Law School Brief
Welcome to AABS’s Law School Brief! Here you will find advice, tips, strategies, and information to help you perform at your best academically, intellectually, and emotionally throughout your law school journey and beyond. Whether you are pre-law, 1L, 2L, 3L, 4L, or a graduate taking the bar exam, we have something for you.
Addressing Childcare Challenges for GA Bar Exam Candidates: A Resource Guide
September 19, 2024
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success and Associate Professor of Legal Practice As law school graduates prepare for the bar exam, discussions around potential impediments to success often center on the main resource challenges they face: time, financial constraints, study materials, and dedicated study environments. However, it is crucial to… Read More
New Federal Rule of Evidence 107: Illustrative Aids
August 29, 2024
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success and Associate Professor of Legal Practice Those studying for bar exams in February 2024 and beyond should be aware that a new rule will become effective in December 2024 in the Federal Rules of Evidence (‘FRE’). FRE 107, titled ‘Illustrative Aids,’ will solve an… Read More
FRE 106: The Rule of Completeness, Now Even More Complete!
October 2, 2023
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success and Associate Professor of Legal Practice Future bar exam takers take heed! The Federal Rules of Evidence (‘FRE’) will receive three significant updates at the end of 2023. These updates will impact FRE 106, FRE 615, and FRE 702. As all of these are… Read More
Remembering Real Covenants: PINT + Wings
June 28, 2022
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success When it comes to preparing for the bar exam, one of the hardest concepts for students is the dreaded ‘covenants running with the land.’ The terms ‘real covenant’ and ‘equitable servitude’ conjure up almost as much dread as the acronym ‘RAP,’ but the reality… Read More
Law School Graduation: Appreciate the Moment
May 17, 2022
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Law school graduation is an easy thing to overlook. For the past years, you have been stressing about arriving at this point in your life, and yet now that final exams are over the entire world seems to be encouraging you to solely focus… Read More
Fuel Your Fire: Avoiding Burn-Out, Mental Fatigue, and Keeping Your Eyes on the Prize
September 23, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success It’s the end of September, and in normal circumstances, that means that many law students are experiencing fatigue, exhaustion, and burn-out, while simultaneously experiencing anxiety, fear, and worries about impending midterms. Add to that mix concerns about a global pandemic, navigating virtual classes, combine… Read More
AABS Right Way Writing: Grammar Help
September 14, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Grammar. The word itself is often enough to trigger anxiety, and depending on your background and experience, you may have various concerns you want to address, but you may not be sure where to go to address those concerns. Never fear, AABS is here!… Read More
Zooming In, but Zoning Out? Top Ten Tips to Maintain Focus in a Virtual Class Environment
September 2, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Assistant Dean of Academic Achievement and Bar Success The most frequent concerns I hear from students around any shift to a virtual environment are in regards to staying focused, paying attention, and making sure they continue to learn and expand their knowledge. Many students express frustration around the difficulties of concentrating in… Read More
Bar Exam July 2021: Your Best is Yet to Come
July 14, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success The July 2021 bar exam is right around the corner, and this is a stressful time. As the bar exam dates get closer, future examinees tend to put a lot more emphasis and react more strongly to how they performed ‘today.’ The sense of time… Read More
Advance Bar Prep Part Two: Friends and Family
May 1, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success In Part One of this series on Advance Bar Prep, we discussed the importance of “Understanding Your Why” to help you maintain motivation, to encourage daily success efforts, and to help you avoid creating mental barriers to your own success. Part Two of this series… Read More
Advance Bar Prep Part One: Understanding Your Why
April 26, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success In part one of this series on advance bar prep planning, I want to discuss the importance of engaging in a thoughtful, purposeful approach at the beginning of the bar preparation process. Too often, recent law school graduates wait until the start date of their… Read More
Georgia Bar Exam News, Graduating Students Workshops, and Bar Preparation Information
March 24, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success It is hard to believe that the bar exam is already on the horizon, but remember that July is only a few months away. There have been many questions about whether the Georgia Bar Exam will be in-person or administered remotely, and today the Georgia… Read More
The Day Before the Bar Exam: Finish Your Journey Strong
February 22, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Today, I wanted to share with you a quote from Herb Brooks, who was the head coach of the 1980 U.S Olympic Hockey team that defied the odds and won the gold medal. He said: “Great moments are born from great opportunity.” The day before… Read More
A Decade and a Dream: Let Evelyn Uba Be Your Inspiration to Succeed
February 8, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success As the bar exam draws ever closer, nerves, anxiety, and fears of failing often begin consuming bar takers, and that is why today I wanted to share the story of Evelyn Uba with you. You likely don’t know Evelyn, and in fact, you may have… Read More
Bar Prep in February: Finish Epically
February 1, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success It’s hard to believe, but February is here! It is with that thought in mind that I share this quote with you: “Starting off strong is good. Finishing strong is epic.” ~Robin Sharma This is a peculiar time of year. Those with their eyes forward… Read More
Bar Prep Motivation: Almost There
January 25, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success It is that time of year. Bar preparation has been in full swing for a good while now, and your motivation might begin lacking. You might be getting tired of reading, and the thought of writing another essay or doing another question set may seem… Read More
Bar Exam Motivation: MLK Day 2021
January 18, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Martin Luther King, Jr, once said the following: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” On this day honoring and remembering him and his… Read More
Bar Prep Advice: It’s Okay to Hate Bar Prep
January 12, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success One thing you may not know about me is that I am a huge fan of sports – all sports – from the mainstream to the obscure, I really enjoy the thrill of both competing personally and watching others in their athletic pursuits. As you… Read More
Learn Hearsay the Easy Way: 7 Simple Steps
January 4, 2021
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Introduction When it comes to the bar exam, one of the areas that students struggle with the most is evidence, and within that topic the biggest struggle seems to occur in the world of hearsay. This article will teach you how to take hearsay from… Read More
Failed the Bar Exam? Don’t Worry. It’s Going to Be Okay.
