CLASP Counselor & Director of Bar Writing Initiatives

Responsible for providing support to students from matriculation through admission to the bar examination, with the primary goal of enhancing the learning and study skills of students; primarily responsible for all bar writing initiatives and programs.

Individual Academic Counseling:

• Provide intensive individual academic counseling to assigned students and advise them on various academic issues.

• Provide individual academic counseling to all students considered at-risk and/or those seeking to improve their academic performance, including those on Academic Supervision and Term Warning.

• Counsel with the student's assigned faculty mentor to provide the best advice to students.

• Assess individual students' learning styles and assist students in identifying the most effective study plans and strategies. Review and provide individual feedback on students' practice exams, outlines, and overall study and exam-taking skills.

• Continually evaluate student performance, identifying which students appear to be struggling or at-risk; initiate and maintain contact with those who are at-risk or on probation.

• Work with the Director of Academic Success on first year skills workshops, focusing on essay writing.

• Monitor progress and compliance with requirements of assigned students to include bar application, MPRE requirements, and other CLASP graduation requirements through the creation and maintenance of student portfolios; notify students of due dates; file Student Conduct Code violations where appropriate.

• Counsel and advise students regarding bar applications and admission, including all issues pertaining to the bar application.

• Assist students in reviewing answers to practice bar exams and provide advice regarding exam strategy.

• Attend and support students at each Florida Bar exam administration.

• Design and host the bar above program.

• Coach bar preppers through the 10 weeks of the bar exam and host the swearing in ceremony at the direction of the Assistant Dean of Academic Success and Bar preparation.

Oversee Bar Writing Initiatives:

• Maintain primary responsibility for bar writing initiatives, with the primary goal of enhancing the writing of students preparing to take the bar examination.

• Maintain responsibility for training CLASP Counselors on providing individual academic counseling on bar writing.

• Maintain resource center of study aids and practice exam materials for students' utilization and review.

• Coordinate with other CLASP counselors to disseminate information provided in workshops and to facilitate workshops and programming.

• Work collaboratively with the Faculty Administrator of Bar Preparation, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and other Bar Writing Course instructors on developing the curriculum for bar writing courses; continue to assess and review the effectiveness of the bar writing curriculum and revise as appropriate.

• Teach Bar Writing courses as appropriate.

Oversee Bar Grading Initiatives:

• Prepare rubrics and grading devices for bar examination essays.

• Coordinate grading program and facilitate grading of bar essays with bar essay graders.

• Provide training on bar essay grading to bar essay graders and CLASP counselors.

Faculty Committees:

• Serve on faculty committees where appropriate and assigned.

Data Collection & Analysis:

• Assist in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of student data, performance, and outcome measures and assessments consistent with ABA standards.

Scholarship:

• Remain educated on bar preparation and ASP pedagogy, trends, and developments.

• Attend professional conferences aimed to improve students’ success.

Educational/Experiential Requirements

• JD from an ABA accredited law school, admission to a state bar, and strong academic records

• 3-5 years of related work experience; legal work experience in private practice, non-profit organizations, government, corporate, or judicial clerkship preferred.

• At least one year's experience teaching legal writing/legal methods or working in academic support and/or counseling law students from diverse backgrounds.

Benefits: Barry University offers a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees that includes health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement, tuition assistance, paid time off and work/life balance initiatives such as wellness programs, spirituality in the workplace, and training and development.