Pseudowords (words that are not real but resemble real words in a language) have been used increasingly as a technique to reduce contamination due to construct-irrelevant variance in assessments of verbal fluid reasoning (Gf). However, despite pseudowords being researched heavily in other psychology sub-disciplines, they have received little…

This paper is both a reflexive report on an attempt to operationalise 'doctorateness' in a specific case context and a synthesis of theory from the philosophy of education and curriculum design. Using the context of a new Professional Doctorate programme in Law (the DLaw) at a University in the North-East of England, it is an exploration of the…

The quality of feedback provided to university students has long been recognised as the most important predictor of student learning and satisfaction. However, providing quality feedback to students is challenging in the current context, in which universities increasingly rely on casualised and inexperienced academic staff to assess undergraduate…

Some studies have found characteristics of written texts that vary with author gender, echoing popular beliefs about essential gender differences that are reinforced in popular works of some scholarly authors. This article reports a study examining texts (N = 193) written in the same genre--a legal memorandum--by women and men with similar…

Facing dramatic declines in enrollment, revenue, and student quality at the same time that their cost structure continues to rise and public support has waned, law schools are in crisis. A key driver of the crisis is shrinking employment opportunities for recent graduates, which stem in part from the disruption of the traditional business model…

Increasingly, English is being used as a medium of instruction in law schools around the world, even in countries that do not use English in their legal systems. This paper examines three related research questions about this phenomenon. First, it explores why these law schools are choosing to deliver law degrees in English, notwithstanding the…

The motivation behind this study was to add to the body of academic knowledge regarding the relationship between accreditation and student outcomes. This study contributed to understanding whether accreditation as currently implemented is a worthwhile process that is positively related to student learning and achievement. The institutions measured…

Purpose: Introduction of law school admission examinations has increased the debate regarding the relevance of prior studies for the enrollees in the program. The key issues of contention are whether prior studies reliably predict academic achievement of enrollees, and demonstrate proficiencies required for admission in the program. The purpose of…

Despite playing an important role, preprofessional advising has received little research attention. For this study, 313 U.S. preprofessional advisors were surveyed in 2015. Drawing on work adjustment and social cognitive career theories, we analyzed the job satisfaction and perceived effectiveness of pre-law advisors. The major findings reveal…

The increasingly integrated world has facilitated important international and trans-border trends, such as a progressively connected global economy, a significant growth in transnational business transactions and an increase in global regulation of global issues. Such globalisation has had a transformational impact on the legal profession in a…

Like any other discipline, academic writing is equally crucial for law undergraduates to master. Project reports, argumentative essay writing on current socio-legal affairs and research paper writing comprise requisites in academia for law learners. Students' appropriation of higher order concerns in academic writing is a major challenge for…

Evaluation is a contested field. This collection considers the relationship between evaluation and research, and the ethical and moral dilemmas raised when evaluating equity and widening participation in higher education. The growing demands for 'evidence of impact' frame expectations that we can justify government funding of particular…

Legal educators are routinely banning students' laptops or wireless connectivity in law classes. Faculty assumes students are significantly off-task and in-class laptops are harmful to learning. Current research focuses almost exclusively on undergraduate students technology uses in- and out of the classroom. Only a handful of studies objectively…

Socratic method is associated with law school teaching by which students are asked questions in class that require them to analyze cases and derive legal principles. Despite the method's potential benefits, students usually do not view it as supportive and enriching but rather as a kind of survival ritual. As a pedagogical approach for use in any…

Status in the legal academy can mean two things. The first is one's rank, with the highest status being a tenured, full professor. The second is the prestige of one's home institution in the law school rankings. Women have been graduating from law schools in significant numbers for more than thirty years. However, they continue to be…