Academic Success Initiatives

All admitted students are invited to participate in the School’s Summer Advantage Institute and the First-Year Academic Success Program. There is no charge or academic credit earned for participating in these programs. The School also offers facilitated study group sessions and mock final exams.

Summer Advantage Institute

The Summer Advantage Institute (SAI) is a five-week program designed to introduce students to basic legal reasoning skills and professional standards of practice through interactive virtual workshops. Workshops are taught by a combination of NYLS faculty and staff who are eager to meet our newest community members and guide them in their transition to law school.

First-Year Academic Success Program

In the Day Division, the First-Year Academic Success Program (ASP) is a voluntary program that matches participants with a Teaching Fellow, a high-achieving, upper-level student who’s been selected especially for that role. Each Teaching Fellow leads their small cohort of first-year students through hour-long weekly skills sessions throughout the fall semester.

In the Evening Division, first-year students have the opportunity to work with Teaching Fellows who serve as teaching assistants for the Foundations for the Study of Law course in the fall. The Teaching Fellows also facilitate academic success workshops for first-year Evening Division students in the spring.

Teaching Fellows not only teach the skills that first-year students need to succeed, but also serve as mentors, helping first-year students adjust to and manage the demands of law school. By giving first-year students the opportunity to work together in small groups with guidance from an upper-level student mentor, First-Year ASP helps students learn collaboratively and build a network of support with their peers and Teaching Fellow.