical advice that would benefit any legal educator. This sentiment is well understood by anyone who has previously read Kris’ books, including Legal Reasoning Case Files: A Contemporary Approach to Lawyers’ Methods (Carolina Academic Press 2019), Strategies and Tactics for Academic Support Teaching (Wolters Kluwer 2014), and The Lawyer’s Practice: A Context & Practice Case File (Carolina Academic Press 2011). A second edition of Legal Reasoning Case Files is due out sometime next year.

Kris’ accomplishments go well beyond academia, including spending many years involved in direct action organizing in New York City around AIDS advocacy, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and community gardens.

Before closing this spotlight, let’s share one more fun – and inspiring – fact: Kris also designs and builds custom furniture!

There are those who pursue the law as a means to be an advocate for others.  There are those who want to teach and mentor.  Jenny Lane never thought the pursuits were mutually exclusive.  As 2015 graduate of Elon University School of Law, Jenny practiced general public interest law with Legal Aid, and later narrowed her practice area to elder abuse. Lane had a fulfilling practice advocating for elders in North Carolina, educating them about strategies to protect themselves. But, when she received a phone call to return to her alma mater to teach, she was instantly confident that it was the right move for her to make.  Teaching and academic support of law students had always been a passion she was interested in further exploring.

Lane had already served as a Academic Teaching Fellow while a student at Elon Law, and with the familiarity, she jumped right into program and became an academic advocate for current students.  Lane currently serves as the Director of Bar Exam Success Programs.  In the role, she works with students, coaching them on how to prepare for success on the bar exam.  She offers workshops on how to seek bar admission, and strategies for strong performance on the exam itself.

Earlier this year, Lane, along with her colleagues, co-presented Technology Tools to Support Bar Exam Preparation at the South Florida Regional ASP Conference.  The presentation focused on the pros and cons of utilizing Remind for text messaging, Canva for creating visual study skill graphics, and Kahoot! to gamify information for students enrolled in bar prep courses prior to graduation.  Lane and her colleagues are hopeful to present on the same topic at future ASP conferences and through publications.

In the academic year ahead, Lane expects to continue to offer workshops and get inside the classroom as much as possible.  When asked for her opinion on the most rewarding part of being an ASPer, Lane said, “Connecting with students.  Watching them succeed and become more-self directed.  Witnessing the professional development.”  Thank you, Jenny, for your service to your students and being a role model for other ASPers.  As you celebrate the milestone first five years in ASP, we hope you have many more in you.

Sarah was honored at AALS as a Trailblazer with the following tribute: “It is our opinion that Sarah embodies the scholarly engagement and advocacy that we value in our Section and ASP community. She is entering her fifth year of Academic Support teaching, and she has made a name for herself and increased the presence of ASP scholarship. She has published a total of three law review articles in 2020-2021, and all have been well-placed. Sarah is a vocal advocate on blogs and social media for bar takers and especially for those unsuccessful on the exam. For all of these reasons, Professor Schendel is an ASP trailblazer who is helping to make greater inroads for the academic support profession and our quest for status parity in the legal academy.”

As noted by AALS, Sarah has been an impressively busy scholar and has contributed much to our field by producing excellent scholarship on various topics related to academic support. During the short period from 2020-2021, she published the following law review articles: Listen! Amplifying the Experiences of Black Law School Graduates in 2020, 100 Neb. L. Rev. (2021);The Pandemic Syllabus, 98 Denv. L. Rev. F. (2020); and What You Don’t Know (Can Hurt You): Using Exam Wrappers to Foster Self-Assessment Skills in Law Students, 40 Pace L. Rev. Vol. 154 (2020). She is especially proud that she hit “accept” on her first article while holding her beloved (and at the time newborn) daughter, Stella.

Sarah has several finished projects that will be published shortly. Look for the forthcoming article, “Due Dates in the Real World: Extensions, Equity, and the Hidden Curriculum,” which will be published in the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics this Spring. She also has a short essay coming out in the next volume of Legal Writing: Journal of the Legal Writing Institute, titled “The Medium Is the Message: A Summer Book Club on Abolition.”

