Academic Success Program

The Academic Success Program has three components:  

  1. a first-year program (LEAP I)
  2. a 2L/3L program (LEAP II)
  3. a bar support program (SOAR).

LEAP 1

For first-year students, the program begins with a three-day Pre-orientation for approximately 35 entering 1Ls, as well as a shorter one-day "LEAP Express" Program open to 25 students if the demand for the three-day program is too great.  Students selected to participate in the three-day Pre-orientation are also eligible to join structured study groups in two of their major first-year subject areas in the fall. Throughout the year, LEAP I also offers all 1Ls an opportunity to participate in support groups, reading programs, and open lectures on topics ranging from logic to grammar to exam-writing.  Limited tutoring services as well as one-on-one academic counseling are also available.

All 1Ls receive information over the summer before the start of school concerning first-year LEAP services, and are invited to apply to participate in LEAP Pre-orientation if they feel it would be beneficial to them.  Students from non-traditional backgrounds or who have an atypical educational profile are particularly encouraged to apply.

LEAP 2

A program for 2L and 3L students (LEAP II) is being initiated in 2007-08, and it will continue to develop and expand over the next few years.  In 2007-08, the Director of LEAP will work with the Academic Affairs and Student Services Offices to contact all 2Ls and 3Ls whose grades indicate that they are struggling academically and may be at risk for not passing the bar.  Those students will be offered opportunities to work individually or in small groups with the Program Director to assess the causes of their academic difficulty and to develop a plan to acquire fundamental academic skills such as reading, logic, memory, time management, and goal-setting with which they may be struggling.  They also will be eligible for limited tutoring services, as resources allow.  In future years, a for-credit course component may be added to the array of services offered in the 2L/3L services developed through LEAP II.

SOAR

The SOAR program, led by the Interim Deputy Director of RRWA & LEAP, offers weekly workshops throughout the summer on critical non-doctrinal preparation topics such as essay exam-writing, time management, and relaxation.  In addition, SOAR connects former students to each other, to information about the North Carolina State Bar, and to practice exercises online through Blackboard.  The SOAR Director is also available to meet with students who are struggling in their preparation or who would like to have practice essay questions reviewed for their effectiveness.