Academic Success Initiatives

All admitted students participate in Foundations for the Study of Law, and they are invited to participate in the School’s Summer Advantage Institute in the summer before first-year classes commence, the First-Year Academic Success Program in the fall semester, and the Success Workshop Series in the spring semester. Students can also make individual appointments with the Academic Success team throughout the semester for guidance on their first-year study plans.

Foundations for the Study of Law

Beginning the week of Orientation, Foundations for the Study of Law (FSL) is a weekly skills course required for all entering students. It introduces students to the institutions and processes involved in making, interpreting, and applying law. FSL challenges students to develop the learning habits and attitudes, as well as the study skills, that they will need to be an effective law student. Specifically, FSL is designed to teach critical thinking skills, including critical reading and listening skills, that will lead to better understanding of the materials and instruction other law school courses. Furthermore, FSL will teach effective strategies for synthesizing information, frameworks for written legal analysis, strategies for metacognition, and critical tips for exam preparation.

Summer Advantage Institute

The Summer Advantage Institute (SAI) is a six-week program designed to introduce students to basic legal reasoning skills and professional standards of practice through interactive virtual workshops. Workshops are taught by a combination of NYLS faculty and staff who are eager to meet our newest community members and guide them in their transition to law school.

First-Year Academic Success Program

In the Day Division, the First-Year Academic Success Program (ASP) is a voluntary program that matches participants with a Teaching Fellow, a high-achieving, upper-level student who’s been selected especially for that role. Each Teaching Fellow leads their small cohort of first-year students through hour-long weekly skills sessions throughout the fall semester, which correspond with the weekly Foundations of the Study of Law course in the fall.

In the Evening Division, first-year students have the opportunity to work with Teaching Fellows who serve as teaching assistants for the Foundations for the Study of Law course in the fall. The Teaching Fellows also facilitate academic success workshops for first-year Evening Division students in the spring.

Teaching Fellows not only teach the skills that first-year students need to succeed, but also serve as mentors, helping first-year students adjust to and manage the demands of law school. By giving first-year students the opportunity to work together in small groups with guidance from an upper-level student mentor, First-Year ASP helps students learn collaboratively and build a network of support with their peers and Teaching Fellow.

Success Workshop Series

In the spring semester, the School continues to assist first-year students with periodic programming. The weekly Success in Second Semester series continues critical skills development as students thoughtfully reconcile their fall semester performance and sharpen core skills to match the expectations of spring semester, with the guidance of upper-division Teaching Fellows. In addition, Success in Oral Argument panels provide vital insight from second-year students on one of the spring semester's signature experiences—the appellate oral argument in Legal Practice.