Petition to Change Advanced Legal Writing to Pass/Fail

I am a 4L evening student

The fact that this course was thought up and implemented so quickly is immediately apparent. The videos at times contradict the written instructions. The rubric for the 2nd module punished me for actually reading and thinking, and then rewording the quotations in my own words. I then got points by just copying/pasting quotes. This is not teaching us anything. The video-based lectures are not respectful of students with different learning styles, who may need captions or some writings to follow. For the very small percentage of students who will actually argue before the Supreme Court, this course might be helpful. For the overwhelming majority of students, however, this class is meaningless and impractical. There are far better ways to assess our writing ability, which is admittedly an important part of a legal education. But those assessments could be built in to existing classes that focus on students' areas of interest, or Coach's first-semester class (writing for the bar exam) could be made mandatory.

I agree with the description of the petition. This class is poorly formatted and railroads students into writing what are essentially identical petitions for a writ of certiorari. There is insufficient guidance and the rubric is so strict as to defy writing's nature as a creative endeavor. And yet, despite the rubric's stringent requirements the scores vary wildly from section to section for no discernible reasons beyond the graders' proclivities towards harshness or leniency. While some amount of variance is inevitable, my fellow students are suffering because they were not as fortunate as I was to get a professor who follows the rubric but also applies common sense. Please hear your students' pleas and change this course to pass/fail.

Given that the original requirements of my degree did not include this course, or any course, for such high stakes, I would be pursuing a breach claim if I am not awarded a JD on the merits of my education per the original requirements.

A single credit for a pilot test course that's only being offered in the final semester of our Law School career. A SINGLE CREDIT course that could prevent someone from sitting for the July Bar Exam. Pass/Fail is a necessary and fair implementation.

The administration has once again displayed a troubling lack of foresight and disregard for our success by mandating a pilot course during our most critical semester in law school. At this stage, we are already managing an intense academic workload, balancing major assignments, projects, and critical preparations that will significantly impact our final outcomes. Implementing an untested course structure under these circumstances has added unnecessary stress and uncertainty to the already overflowing laundry pile of anxiety we are carrying. While innovation in curriculum design is important, it should be introduced with careful planning and consideration to ensure it supports, rather than disrupts, student success.

The administration has once again displayed a troubling lack of foresight and disregard for our success by mandating a pilot course during our most critical semester in law school. At this stage, we are already managing an intense academic workload, balancing major assignments, projects, and critical preparations that will significantly impact our final outcomes. Implementing an untested course structure under these circumstances has added unnecessary stress and uncertainty to the already overflowing laundry pile of anxiety we are carrying. While innovation in curriculum design is important, it should be introduced with careful planning and consideration to ensure it supports, rather than disrupts, student success.

On behalf of the families of students at NELB this class has laid an undo and cumbersome burden on the students ambushed and forced to take this class who have been provided with little guidance or support. This class rather than laying a groundwork for a successful legal career has instead forced this extremely promising group of young legal minds to act as lab rats or “guinea pigs” thereby hindering their ability to focus and excel at the many important and career furthering tasks that these students have undertaken in their final semester at NELB. It is preposterous when a core value of NELB is “ Excellence in our educational and other institutional endeavors” to force students in their last semester to take a mandatory class when it is still in an experimental stage. If NELB is truly committed to “ preparing students to be successful lawyers and leaders in the public and private sectors through integrated practical, theoretical, and ethical education of the highest caliber” then this class should be made pass/fail and an in depth audit should be done by the administration of the curriculum, the instruction process, and the grading of assignments. As a family member of a student at this fine institution it is disheartening to see the lack of care for all students that has been demonstrated by the school through this class.

The rubrics within this course deprive any "lawyer=to-be" of communicative free-will and academic creativity. Thus frustrating the honorable student whom seeks to pursue the virtue of knowledge, and further their practice of law. #AllGloryToDavidSiegel

This class stinks

Some professors provide feedback on the assignments too close to the deadlines. This does not allow students to have enough time to incorporate the feedback in their next assignments.

The vast difference in grades among the sections say it all… This course was poorly planned, expectations are unclear, and students are expected to copy and paste rather than developing their own strong writing skills.

Very unfair grading, not helpful, pompous professor, counterintuitive and counterproductive to our actual LRW course

This class is ridiculous with different standards for every section.

New England Law Boston erred in their decision to pilot an experimental curriculum for a mandatory writing course during our final semester of law school. Students must not be penalized for the administration’s failed opportunity to launch a successful legal writing program in time for the class of 2025 to meet standard accreditation requirements for graduation.

I agree with the description of the petition.

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