Educational Debt and Law Student Failure to Enter Public Service Careers: Bringing Empirical Data to Bear

It is frequently suggested that law school debt is preventing new law school graduates from entering public service careers. The basis for this contention is largely anecdotal, however. This study puts the presumption to empirical scrutiny. Aggregate data from law schools and individual-level data from law students both point to the same conclusion: law students may indeed be competing in a money chase, but it is not because of their indebtedness. Private firms with prestige and high salaries are appealing to many students regardless of their debt burden. And government and public interest jobs may be in too short supply to meet the demand of non-elite students who are essentially closed out of the high-paying jobs in larger firms. The biggest barrier between these students and public service jobs may be the lack of supply of these jobs, not the lack of demand for them.     

The Joy of Violence: What about Violence is Fun in Middle-School?

Violence prevention programs that aim to ameliorate or eliminate school-based violence (student-on-student victimization) often assume that students, like adults, regard school-based violence as aversive, harmful, problematic, and without any redeeming value. Nonetheless, students may experience violence as fun or enjoyable at school, and they may not see a reason to prevent violence if it brings them joy on some level. This study examined qualitative data from 30 face-to-face interviews with students (grades 6–8) in a single middle school. Content analyses clarified the social contexts in which students experience violence as fun, not fun, or a mixture of both. The results suggested that 70% of all sampled students reported enjoyable experiences with school-based violence. Conclusions examined the implications of these findings for prevention programs; future research is needed to correct for the methodological limitations of this study and others.     

Student disability claims in the UK and USA: does the jurisprudence converge?

Laws in the UK and the USA protect college students with disabilities from discrimination. The laws of both nations are complex and require institutions of higher education to accommodate qualified students. This article examines the requirements of both nations’ laws with respect to the kinds of inquiries that may be made of students with disabilities, how the institution must go about determining what accommodations are needed, whether the needed accommodations are reasonable and consistent with academic standards or requirements, and whether the institution is required to attempt to accommodate undisclosed disabilities. The article also discusses how the laws in each nation are enforced, addresses the remedies that are available to students in both nations, and focuses on the interpretation of these laws with respect to admission, academic accommodations, nonacademic accommodations (such as housing, student discipline, and co-curricular activities). It also discusses the institution's duty to students with psychiatric disorders who may engage in self-destructive behavior.     

Potentially dangerous behavior in the mentally ill: attitudes of journalists and medical students toward compulsory admission

Compulsory admission is a critical measure that may lead to stigmatization of patients. The authors investigated what medical students and journalists consider legitimate conditions for compulsory admission. The most frequently quoted conditions in both groups were violent attempts against others. About one third of each group considered continuous neglect as a reason. Students significantly more often than journalists advocated for civil commitment in the case of suicide attempts and violent attempts. Medical students with personal contact with mentally disordered persons advocated significantly more often for coercive measures in the case of suicide attempts. Comparing journalists and medical students having personal contact with mentally disordered persons revealed that medical students significantly more often supported commitment. Journalists displayed a more liberal attitude toward the mentally ill than did medical students.     

Differences in attitudes toward gays and lesbians among criminal justice and non-criminal justice majors

The criminal justice system is supposed to protect and serve all members of the community equally; therefore, any prejudicial attitudes harbored by criminal justice students may negatively impact their job performance as future justice professionals. Four hundred and eighty-four students at a large Midwestern university were surveyed on their views toward gay and lesbian persons and issues. The responses of criminal justice majors were compared to the responses of students majoring in other fields. Criminal justice majors tended to have more negative views of gays and lesbians than students in other majors. However, there was not a significant difference between the two groups of students in their willingness to extend rights to and socialize with gay and lesbian individuals.     

Deflecting Stereotype Threat Through Downward Comparison: When Comparison with Immigrants Boosts the Performance of Stigmatized Native Students

Two experiments examined the effect of comparison with immigrants on the intellectual performance of stigmatized native students (i.e., women and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds). It was predicted that such a comparison may boost the test performance of both groups of students rather than comparison with their counterparts who are not stigmatized. In line with this hypothesis, we found that female European students (Study 1) performed better on a math test when they were led to compare with a female immigrant rather than with another female European student. Study 2 replicated this finding in regard to the performance of native students with low socioeconomic status on a general intelligence test. Results are discussed in terms of stereotype susceptibility predicaments and their implications for native-immigrant performance gaps.     

Law students' trust in the courts and the police

Law students prepare for a legal career and it is therefore of general interest, how much trust they have in the police and the courts. Their views may be influenced by their studies, media consumption, direct experience and other factors. In a previous study it appears as if law students are becoming more critical over the course of their studies. This explorative questionnaire study compares the views of 2012 final year undergraduate law students with the answers the same cohort gave in 2010, when starting their studies, and with final year law students 2010. Contrary to our expectation, the final year law students of 2012 showed more trust in courts and police than their predecessors 2010. The data suggest that the study of law, personal experiences and those of family and friends, as well as media effects are among the factors forming trust in the institutions.     

