Ellen Podgor, a law professor at the Stetson University College of Law, is working to increase pre-law students’ understanding of the way the American legal system — especially the first year of law school — works.
Podgor is a part of the U.S. Law Project, an initiative that combined the expertise of 17 law professors from across the United States to create a book, Overview of U.S. Law, and a series of broadcasts for an accompanying online course. Each professor has their own chapter and corresponding broadcast, authored and hosted by them. Topics, which range from typical first-year law classes like contracts and torts to “hot issues” like intellectual property, are covered in 20-page chapters and two-hour online sessions.
Because students are expected to be able to keep up with the rigors of law school and have a basic understanding of the U.S. legal system prior to their first-year, Podgor said the U.S. Law Project would benefit foreign students and those who need a little extra help.
“This is an important step for some students to learn the terminology that they may not be familiar with before law school,” Podgor said. “It’s sort of like a head start to bring up to the level of other students that might be in the class.”
The U.S. Law Project was designed for students who are coming to the United States to study law and who may not have English as a first language, individuals who Podgor calls “at-risk,” such as those with a science or statistical background, or people who have been in the workforce for many years before returning to law school and even just potential law students who want a better feel for what their first year will bring. Podgor and her colleagues hope that the American legal system will feel more accessible to those who read the book and follow the course.
“I don’t know of any project that there is in the U.S. or worldwide that has put together not only a casebook, but also a course that accompanies the casebook that can serve the communities that we aim to serve here,” she said. “
For more information, see the U.S. Overview Intro.
— by Jennifer Pohlman
