Predicting success: A research study based on law degree courses at Trent Polytechnic

Abstract

THIS STUDY was set up to investigate the possibility of a relationship between the General Certificate of Education ('G.C.E.’) ‘A’ level qualifications of the entrants on to the law degree courses at Trent Polytechnic and their degree classifications.

Very little evidence was found of any such significant relationships. Further analysis of both G.C.E. ‘A’ and ‘O’ level qualifications similarly showed no significant relationships except in the case of ‘O’ levels. The most clear finding was that significant relationships do exist between being a full‐time female student and obtaining a good honours classification, and that all LL.B. Legal Studies (four‐year sandwich) students have a better chance of obtaining good honours than do LL.B. Law (three‐year full‐time) students.

Various other analyses were also attempted, but no other significant relationships were found, although it is possible that choice of final‐year options may influence degree classifications.

Overall, this study suggests that while G.C.E. results may be suggestive of a basic ability to complete degree courses successfully, they do not predict degree classifications. From this I draw the conclusion that G.C.E. results should not be used to exclude students from these, and possibly other, courses in higher education.

In considering the possible predictive value of the ‘A’ level G.C.E. qualifications of entrants on to the law degree courses at Trent Polytechnic and their degree classifications, other possible predictive relationships and factors were also investigated, in order to examine whether any other (reasonably available) variables were linked to degree classifications. Analyses were therefore carried out in relation to ‘O’ level G.C.E., gender, age of student, course, G.C.E. subject‐groupings and course progress. Other variables were not possible to test because of the quality of the information available.     

The Process Is the Punishment: Thirty Years Later

This essay reviews the arguments and impacts of the classic work, The Process Is the Punishment by Malcolm Feeley, originally published in 1979 and republished with a new foreword and preface in 1992. This essay examines how the book has been used in sociolegal research since 1979 by empirically tracing its citation in published work. I also examine missed opportunities where The Process Is the Punishment could still expand its impact in the literature, as well as reviewing the major arguments and criticisms of the book.     

Entrapped on the Web? Applying the Entrapment Defense to Cases Involving Online Sting Operations

Many law enforcement agencies are currently responding to the problem of online crime by establishing proactive investigative units that track criminals on the Internet. Not only do these specialized teams face problems in the area of emerging technology, they are also faced with handling emerging legal issues. The current research examined the issue of the entrapment defense, and how previously established physical realm doctrine could be applied to the investigation of online crimes such as child pornography. Relying on previous case law it would appear that entrapment claims related to online sting operations involve consideration of: a) did the law enforcement officer continuously contact the suspect with the intention of trying to convince the individual to engage in a particular type of behavior, b) how long was the relationship between the undercover officer and the suspect, and c) how much, if any, reluctance to commit the criminal act did the suspect provide evidence of?     

Race-Based Peremptory Challenges: An Empirical Analysis of Litigation from the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2002–2006

This paper examines race-based peremptory challenges. Such challenges occur during the voir dire jury selection process. The process allows both the defense and the prosecution to strike jurors who they believe will not decide cases fairly. However, in the case of Batson v. Kentucky 476 U.S. 79 (1986), the Supreme Court ruled that race could not be used as a factor in eliminating prospective jurors. This paper examines federal litigation for five years in which it was alleged that race was used as a factor in removing a juror. An examination of the cases revealed that most of the cases involved sole male litigants who allege that there were multiple race-based peremptory challenges used in their cases. Moreover, most of the cases that led to the allegations involved violent offenses. Other case characteristics are noted, but of most significance was the finding that most appellants lost their cases. As such, the courts felt that most of the challenges were, in fact, race neutral. The implications of this research are discussed. This study was funded by an undergraduate research grant from Penn State University.     

Reactions to flag desecration in American society: Exploring the contours of formal and informal social control

Although flag burnings today rarely draw the amount of attention they received in the late 1980s, efforts to protect the flag have persisted for nearly a decade. Accordingly, the flag protection campaign has captured the interest of intellectuals from various academic backgrounds, including political scientists, egal scholars, and journalists. Conspicuously absent from the literature on flag desecration, however, are sociologists and criminologists. Combining historical evidence with recent cases, this article unveils key sociological aspects of social control, including formal and informal responses to flag desecration.     

Alcohol Consumption and Females’ Recognition in Response to Date Rape Risk: The Role of Sex-Related Alcohol Expectancies

This study examined the pharmacological and psychological effects of alcohol on women’s recognition of and response to dating sexual aggression. Female participants completed measures of prior sexual victimization experiences, sex related alcohol expectancies, general alcohol expectancies, and drinking habits. Using a 2 (alcohol) × 2 (expectancy) balanced placebo research design, women were exposed to an audiotape date rape vignette and asked to press a button when the man’s sexual advances had gone to far. Upon pressing the button, the tape was stopped and participants were instructed to imagine themselves in the same situation and generate a response describing what they would say and/or do at that point. Results indicated that although alcohol and expectancy were not related to risk perception, individuals who consumed alcohol displayed significantly less resistant role play refusals. A significant interaction between expectancy set and pre-existing sex-related alcohol expectancies was observed indicating participants believing alcohol affects sexual behavior generated less resistant refusal responses when they expected to receive alcohol. Moreover, for those who expected to receive alcohol, stronger pre-existing sex-related alcohol expectancies predicted less resistant refusal responses over above the effects of blood alcohol level and general alcohol expectancies. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

“There is no end to relationship among the indians”: Ojibwa Families and Kinship in Historical Perspective

This article presents an overview of the Ojibwa family over the past three centuries, from early European contacts to the present. It emphasizes the extent to which Ojibwa familial relations have long been embedded in extensive networks of kin that played major roles in the family lives of individuals of all ages. The article traces the effects of historical change on the Ojibwa family and examines continuity within Ojibwa kinship relations. The changes of the last century have taken a heavy toll on these relationships, yet, where they persist or are being revived, they are sources of strength and renewal.