Associations of dating violence victimization with lifetime participation, co-occurrence, and early initiation of risk behaviors among U.S. high school students

This study examined the association of victimization in a physically violent dating relationship with risk behaviors, age of risk behavior initiation, and co-occurrence of risk behaviors among students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. Data were from the 2003 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Nearly 9% of students reported experiencing dating violence victimization. Dating violence victimization was associated with alcohol use, marijuana use, and having ever had sexual intercourse among female students and having ever had sexual intercourse among male students. Dating violence victimization also was associated with early initiation of alcohol use among female students. The odds of dating violence victimization increased as the number of risk behaviors increased and as the number of lifetime sexual partners increased. These risk behavior patterns should serve as warning signs of elevated risk for dating violence victimization and may be helpful in identifying adolescents who could benefit from targeted, preventive interventions.     

COLLEGE OR BUST: REPLACING “COLLEGE PREP FOR ALL” WITH A THREE‐TIERED EDUCATIONAL MODEL BASED ON STUDENT ABILITIES

A new educational trend has developed over the past decade that may actually be doing more harm to high school students than good. States have been passing legislation requiring high school students to complete a college prep‐level curriculum in order to receive a high school diploma. While this push for higher academic achievement is a great idea, students are not given the educational base they need to be able to succeed in such a program once they reach high school and many are left without the skills necessary to handle such academic expectations. This Note proposes guidelines for changing these rigid state statutes in favor of a Three‐Tiered System that gives students options based on their academic abilities and urges states to adopt these changes.     

Teaching international commercial arbitration at postgraduate level – techniques for enhancing students' learning

The international commercial arbitration modules that are increasingly taught at postgraduate level at British universities seem to be quite popular among students who have not obtained their first law degrees in the UK. Whilst the seminars, which require a great deal of independent study, may be a valid mode for teaching postgraduate students who have graduated in the UK, the same may not be true for teaching postgraduate students who have obtained their first degrees abroad. The aim of the article is to identify the teaching methods that should be used, in order to foster seminar discussions and encourage the postgraduate students who have not obtained their first degrees in Britain to understand the relevant material by reading widely. The project involved the use of a number of teaching techniques by the author for a trial period (i.e., an academic year). The study clearly showed that if we want to promote a “deep approach” to learning when teaching international commercial arbitration, then we need to adopt a mix of teaching methods that considers the individual interests, needs and abilities of each individual student.     

Legal education in France and England: A comparative study*

Abstract

Despite the fact that part‐time law students comprise a significant proportion of law undergraduates, there continues to be an absence of legal research that considers the experiences and aspirations of such students as a distinct group. Against this backdrop, it is argued that these students require further research and attention for a number of reasons. First, their location allows a consideration of the extent to which broader governmental objectives for higher education are being met within law schools. Second, the extent of their presence in higher legal education places an important obligation upon law schools to explore the specific needs of this cohort and to consider the extent to which part‐time law students can be legitimately subsumed into the undergraduate cohort in terms of resources and planning. Third, the legal ambitions of many part‐time law students require a fresh consideration of the expectations of the recruiting legal profession and the legal profession's commitment to broadening social diversity within its ranks. Finally, as the experiences of part‐time and full‐time students become closer, a proper analysis of part‐time law students may provide invaluable information as to how law schools could adapt to meet the needs of all students in the future.     

Ten costly mistakes in disciplining disruptive students

Disciplining disruptive students is necessary to maintain order and proper decorum in public schools. School officials must, however, be certain that they do not violate the rights of students as they strive to achieve order in schools. They must also refrain from exhibiting overly aggressive behavior if the situation does not warrant it. School officials must respond to disciplinary infractions in a reasonable and defensible manner. This will usually occur when they follow legally defensible school or district policy and ensure that the due process rights of students are protected. Violation of student rights in the absence of defensible reason may result in legal charges against school officials.     

Preferential Treatment, Social Justice, and the Part-time Law Student – The Case for the Value-added Part-time Law Degree

There has been growing pressure to increase diversity in legal education and the legal profession in England and Wales. While this has focused upon the absence of certain groups such as women, ethnic minorities, and the disabled, there has been no specific discussion of part-time law students. Drawing on questionnaires and focus groups with part-time law students across England and Wales, this article examines how their background and experiences may hamper their ability to participate and succeed in higher education and legal practice. In response to the consistent omission of part-time students' needs from attempts to enhance social diversity in universities and the legal profession, it also argues that affirmative action is now necessary and justified in respect of these students. Pragmatic suggestions are made for a contextual approach to affirmative action for part-time law students which adds value to their degree. Finally, the potential effects of affirmative action on part-time law students themselves and upon the gatekeepers to the legal profession are explored.     