Sarah also has two book chapters in the works: the first is a rewritten SCOTUS opinion for the Feminist Judgements: Immigration Law volume, and the second is an essay on incorporating mental health issues into the Professional Responsibility curriculum. The impressive list above is only a sampler of Sarah’s recent contributions to our field. Sarah also has other publications and blog posts and is a frequent presenter. We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Sarah says that while she has come to love writing and takes pride in her publications, she knows that much of her work – and the work of so many other academic support professionals – is the unquantifiable, rewarding but exhausting, and incredibly necessary one on one work with students. She is so grateful for the academic support community that continues to provide her with guidance, support, encouragement, and wisdom.

The decision to pursue a legal education occurs at a wide variety of times.  For Afton Cavanaugh, it came in the 10th grade while preparing for a mock trial.  The decision to pursue ASP is similarly eclectic and often arises from personal discovery.  Afton developed an interest in teaching and worked while in law school as both a Teacher’s Assistant and as a Research Assistant.  Despite discouragement about barriers into the academic marketplace, Afton landed a position as an instructor at his alma mater (St. Mary’s) and now currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Law Success.  In this role, Afton manages a team of ASPers who focus on academic support, legal education, legal research and writing, and bar preparation.

Earlier this year Afton published Testing Privilege: Coaching Bar Testing Privilege: Coaching Bar Takers Towards “Minimum Competency” During the 2020 Pandemic.  Throughout the pandemic, Afton had been working with bar takers, and was inspired to write the article based on his experiences with coaching students during the unprecedented pandemic conditions.  The article is an insightful collection of emotions and experiences that he observed.  It is available here.

This past summer, Afton pioneered a new bootcamp at St. Mary’s for 49 incoming first-generation 1L students.  He is currently working on a paper that summarizes his experience in developing a program that makes the law school more welcoming to first-generation students.  In his own words, Afton remarked “We are molding a future generation of lawyers that will make the legal community a better and more welcoming place.”

This spring Afton will be busy helping with the launch of the nation’s first fully online JD program.  It is the first of its kind to be approved by the ABA.  Afton will teach legal research and writing to the inaugural class of the online program.

When asked for his opinion on the most rewarding part of being an ASPer, Afton said, “It’s all about the students…helping someone accomplish their dream is a big deal to me.”  Thank you, Afton, for your service to your students and being a role model for other ASPers.

2021 has been an especially busy year for Tania Shah. In June she published the book, The Ultimate Guide to the Uniform Bar Exam, which was co-written with Melissa Hale and Antonia Miceli. This thorough guide provides a “one stop shop” for all things UBE and covers everything from the basics of what is tested on the UBE to how to maximize scores on each section of the exam. She was also recently promoted to Director of the Academic Success Program at Western State College of Law. However, these accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg.

Tania is vastly organized and high energy, which allows her to work on a variety of interesting projects simultaneously.  In addition to teaching at Western State, Tania is a legal instructor in the Master of Legal Studies Program at Washington University School of Law. Tania also teaches for the Law Division of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing supplemental educational and career support to incoming Ivy League law students from underserved communities.

Tania is a successful serial entrepreneur. Tania owns LawTutors, LLC (a legal education company), Shah Law, LLC (a business law firm,) and is co-owner of In The Know Legal (a legal template company for women-owned businesses). Tania was recently featured in Boston Business Journal for her unique approach to business law for women entrepreneurs, and was noted as one of the Top 100 Attorneys for 2020, all while working full time in academia.

Tania was born and raised in Southern California, where she currently resides with her beloved rescue dog, Toothless Johnny. In her spare time, she loves to dance to 80’s and 90’s hip-hop.

Tina Schindler recently published an innovative bar preparation book, MBE Decoded. The book takes a fresh approach to MBE study, making the vast amount of MBE-tested rules manageable and understandable. The book includes rules for all MBE-tested black-letter law and instruction on an approach to use in solving MBE questions, with numerous visual examples. Rooted in learning science, the book facilitates student engagement, promotes deep rule understanding, increases MBE pattern recognition, and aids in critical memorization efforts. The book was written with frequent co-author, Mary Basick, and they presented on their MBE teaching methodology at the May 2021 AASE Conference in the session “Maximizing MBE Success in a Post-COVID World.” Utilizing the book principles with their students last year led to substantially increased MBE scores.

