The Peter A. Allard School of Law offers an Academic Success Program that provides a variety of resources to law students. This program includes Academic Success Presentations and handouts, the Peer Tutor Program, and other valuable academic resources.
Peer Tutor Program
The Peer Tutor Program at the Allard School of Law matches first-year students with upper-year student volunteers who provide guidance on study skills, learning strategies, and exam-writing strategies. Students will be matched with tutors according to their professors, their learning and study style, and their personality. This ensures both academic and personal compatibility for a positive learning experience.
In addition to one-on-one guidance, peer tutors also provide valuable input for the academic success lectures presented by the law school. (Please see above). Please note that Peer Tutors cannot provide assistance with any written assignments, nor can they provide tutoring during the December or April exam periods.
Sign Up for Peer Tutoring
The Peer Tutoring program operates from late September each academic year. An email will be sent to the first-year class when the program is open for matching. Students should not request a peer tutor until the program is open (sometime after September 23, 2024). Students that are interested in being matched with a peer tutor should contact the Assistant Dean, Students. Students should indicate the name of their small group, their learning style, and any academic concerns they may have.
Academic Success Program Presentations & Handouts
Academic Success Presentations are presented throughout the year by the Assistant Dean of Students and peer tutors. The presentations are aimed at providing first-year students with practical information and tools for their academic endeavors. In addition, the presentations allow a forum for students to ask questions and have their concerns addressed.
The 2024-2025 Academic Success Lectures Schedule
- Law School Basics: Tuesday, September 11
- Canning for Success: Thursday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 15 (both lectures are identical)
- December Exam Tips: Tuesday, November 19 and Tuesday, December 3 (both lectures are identical)
- Revamping Your Law School Strategy: Thursday, January 16
- April Exam Tips: Thursday, March 26
All sessions are held at 12:45pm. These sessions are open to Allard Law JD and graduate students. Watch This Week at Allard Hall, and your email, for more information. More information is also available in the Allard School of Law online events calendar.
Access Lecture Materials
Materials from each session are available on the Academic Success @ Allard Law Canvas page.
Access 2023 Canvas Page (Requires CWL Login)
Lecture Descriptions
Staff Support
The Assistant Dean, Students, the Manager, Student Affairs, and the Associate Director, Indigenous Legal Studies are all available to meet with students who require academic support. Their contact information is available here.
Law Library Resources and Books
The Law Library is also a great resource for students and you can review their Academic Success Guide for more resources.
The Assistant Dean, Student also has a collection of books that are available to students to borrow:
Calleros, Charles R. Law School Exams: Preparing and Writing to Win. New York: Aspen Publishers, 2007.
Fischl, Richard M. and Jeremy Paul. Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams. North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 1999.
Hutchinson, Allan C. The Law School Book: Succeeding at Law School. Toronto: Irwin Law Inc., 2009.
McClurg, Andrew J. 1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School. Minnesota: Thomson/Reuters, 2009.
McKinney, Ruth A. Reading Like a Lawyer: Time-Saving Strategies for Reading Law Like an Expert. North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2005.
Ramy, Herbert N. Succeeding in Law School. North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2006.