National Jurist - September 2007 - (Page 10)

NEWS PHOTO BY MELISSA STOTTLEMYER Law school causes emotional stress, study finds Law school is an exceptionally stressful experience—more so than medical school, said two professors in a recent study. Research suggests that informing law students on the realities of depression, disengagement and a shift of values is key to their success, said Lawrence Krieger, a law professor at Florida State University. Krieger and Kennon Sheldon, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Missouri at Columbia, completed a three-year study of two different, unidentified law schools. The study, “Understanding the Negative Effects of Legal Education on Law Students,” confirmed earlier findings of emotional distress among law students and delved deeper to address their motivation and values. Law students experience precipitous declines in their mental health during their first year, the study showed. Krieger and Sheldon concluded that those declines are primarily due to the tenets of legal education, which encourage students to focus on strict interpretation of law instead of previously held moral and practical values. Krieger said the key point to the study is that it simplifies things for law schools. “You need to create an environment that makes students feel the most supported,” he said. But Krieger also said it’s critical for students to know their definition of success. “If you pick a definition that is abundant — high grades and high money — it’s not going to make you happy,” he said. “Students need to know that success is remaining true to all their values, being very thoughtful and understanding what it takes to live a happy life.” Krieger said the research generated at the two law schools isn’t the end of the study. He plans to do additional research and publications with Sheldon. —Michelle Weyenberg Judge approves $49 million BAR/BRI settlement Approximately 300,000 current and former law students are set to collect about $125 each, after a judge approved a multimillion dollar BAR/BRI settlement in July. The long-awaited $49 million deal was approved only after the judge rejected incentive payments to five class representatives, claiming they had conflicts of interest. The class action suit alleged that West Publishing and Kaplan Inc., both major players in the legal test prep market, cut a secret deal to give West’s BAR/BRI a virtual monopoly over bar review courses, and Kaplan less competition in LSAT preparation classes. At a settlement hearing in June, the judge asked plaintiffs’ lawyers to provide time records reflecting the hours worked by five of the seven class representatives, who each stood to receive a potential incentive award of $25,000 or $75,000 from the settlement, according to the National Law Journal. William Allcott, an attorney for McGuireWoods, said that he was pleased with the judge’s decision. Loredana Nesci, a lead plaintiff in the case, said she’s been talking to an attorney about bringing a case of legal malpractice against McGuireWoods. In March, Nesci told the National Jurist that she had concerns as to why her attorneys were so quick to agree to the settlement. The original goal of the lawsuit was to prevent BAR/BRI from “continuing to monopolize the market,” she said. Former McGuireWoods partner Eliot Disner was also unhappy, and has filed briefs raising new arguments against the settlement. Allcott said the case was extensively litigated. “It was settled after mediation through a highly respected mediator on the eve of the trial,” he said. “The court agreed that the settlement was in the best interest of the class as a whole.” BAR/BRI declined to comment on the case. Those affected by the lawsuit are people who purchased a full-service bar review course from BAR/BRI anywhere in the United States any time from August 1997 through July 31, 2006. —Michelle Weyenberg 10 THE NATIONAL JURIST September 2007 New textbook breaks the mold A new law school textbook is breaking the traditional mold of teaching and learn-

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - September 2007

National Jurist - September 2007 Contents Free Speech Disturbing the Peace For the Record Judge Approves $49 million BAR/BRI Settlement Law School Causes Emotional Stress, Study Finds New Textbook Breaks the Mold Southern Illinois Settles Lawsuit with Christian Legal Society Ave Maria Law Professors Protest School’s Move The Firm Report Student Hoax Shuts Down Hastings Law NCCU Grad Expands Her Program for Troubled Kids Hawaii Grad Finds Excitement in Saving Whales Diversity Hampering Whittier Accreditation? The Paper Chase Chronicles The Supreme Court: An Insider’s View Detroit Mercy’s Innovative Changes Pay Off Career Hotline The J.D. Files

National Jurist - September 2007

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