Appendix C Further Research Needed on the Major Transitions for Law Students
Further research on the major transitions experienced by law students needs to be undertaken. The survey data in Table 17 in Chapter 4 focused on major transitions as they relate to the first of our four PD&F goals. To complete study of major transitions and their effect on that goal, the next step is to replicate this survey of rising 2Ls at other law schools and compare the results to these data. In addition, legal educators need a similar survey of the transitions in the 2L and 3L years. Table 23 lists transitions that the authors believe should be included in a survey after the summer between the 2L and the 3L years, and in a survey at the end of the 3L year. The entire process of study might then be replicated to assess major transitions that affect a student’s development on the remaining three PD&F goals that are central to the formation of a law student’s professional identity.
Table 23 Transitions on ownership over a student’s continuous professional development that should be included in a survey after the summer between the 2L and the 3L years, and a survey at the end of the 3L year
| 1. All professionally authentic experiences (real-life or mimicking real-life) |
| a. All work experiences, paid or unpaid, especially the summer work experiences |
| b. All simulation experiences |
| c. All clinic experiences |
| d. Externship experiences |
| 2. Other experiences more indirectly related to a lawyer’s work |
| a. Search for summer employment in the summer between the 2L and 3L years |
| b. Search for postgraduation employment |
| c. Leadership experience in student organizations |
| d. Fall and spring final examination periods and grades |
| e. Bar application |
| f. Upper-level writing requirement |
| g. Pro bono or volunteer hours requirements |
| h. Experiences with Career and Professional Development Office |
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