Veritas, Vol. 15, No. 20, February 10, 1975

              Law Program Aids Instructors as well as Students
First-year students in the School of Law are beginning to reap the benefits of a unique tutorial program begun last semester by Dean Soia Mentschikoff. The program is two-pronged, with the seven tutorial instructors benefitting as much as the students.
The instructors are all recent graduates of Harvard and the University of Chicago law schools and were chosen by Dean Mentschikoff.
The purpose of the program, according to Dean Mentschikoff, is to give first-year law students training in legal research and problem analysis on a one-to-one basis with their instructors, and at the same time to give the young instructors a chance to find out what teaching law is like.
The students are divided into groups of not more than 45 and assigned one of the tutorial instructors. They are given assignments in legal writing and research until the instructor is satisfied with each student’s basic competence. Each student’s papers receive individual comments.
Assigned the same groups for two semesters, the instructors can become more familiar with the students and follow up on any problems individual students may have. For example, if some students received poor grades for the first semester, the instructor may give them practice in spotting legal issues and taking law exams.
Dean Mentschikoff said that this portion of the program has worked out well so far. Professor Richard Hausler, who teaches first-year contracts classes, said his final exam papers were the best he’s ever seen, and attributes this in great part to the tutorial instruction. Feedback from the students themselves also has been positive.
The tutorial instructors receive as much tutoring as do the students, with the objective of becoming first-rate legal educators.
None of the seven has been out of law school for more than one year, said Dean Mentschikoff. “They could have become assistant professors of law at some law schools, but here at UM they get the benefit of the program we have put together for them,” she said.
This consists of three seminars, held throughout the year: “Objectives of Legal Teaching,” by Dean Mentschikoff; “Empirical Legal Research,” by Dr. Ernest A. Haggard, associate director, Center for Interdisciplinary Study of Public Law; and “Economic Analysis of Legal Problems,” by Dr. Henry G. Manne,
director, Center for the Study of Law and Economics.
“By the end of these seminars,” said Dean Mentschikoff, “they will have some idea of what it takes to be a legal scholar, rather than just an assistant professor of law.”
The dean also schedules weekly
The various committees for the Institutional Self-Study have been appointed and now are engaged in discussing objectives, gathering data, considering problems and preparing to write their reports.
Involved in the study are 31 committees and a total of 241 students, staff, faculty, administrators, trustees and alumni. The
meetings with the tutorial instructors to advise them on how to handle problems that arise in class and to discuss other aspects of teaching law.
The instructors are appointed on a nine-month basis. If they still show a desire to teach after the first year, the dean will help place them in a law firm for two or three years’ work in their specialty, so
reports from the committees are due at the end of the current semester.
The committees and their chairmen are:
Steering Committee, Dr. John R. Beery (284-2423)
Objectives and Review of Recommendations, Dr. Whittington B.
they can see firsthand how the law operates beyond academic confines. With this experience, they will be better qualified to return to teaching.
Tutorial instructors for the first year of the program were selected only from the University of Chicago and Harvard law
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Johnson (284-5167)
Questionnaires & Technical Assistance, Dr. Armin H. Gropp (284-3930)
Editing, Dr. John R. Beery (284-2423) FRACHE Evaluation of Realization of Objectives, Dr. Murray Mantell (284-3391)
Organization and Administration, Dr. Taylor R. Alexander (284-3973)
Graduate Program & Research, Dr. Leonard J. Greenfield (284-3973)
Financial Resources, Dr. Douglas Duke (284-3626)
Development Affairs, Dr. William F. Lee (284-2433)
Faculty, Dr. Jack A. Reynolds (284-2163)
Iibrary-Learning Resources, Dr. Robert L. Kelley (284-3735)
Student Personnel Services, Ms. Claudia Rogers
Students and Student Life, Dr. John H. Croghan (284-3219)
Physical Plant, Mr. Benjamin B. Walters (284-2265)
Athletics, Dr. James C. Vadakin (284-5540)
General Education & Graduation Requirements, Dr. Bernard E. Howard (284-4220)
Undergraduate Admissions & Registrar’s Office, Dr. Harry P. Schultz (284-2174) Student Financial Aids, Dr. Dale L. Barker (284-3551)
Instructional Aids & Communication Services, Mr. Henry Hubinger (284-3064)
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Mrs. Lewis Rosenstiel puts finishing touches on bust of Maurice Gusman which was unveiled during the dedication of the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall on main campus January 31.
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Volume 15, Number 20
February 10, 1975
31 UM Self Study Committees Announced
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