For more than a dozen years, Tina has designed numerous academic and bar exam support programs, created innovative curricula, directed bar preparation programs and pre-admission law school programs, taught courses and workshops in all bar-tested subjects, and published books that enable students to pass the bar exam. In addition to the new MBE book, Tina has also co-authored the popular bar preparation books Essay Exam Writing for the California Bar Exam and California Performance Test Workbook: Preparation for the Bar Exam. Both books are published with Wolters Kluwer and are in their second edition. Through her publications, she hopes to provide the tools necessary for bar takers nationwide to succeed on the bar exam.

Twinette Johnson began her teaching career in Academic Support program at Saint Louis University School of Law, where she also served as an Associate Professor of Legal Writing. Later she served as an Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Academic Success Program at Southern Illinois University School of Law where she earned tenure. While teaching full-time, Twinette earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy, with an emphasis in Higher Education Policy. Twinette is a groundbreaking member of the academic support community first, as one of the earliest academic support faculty members to earn tenure, and second as one of a growing number of ASPers appointed as a law school dean. Twinette served as Dean of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law until 2024, when she became Dean of Saint Louis University School of Law. Twinette is a groundbreaking leader in every sense of the word.

Given her impressive accomplishments, not surprisingly, Twinette was recently selected (as one of the few representing the Academic Success community) to be a member of the National Conference of Bar Examiner’s Content Scope Committee for the Next Generation Bar Exam. She will represent the expertise of the Academic Success community well since in addition to her education and voluminous teaching experience, Twinette also recently co-authored a bar preparation book, Advanced Legal Analysis and Strategies.

Twinette grew up in New Orleans and attended an all-girls Catholic high school, which had its roots in the black community. The school reinforced that its students, as black young women, were worthy and special.  The school’s nuns presented a rigorous curriculum as well as a service oriented approach to community.  The nuns demanded hard work and instilled in students a desire to support others with their gifts – traits that continue to guide Twinette’ s path as an educator.

Twinette is an avid walker and a skillful Galaga player. She also recently learned to belly dance. Twinette is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she is now recognized as a Silver Star since celebrating her 25th year as a member.

As a testament to her dedication to students, Queena Mewers was named Staff Member of the Year in a Student Development Role at the 2020-2021 UCI Law Leadership and Service Awards. This award is voted on by the SBA and student body. Her accomplishment is even more impressive in light of the heavy work load she undertook over the past year as the only member of the ASP department. She created and presented many skills-based presentations for 1Ls and 2Ls, while also overhauling the 3L skills-based curriculum and early bar prep resources.

Queena also recently co-authored, with Rachel Croskery-Roberts, a chapter titled “Helping Traditional Students Become Effective Online Learners in Both Synchronous and Asynchronous Environments,” which will appear in the timely book on online legal education by Tessa L. Dysart and Tracy Norton titled Law Teaching Strategies for a New Era: Beyond the Physical Classroom, with publication by Carolina Academic Press expected in August 2021. This scholarship evolved out of her work on UCI Law’s Teaching and Learning Committee, where Queena took a leadership role in training the faculty to transition to online learning, with many faculty members continuing to view her as a knowledgeable resource on effective online or remote teaching and learning methods. Students also benefitted from her targeted online learning instruction and a Canvas page full of resources. 

In recognition of her expertise, in October 2020, Queena was an invited presenter at the “Study Law Anywhere and Everywhere: Best remote learning practices” workshop organized by the National Consortium of Public Interest Law Schools (NCPILS) as part of its Public Interest Symposium. In addition to her expertise in online learning, Queena regularly presents at ASP and legal writing conferences on various topics including improving rule comprehension, crafting effective and actionable self-assessment questionnaires, and demystifying reading and understanding judicial opinions.

Allie Robbins is a well-known contributor to the Academic Support community and we congratulate her on her recent promotion at CUNY. Effective January 1, 2021, Allie was named the Interim Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Allie is well-liked and respected by students and colleagues alike, and was voted Outstanding Professor of the Year in 2019.

Allie has a history and passion for helping others. Her early scholarship focused on issues pertaining to employee rights, particularly marginalized workers in the garment industry. As she has devoted herself to working in the Academic Support field, her passion has been directed into preparing CUNY students to pass the bar exam. To that end she authored a bar prep reference guide, Passing The Bar: A Quick Reference Guide for Today’s Law Student, and writes and edits The Activist Guide to Passing the Bar Blog.

