Academic Support

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The Law School provides academic support to assist all students whether in their first year (1L), second year (2L), or third year (3L).

Miami Law's hallmark program, the Academic Achievement Program (AAP), focuses on student learning and the various factors that can affect student performance in law school. Its goal is to help students develop analytical and examination skills early in the law school experience and to provide continued support. The program has three major components:

• 1L Dean's Fellow Study Groups: First-year law students are given the opportunity to reinforce their own learning outside of class through study with top upper-level students, known as "Dean's Fellows." Through additional study sessions, fellows work with 1Ls in each of the areas of study required during 1L year – Torts, Property, Elements, Criminal Procedure, Civil Procedure, Contracts, and Constitutional Law. These sessions provide the opportunity to ask questions and further delve into foundational subject matter in a comfortable setting with fellow students.
• The Exam Workshop Series: The AAP provides exam-workshop lectures to assist 1Ls in adjusting to the rigors and requirements of law school exams, and law school life in general.
• Writing Dean's Fellows are available to work with all law students — 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls—and provide individual assistance with written work, including paper-editing, Bluebook citing, resume writing, case briefs, personal course outlines, practice exam review and general assistance in law school life. Writing Dean's Fellows have demonstrated strong command of essential legal research and writing skills as well as law school study and examination skills. Working individually with Writing Dean's Fellows provides students the opportunity to refine their legal writing and study skills in a friendly, stress-free environment.

In addition to assistance during law school, the James Weldon Johnson/Robert H. Waters Summer Institute assists student prior to starting their first semester. This program brings together new law students the summer before their first year for an intensive five-week introduction to case analysis, techniques of legal research, and the elements of legal writing. The program includes hands-on instruction and meaningful feedback on student writing.