Academic & Bar Success Program

Welcome to the Office of Academic & Bar Success.  Our office includes -  Erin Engels – Director, Jima Fahnbulleh, Associate Director, and Danny Perdue, Administrative Assistant. Our offices are located on the first floor with the law school clinic - rooms 111. You can also email us at abslaw@iu.edu. Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday except during school holidays. Evening appointments are available upon request. 

The Office of Academic and Bar Success assists McKinney law students from orientation until the bar passage. For many, law school is unlike any previous educational, career, or personal experience, and students can quickly feel overwhelmed and unprepared. From developing new study skills to helping students improve academic performance to ultimately passing the bar – the Office of Academic and Bar Success offers help every step of the way. The Program focuses on critical thinking and the accompanying analytical skills necessary to be a successful law student and lawyer.

Appointments

Students at any stage of their law school career can schedule a one-on-one academic strategy session to discuss methods to improve academic performance, obtain feedback on course outlines or practice exams, seek advice on academic skill development or general study and time management, discuss bar preparation planning, or to ask any other questions. Face to Face and Zoom appointments are available. Schedule an appointment in McKinney Works.

General Academic and Bar Support Services:

• Coaching and Skills Development: JD students can schedule strategy sessions with the Academic and Bar Success team to help identify where they are struggling and to develop targeted plans addressing study and critical thinking skills. Schedule an appointment in McKinney Works.

• McKinney Academic and Bar Success Canvas Page: All of your academic and bar support resources can be found in one central location. The Canvas page includes advice on academic skills development, links to useful study aids, and general information about the bar exam, the MPRE, and bar review courses. Email for access.

Fall 1L Year

• Orientation Sessions on preparing for class.
• Responsible Lawyering classes on exam preparation and studying.
• Supplemental workshops on outlining and other topics.  Workshops can be in person or on-demand through the Academic and Bar Success Canvas page depending on the topic. All in-person workshops are offered twice, once during the day and once in the evening, so that all students may attend.
• Tabling Q & A sessions before mid-terms and final exams.
• Final exam practice using Exam 4.
• Dean's Tutorial Society: DTS offers peer-to-peer support in a variety of ways. Legal Communications and Analysis (LCA) Fellows provide support for LCA legal writing assignments. DTS Fellows participate in the 1L Workshop Series, and provide advice through short videos on the Canvas page.

Spring 1L Year

• Dean’s Tutorial Society: DTS LCA Fellows meetings continue in the spring semester. In addition, in the spring semester, DTS Fellows provide individualized support and mentoring for students who need additional support.
• Fall Semester Reflections: 1Ls are encouraged to meet with the Academic and Bar Success team during the Spring semester to review academic performance and continue working on foundational skills. Performance on first semester exams provides useful insight into study skills and exam preparation, and the Academic and Bar Success team can help you make sense of the feedback received on your exams.
• Certain 1Ls are required to meet with the Academic and Bar Success team during the spring semester to assess academic performance, identify factors that may have impacted student success, and continue developing foundational skills (see Standards for Academic Probation and Dismissal).

2L Year

• Academic Success Consultations: 2L students are encouraged to meet with the Academic and Bar Success team to continue improving analysis, writing, and study skills. Certain 2Ls are required to meet with the Academic and Bar Success team during the second year to assess academic performance, identify factors that may have impacted student success, and continue developing foundational skills (see Standards for Academic Probation and Dismissal).

3L Year

• Bar Exam Substance, Strategies, and Tactics: This course is designed to prepare students for the bar exam by focusing on skill development necessary to be successful on all components of the Uniformat Bar Exam (UBE), including the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and Multistate Performance Test (MPT) components of the exam. Students will receive in-depth skill instruction on reading comprehension, issue identification, rule mastery, critical thinking, and legal analysis.  Students will also gain a strong conceptual understanding and knowledge of highly tested doctrines and will be taught how to develop, use, and apply a flexible but strong analytical framework to solve bar exam problems. Class registration is limited to students who need additional assistance preparing for the bar exam. Invitations are sent to eligible students before registration opens each semester.
• Bar Week: Each semester we kick off the bar application period with a week of activities designed to support students sitting for the bar exam. Bar Week occurs is the first week of October and the first week of March each year.  
• McKinney Academic and Bar Success Canvas Page: Many of your questions about the bar exam are answered on our canvas site.  Email for access.
• If you still have questions after reviewing the canvas site, we are happy to meet with you.  Schedule a meeting on McKinney Works.

Post Graduation Bar Support

• One-on-One Support: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to preparing for the bar exam. The Academic and Bar Success team is available to help with study schedules, developing methods for memorization and recall, skill development for specific components of the bar exam, and providing additional feedback on practice exams. We also work closely with alums retaking the exam and will spend time reviewing your exam answers and developing a strategy for success.
• McKinney Bar Boost: A supplementary bar preparation program consisting of in-person workshops to improve bar performance, self-guided practice, and a robust canvas site. All graduates registered to take a bar exam are invited to join the site. The Bar Boost site opens in December for February takers and in May for July takers. To request access to McKinney Bar Boost, please email abslaw@iu.edu.