{"id":110399,"date":"2024-06-20T09:39:31","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T13:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=110399"},"modified":"2024-06-21T16:11:50","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T20:11:50","slug":"building-on-a-tradition-of-excellence-empowering-every-bu-law-student-for-success","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2024\/building-on-a-tradition-of-excellence-empowering-every-bu-law-student-for-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Building on a Tradition of Excellence: Empowering Every BU Law Student for Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin record-block-editorial-leadin is-style-emphasis-on-text has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-secondary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1792\" height=\"2560\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"Angela Onwuachi-Willig\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-scaled.jpg 1792w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-445x636.jpg 445w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-717x1024.jpg 717w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-768x1097.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-1075x1536.jpg 1075w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-1434x2048.jpg 1434w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-578x826.jpg 578w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-477x682.jpg 477w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-722x1032.jpg 722w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-925x1321.jpg 925w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-241x344.jpg 241w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-370x529.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-482x688.jpg 482w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-741x1058.jpg 741w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-955x1364.jpg 955w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-1156x1652.jpg 1156w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-1445x2064.jpg 1445w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-1849x2642.jpg 1849w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2024\/06\/24-1019-LAWDEAN-010-2-700x1000.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1792px) 100vw, 1792px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Photo by Nicole Loeb <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-80\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Reflections<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBuilding on a Tradition of Excellence: Empowering Every BU Law Student for Success\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">From the Dean&#8217;s Desk<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar js-block-editorial-metabar record-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">June 20, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/authors\/angela-onwuachi-willig\/\">Angela Onwuachi-Willig<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph record-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-outlined has-dropcap has-dropcap-color-secondary has-dropcap-color-quaternary\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>Whenever I meet individually with alumni across the country, I hear two consistent themes from them, regardless of when they graduated from BU Law. First, alumni regale me with stories about the outstanding professors who taught them. They praise BU Law professors\u2019 dedication to and support for students as well as the excellent example faculty set for them as lawyers. Second, alumni praise the stellar education they received in the classroom and beyond, proclaiming that it provided them with the foundation they needed to excel as attorneys and a passion for continuous learning. These commitments to academic excellence, first-rate teaching, and mentoring remain as hallmarks of a BU Law education, and they continue to enable the law school to attract faculty of the highest caliber in teaching and scholarship. These core values and commitments also shape and ensure thoughtful design of our curriculum\u2014from the foundational, doctrinal courses of the first year to the practice-focused lessons of our award-winning <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/about\/offices\/legal-writing-appellate-advocacy-programs\/legal-writing-appellate-advocacy-programs\/first-year-writing-program\/\" target=\"_blank\">Lawyering Skills course<\/a> to the phenomenal experiential learning opportunities offered through clinics and externships during the second and third years.&nbsp;<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>No surprise, the latest investment in our curriculum design\u2014a newly expanded <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/academics\/academic-enrichment\/\" target=\"_blank\">Academic Enrichment Program (AEP)<\/a>, now led by an associate dean and two full-time faculty members\u2014seeks to enhance the outstanding educational experience we have long provided by offering greater academic support and enrichment for all of our students. Over the past few years, law schools across the nation have sought to strengthen the reach of their offerings with more robust academic support and enrichment programs. As the National Conference of Bar Examiners works to launch the new <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/nextgenbarexam.ncbex.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">NextGen bar examination<\/a> and as we seek to grapple with the effects of the pandemic on education at every level, we, too, are working hard to ensure that every student at BU Law\u2014regardless of their background\u2014has access to a high-quality educational experience in our law school. Such work is particularly salient as more and more students enter law school as I did decades ago\u2014with limited or no exposure or connection to real-life attorneys or the legal profession at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote record-block-bu-pullquote alignwide is-style-pop has-quaternary-theme has-dark-theme-text\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">Through faculty, peer, and alumni mentorship, our students will gain vital guidance from individuals who have stood in their shoes and traversed similar paths to success.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">Dean Angela Onwuachi-Willig<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The AEP is a multifaceted initiative aimed at providing students with the tools and holistic support they need to thrive academically and professionally. Its faculty-led programming offers targeted academic support designed to assist students with their coursework and the transition to law school. It also offers courses and workshops to help with bar examination preparation, including the soon-to-come NextGen bar exam, which is expected to launch in summer 2026, the summer when today\u2019s 1Ls will be graduating. The AEP also provides rich, one-on-one mentoring from faculty and peers, plus new opportunities for our alumni to engage. Through faculty, peer, and alumni mentorship, our students will gain vital guidance from individuals who have stood in their shoes and traversed similar paths to success.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">Under the exemplary leadership of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/geraldine-m-muir\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Associate Dean Gerry Muir <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/lisa-freudenheim\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Director and Professor Lisa Freudenheim<\/a>, the AEP is poised to make a profoundly positive impact on student success and well-being. Dean Muir and Professor Freudenheim bring a wealth of experience in legal education to this important program. That experience, coupled with their unwavering commitment to student empowerment, positions them as invaluable assets in our ongoing efforts to enhance the student experience and ensure all students will leave the law school with an even stronger foundation than their predecessors. Our students truly could not be in better hands. Our academic excellence dictates that we must never rest on our laurels but instead continually seek to improve, adapt to the changing legal and educational landscapes, and always provide exceptional preparation to our students.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whenever I meet individually with alumni across the country, I hear two consistent themes from them, regardless of when they graduated from BU Law. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20326,"featured_media":110404,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"{\"post_id\":110312,\"hed\":\"A Third Act\",\"dek\":\"Next Article\",\"class\":\"wp-block-editorial-billboard record-block-editorial-billboard has-media\",\"backgroundId\":\"110321\",\"backgroundUrl\":\"\\\/law\\\/files\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/24-1020-LAWLOGAN-004-970x456.jpg\",\"backgroundType\":\"image\",\"backgroundOpacity\":\"100\"}","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Reflections","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[1667,3801],"bu-publication":[3742],"record-article-category":[3764,4135,3786],"record-topic":[],"bu_edition":[4317],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/110399"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110399"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/110399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110804,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/110399\/revisions\/110804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110399"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=110399"},{"taxonomy":"record-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-article-category?post=110399"},{"taxonomy":"record-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-topic?post=110399"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=110399"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=110399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}