Allie recently wrote a creative piece for the COVID Care Symposium titled, Everything I Know about Teaching Was Reinforced by Auditing Remote Kindergarten.  Allie was inspired watching her son’s kindergarten class and identified six parallels between his class and what she knows about good class design. Her most recent article, Preventing Attrition: Critical Interventions to Close the Racial Gap in Non-Transfer Attrition, explores the hot topic issue of the high non-transfer attrition rate for students of color and provides concrete suggestions law schools can implement to close the attrition gap, which includes among other suggestions, greater faculty engagement in teaching metacognition and academic skills. Allie also co-authored another recent article, Measuring Law Student Success from Admissions Through Bar Passage: More Data the Bench, Bar and Academy Need to Know, which analyzed data pursuant to various factors and their relationship to bar passage at two schools over seven years, finding LSAT scores had a relatively low predictive value for bar passage.

At the 2021 meeting, the AALS section on Academic Support gave Marsha the Trailblazer Award. Marsha is a uniquely resonant voice in speaking to the current moment, and in leading the charge for change to professional licensure for the future. 

Marsha’s academic writing and conference presentations have moved bar prep into the mainstream of legal education. Most recently, she authored The Bar Exam and the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Need for Immediate Action, Ohio State Public Law Working Paper No. 537(2020), which provided a national voice for bar reform during the global pandemic. This article was followed immediately by another important work: An Epic Fail, which will be published in the upcoming edition of the Howard Law Journal. Additionally, she is a frequent contributor to the Law School Academic Support Blog and has presented at numerous national and regional conferences. She has also had her work cited by numerous national magazines and publications, including The National Jurist, the ABA Journal and Law.com. Her expertise has been sought by boards of law examiners and supreme courts across the nation. Prior to her most recent scholarship, she has published in the SMU Law Review Forum, and the Texas A&M Law Review.

Marsha is a colleague who always looks for opportunities to lend a helping hand. She not only diligently serves her current students and recent graduates at her law school, but assists law graduates across the entire country who seek out her guidance and input on the challenges ahead for alternative paths to licensure and how to improve access, opportunity and diversity in the legal profession.

At the 2021 meeting, the AALS section on academic support gave Paula Manning the Legacy in Leadership Awards. Paula has been instrumental in building and nurturing the discipline of academic support.  Paula is a mentor and guiding force for ASP colleagues across the country. Whatever the topic, Paula has provided guidance and wisdom to countless ASPers on the evolution of their programs, their teaching, their scholarship, and their professional development. Her advice is always insightful and thoughtful, and countless ASPers now possess stronger programs, students, and professional opportunities because of Paula’s contributions to our discipline. 

She worked with LSAC as a frequent organizer of early national and regional ASP conferences, and was a driving force behind the creation and evolution of AASE. Put simply, the field of Academic Support has grown stronger through Paula’s energy, passion, and insight.  

Paula’s research and scholarship have had a profound impact on the field.  Paula co-authored with Michael Hunter Schwartz the most recent edition of the field-changing Expert Learning for Law Students, wrote a Torts casebook in the Carolina Academic Press “Context and Practice” series, and has produced numerous influential law review articles on such topics as how to inspire creative growth-minded lawyers, and how to give productive feedback to law students.  

Paula is a gifted educator. She has been innovative in her own teaching and has developed strong programs that maximized the potential of her students at numerous schools. Her devotion to students is unparalleled, as she offers feedback that fosters effective, precise, and positive reinforcement. Her scholarship has also influenced many educators by examining core premises of what it means to be an effective legal educator.  Paula’s work has promoted progress in ASP and instilled change to law school classroom pedagogy.

Jeremy W. Hurley serves as the Associate Dean of Legal Studies & Professional Education at the Appalachian School of Law (ASL). He previously spent six years as Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Academic Success & Bar Preparation, where he oversaw ASL’s academic success, bar readiness, and learning outcomes initiatives. His work centers on student development and the design of academic pathways that support learners from orientation through the bar exam.

