Goals

To provide academic support to law students in their endeavors to pass the bar the first time and become outstanding lawyers. To target students who would benefit from academic support and provide variety of programs for students performing below level with a view to increasing the bar passage rate, reducing the attrition rate thereby increasing the retention rate.

To achieve these goals TMSL hosts many programs that enhance educational development and provide support geared towards meeting the needs of our students. Such programs are:

• Academic Advising
• Academic Mentorship Program
• Academic Workshops
• Peer Tutors
• Professor Led Tutorials
• Study Aids
• Academic Support Services
• Bar Preparation Program (Bar orientation class)
• Tutorial Programs for "at risk" students

Academic Advising
TMSL students meet with the Director of Academic Support Programs for a variety of academic advising. The students get help with making their own individual study scheduled, learn time management, learn how to study efficiently, and how to calculate their GPA to meet the requirements needed to achieve academic excellence.

Academic Mentorship Program
Students are matched with faculty members or other upper classmen who will provide them with assistance throughout the first year. This assistance may include help with tutoring, resume writing, course selection and other concerns that a student may have. The overall goal is to make the law school experience as easy as possible.

Academic Workshops
Workshops are organized in-house for students. Presenters at these workshops include TMLS faculty, peer groups, and outside consultants.Workshop Topics include:

• Time and stress management.
• How to succeed in law school.
• Briefing cases for classes.
• How to make your own outline in law school.
• Test taking strategies.
• How to overcome exam anxiety.
• How to write a good bar examination.
• How to pass the bar examination.
• Legal writing and analysis.

Peer Tutorials
Tutors are provided for each section of the first year class through the office of the Academic Support Programs. Tutorial programs are designed to assist first year students in their study of law. Tutorials are provided in the substantive areas of Tort Law, Contract Law, Property Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure Law. Each section is assigned a Student-tutor who will review the above materials and provide study help to the students. Supplemental tutorials are provided for those found at the bottom 25% of the first year class after the first semester to help reduce the attrition rate.

Professor Led Tutorials
TMSL professors are called upon from time to time to hold tutorials on specific areas of concern identified by students. They also hold reviews before the final exams to clear up areas of confusion as the need arises for the IL class. Reviews are also held for those found at the bottom 25% of the 2L class.

Academic Support Services
Legal Education Advancement Program (LEAP). This is a pre-admission program designed for those students whose predictors place them at the bottom of the index.

Practicing Law Institute (PLI) online programs for those students taking the MPRE and the Bar examination CALI CD ROM interactive lessons on a variety of law school courses to help students with their studies. Bar Orientation class created to help students prepare for the bar examination. Students in this class take past exam questions and get feedback on their writing, analytical skills and task handling abilities. The class is designed to take the students through the entire three days of the Texas bar examination, teach them exam strategies, and make them see that passing the bar the first time is not a dream but a reality.

The Office of Academic Support Programs is here to support and enhance your academic experience at the Law School.

Contact Person:
Ijeoma Opara LLB, BL, JD. Attorney-at-Law.
Director of Academic Support Programs/Instructor
Texas Southern University
Thurgood Marshall School Law
3100 Cleburne
Houston, Texas 77004
PH: 713-313-1140
Fax: 713-313-1049
Email: Ijeoma Opara