Student Perceptions of Juvenile Offender Accounts in Criminal Justice Education

In criminal justice programs, a major teaching objective is to expose students to the wide range of experiences and career paths available in criminal justice. Technological advances increase instructional strategies so that students may gain more realistic educational experience and correct erroneous perceptions about the criminal justice system. This paper describes one such strategy for online criminal justice students, a virtual prison tour, founded on the principles of social learning, experiential learning, and e-learning. In an upperclass course in juvenile delinquency, 43 students viewed a video of incarcerated juvenile offenders recounting their experiences of institutionalization, sentences, challenges, programming, and fears upon release. Student responses to seven quantitative questions and one qualitative question revealed that the video greatly impacted their attitudes, understanding, and perceptions of the juvenile justice system and provided pedagogical benefits. This strategy can be used to help criminal justice educators enhance student learning so that students experience a major aspect of the juvenile justice system.     

Nonviolent offenders' and college students' attachment and social support behaviors: implications for counseling

This study examines the relationships between adult attachment orientations and the ability to seek social support as factors in mediating behavior. Data were collected on non violent offenders (n = 57) and college students (n = 89). The results indicated the non-normative group of nonviolent offenders reported being more securely attached and having more satisfaction with their social supports than the normative group of college students. Fewer college students reported being securely attached than the nonviolent offenders but had a larger number of social supports. In the insecure categories, nonviolent offenders reported being more dismissively attached whereas college students reported being preoccupied in their attachment orientation. The study suggests that attachment and social-support-seeking behaviors across different populations may be potential factors in designing counseling services that are used for risk classification and needs assessment.     

Working with law students to develop legal literacy materials

This paper sets out the findings of a teaching development project undertaken with undergraduate law students at the University of Leicester (UOL) in 2013–2014, funded by the Higher Education Academy (HEA). In the course of this project, students were actively involved in the design, development and delivery of five interactive workshops for primary school children, each built around a particular theme and each designed to help develop an aspect of the children’s legal literacy. The aims were to assess the impact on the learning experience of student participants; to assess whether it may be possible to incorporate this form of activity within the undergraduate curriculum and to assess whether it may be possible to create a sustainable model for use in the future, with new groups of students and a wider number of schools. The most positive outcomes of the project relate to the students’ self-reporting of the development of transferable skills and their reported increase in self-confidence, as a result of being involved in the project. The role of group work in the development of transferable skills is also evident. By far the weakest area was the demonstration and development of legal research skills. The authors reflect on these findings, and comment on some of the unforeseen benefits and challenges of the project, before drawing conclusions as to its future viability.     

公安院校学生公共关系教育刍议

以传播和沟通为手段来影响公众的公共关系,在社会实践的很多方面得到了很好的应用,但在公安教育中尚属空白.时代发展要求我们在对公安院校学生进行教育的过程中,应培养他们的公关素质,加强公关教育.     

J.M.还是J.D.?——中、日、美复合型法律人才培养制度比较

传统上,中、日两国法学教育属于综合法律素质养成型教育类型,并不与法律职业直接相联系。但自上个世纪九十年代以来,两国出现了借鉴美国法学院制度,探索建立法律实务教育模式的新动向。论文对法律硕士专业学位(J.M.)教育、日本的法科大学院(J.D.)、以及美国的法学院制度(J.D.)进行了比较观察。对中日两国新型法学教育制度形成与效果的关系作了分析,对法学院制度形成的路径、方式和评价机制问题作了探讨。作者认为,制度形成的关键不在于形而上的可行性讨论,根本性问题是对制度要素的观察、分析以及摄入,构成要素的摄取决定了制度的效果和命运。     

After Dark and Out in the Cold: Part-time Law Students and the Myth of 'Equivalency'

This paper presents the findings of the first major research study of part-time law students. It argues that many face multiple disadvantages, largely unrecognized by universities, whose emphasis on the formal equivalency of part-time and full-time law degrees ignores the distinctive backgrounds and needs of part-time students. As a result, many are marginalized, impacting on their retention, overall performance, and work prospects. It is also argued that the context within which part-time law students experience legal education contributes to a collective habitus which may structure what is 'thinkable' for their futures. Such concerns are of particular importance given the strong vocational drive amongst part-time law students. An effective response requires action by both universities and the legal profession. Without this, part-time legal education will remain a fundamentally paradoxical experience, offering broader access to legal practice for non-traditional entrants, while continuing to inhibit their chances of success by entrenching their difference in the eyes of the profession.