December 16, 2020
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~Winston Churchill Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and John F. Kennedy, Jr., all have something in common – they failed the bar exam. The fact of… Read More
Monday Motivation: Woman Takes Bar Exam While in Labor, Gives Birth, then Finishes the Exam the Next Day – and Passes!
December 7, 2020
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Happy Monday! I hope that this Monday following this all-too-short weekend finds you healthy, well-rested, and with your eyes firmly on the prize of your ultimate goal – passing the bar exam! There are a variety of factors and obstacles that can impact your journey… Read More
You, Me, and the MPRE: 2021 Dates and Deadlines
November 19, 2020
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success One of the key things discussed in our original You, Me, and the MPRE series is the importance of allocating a proper amount of time to study for the MPRE exam. Of course, how can anyone plan accordingly if they don’t have the dates and… Read More
AJMLS Project 470: Supplemental Bar Success Program for First-Time Takers
November 11, 2020 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success When it comes to the bar exam, there are a lot of factors that come into play in order to achieve success. However, one of the biggest indicators of success is the amount of quality study time that students invest in their preparation. Time and… Read More
Wondering If You “Belong” in Law School? Feeling Like an Imposter? Part 2
October 14, 2020
Don’t worry. It’s completely normal. Part 2 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Introduction: Law Students and Impostor Syndrome In Part 1 of this post, we discussed how students here at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) or any law school, can fall victim to negative self-talk and doubts. The… Read More
Wondering If You “Belong” in Law School? Feeling Like an Imposter? Part 1
October 13, 2020
Don’t worry. It’s completely normal. Part 1 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Introduction: Law Students and Impostor Syndrome If you are like many law students over the years here at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (‘AJMLS’), you can probably relate, at least in part, to the following quote: “I… Read More
You, Me, and the MPRE – Part 4
October 12, 2020
MPRE Study Timelines and Review Strategies Part 4 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success In the previous parts of this MPRE series, we have had an introduction to the MPRE, looked at the 5 W’s, reviewed the four free recommended resources, and generally gotten a good sense of what you… Read More
You, Me, and the MPRE – Part 3
October 11, 2020
MPRE Resources Part 3 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success After introducing you to the MPRE, in Part 1 of this MPRE series we partook in a high level overview of the exam. In Part 2, we reviewed what subjects are tested. Today, in Part 3, we will take a… Read More
You, Me, and the MPRE – Part 2
October 10, 2020
What Is Tested on the MPRE? Part 2 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success In Part 1 of this 4-part series, we took a high-level look at the MPRE, reviewing the exam basics and the requirements to achieve a passing score. In Part 2, we will dive deeper into the… Read More
You, Me, and the MPRE – Part 1
October 9, 2020
The 5 W’s of the MPRE Part 1 Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Previously, in the introduction to this MPRE series, I engaged in a brief overview of the exam, including what states require a passing score, what kind of mindsets students approach the exam with, and then provided… Read More
You, Me, and the MPRE – Introduction
October 8, 2020
Written by: Scot Goins, Director of Academic Achievement and Bar Success Introduction One of the hurdles that the vast majority of law students will face on their journeys to becoming licensed attorneys here at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (‘AJMLS’) is the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (the ‘MPRE’). In fact, unless you are intending to… Read More