Academic Achievement - Atlanta's John Marshall Law School

The Office of Academic Achievement (OAA) is a learning resource center focused on enhancing and optimizing the academic and critical thinking skills that underline law school success. OAA offers multiple opportunities for students to identify, strengthen, and leverage their academic skills through individual assistance, group workshops, and formal course offerings. Below is the academic programming offered through OAA.

All Students

Academic Counseling and Skill Building

Get individual targeted help and advice on building specific skills by completing this survey prior to your appointment.

Many students find discussing specific academic challenges or questions with a licensed attorney to be very valuable as they navigate law school. Set up an appointment to get advice regarding the key ingredients of a strong study schedule, important exam taking strategies on both essay and multiple choice exams, and additional advice on key academic skills, such as case briefing and course outlining/concept mapping. One-on-one counseling is the best way to seek expert advice on specific questions related to one’s individual academic performance.

Courses & Resources

1L Success

Legal Foundations

This course is an orientation program that provides instruction and assignments on key academic skills that underpin success in law school, on the bar exam, and in the profession. Academic Lab: To ensure students have continued support and iterative practice in the skills introduced and employed in Legal Foundations, students will attend a series of active skills workshops that orient students to the skills that drive law school success. This component is offered in the first semester of the first year.

Legal Methods

Students receive focused instruction and intensive practical experience in the application of skills and strategies associated with expert-level legal learning and problem-solving in this course offered to a select number of students in their second semester of first year.

2L Success

Mastering Legal Principles I (MLP I)

This course begins the three course programming for student’s success on the bar exam. The course provides an intense review of commonly tested bar exam subjects, as well as several opportunities to apply, practice, and access the various components of the bar exam, the multistate bar exam (MBE), and the state specific essay components of the bar exam.

3L Success

Mastering Legal Skills (MLS)

MLS introduces 3Ls to the Multistate Performance Test (MPT), a component of the Georgia bar exam and several other jurisdictions. Through this course, students actively employ these skills through multiple assessments and exercises. Students will receive instructive and practical feedback with regard to their individual MPT performance along with numerous strategies to succeed on the MPT.

Mastering Legal Principles II (MLP II)

Continuing on the foundations of Mastering Legal Principles I, MLP II completes the three course jumpstart to bar preparation. The course provides an intense review of commonly tested bar exam subjects as well as several opportunities to apply, practice and assess the various components of the bar exam, the multistate bar exam (MBE) and the state specific essay component of the bar exam.

Post Graduation Bar Support

Supplemental Bar Support: Studying for the bar exam is not something that you have to do alone without support and expert advice. After graduation, alumni are provided with an opportunity to participate in the bar success program. The supplemental bar success program is not intended to be a substitute for a commercial bar review, but rather is intended to be an added benefit and support program to alumni sitting and preparing for the upcoming bar exam.

Bar Coaching: Bar exam takers that participate in the supplemental program are paired with a bar review coach, a member of the OAA team who offers support and strategies to students as they prepare for this difficult exam.