Although now in an administrative role, Dean Hurley remains deeply engaged in the Academic Success community through teaching, coaching, scholarship, and national presentations. His most recent project, Success in the Middle: Building Programs for Law Students Who Are Neither Failing Nor Thriving, earned the prestigious AccessLex-AASE ASP Faculty Scholar Program Grant for 2025-2026. His portfolio has expanded to include non-JD program development, institutional partnerships, and broader programmatic innovation that advances the mission of ASL. His greatest motivation comes from his family—his wife, Alex, their son Davis, their daughter Louisa, and their soon-to-be-born son Xander—who remind him daily of the purpose behind his work.

Dean Hurley was drawn to Academic Success because, as a first-generation college and law student, he understands how challenging the transition into law school can be. That experience revealed how many capable students are underserved by traditional models of support. Believing deeply that legal education can be transformative, he found Academic Success to be the area where this transformation is most visible and meaningful. It also provided the opportunity for him to design a data-driven, cradle-to-career support structure that emphasizes clarity, consistency, and intentional skill-building from the earliest stages of a student’s legal education.

A strong sense of service grounds his work, shaped by ASL’s presence in the heart of Appalachia—often described as a legal desert. In many ways, supporting law students here means strengthening the pipeline of future advocates who will serve Appalachian communities, a mission that continues to fuel his commitment to ASP.

In his approach to supporting students, Dean Hurley emphasizes clarity, structure, and direct communication. He blends honesty with compassion, believing that encouraging but unfiltered feedback is essential for student development. His work draws heavily from learning science, skill mapping, and habit formation, prioritizing consistency and intentional practice. He remains committed to providing students with the best resources, tools, and support systems available, cultivating an environment where they feel both challenged and supported as they strengthen their skills, confidence, and professional identity.

Dean Hurley often encourages students to pause and reflect on the reasons that brought them to law school. The opportunity to pursue a J.D. and work toward earning a license to practice law carries tremendous responsibility—one that ultimately empowers graduates to protect the life, liberty, and property of those in their communities who rely on strong advocates. When students reconnect with that purpose, they are better able to push through the difficult moments that accompany rigorous legal study. He emphasizes that their journey is a noble calling grounded in service, resilience, and integrity.

For Dean Hurley, the most rewarding aspect of this work is witnessing the transformation students undergo over the course of their education. He finds deep fulfillment in seeing overwhelmed 1Ls grow into thoughtful, capable, service-oriented new attorneys. He also treasures supporting graduates through the bar exam process and celebrating with them as they step into practice. He often says that the day a person learns they passed the bar exam is “on a very short list of life’s greatest moments”—and working in bar preparation allows him to share a small part of that joy with former students who succeed on their own examinations.

When you think of longevity and impact in the world of law school academic support, few names resonate as powerfully as Goldie Pritchard. For over fifteen years, Goldie has been the architect and steward of Michigan State University College of Law’s Academic Success Program. Originally making merely a one-year commitment, she has positively influenced generations of MSU law students.

Goldie’s journey to ASP was no accident. Her foundation in counseling and student affairs gave her the tools to listen deeply, ask good questions, and embrace silence as a space for growth. Over the years, she has adapted to shifting student needs, curricular changes, and the evolving demands of the legal profession.

Goldie’s influence extends far beyond East Lansing, MI. She has served on numerous committees for AASE and the AALS Section on Academic Support. She recently was presented with the AASE Committee Leadership Award. Her presentations at conferences like LexCon and LSAC’s RISE Alliance showcase her commitment to addressing systemic issues. Her stewardship of the Law School Academic Support Blog illustrates her dedication to knowledge-sharing. She is also a co-founder of the Academic Support Black Women’s Collective (ASBWC), a space designed to combat isolation and foster professional development. The ways Goldie has enriched our academic support community are absolutely incredible!

What makes Goldie’s tenure truly remarkable is her ability to maintain balance amid competing and ever-changing demands. She prioritizes self-care and self-respect, recognizing that burnout is a real risk in a field defined by high accountability and heavy workloads. In that spirit, she follows guidance from one of Lauryn Hill’s acclaimed songs: “How you gonna win, when you ain’t right within?” This lyric reminds Goldie that success begins with her inner-alignment. In a profession that often asks for everything, Goldie’s example teaches that sustainability comes from honoring oneself. Thank you, Goldie, for your contribution to the law school academic support community.