School of Law - Elon University

What is the Office of Professional Recruitment, Development and Placement?

Professor Martha Peters (This material developed by Martha Peters, professor of legal education)

Students and faculty at the Elon University School of Law are fully and constructively engaged in the optimum development of each student’s knowledge, skill and personal attributes, and in the improvement of our system of justice. The School of Law does not have separate offices of admissions and placement. Rather, Elon has a single Office of Professional Recruitment, Development and Placement. The goal of this office is to facilitate a seamless process in which Elon faculty, staff and students work together to discover, develop and release their creative potential to help make the world a better place.

How does academic support function within the Office of Professional Recruitment, Development and Placement?

All of Elon Law School’s academic support programs are designed to enhance the transition of students to law school and to help them achieve their law study goals. Consistent with our year-one Leadership emphasis on increasing self-awareness, the development of academic skills uses personal assessments of strengths and challenges as the starting point for individual academic coaching in study strategies and oral communication.  Additionally, small- and large-group sessions provide guidance on law study and exam-taking skills for students as they progress through law school.

What are its goals?

  • To make the study of law accessible to all students, across all dimensions of difference
  • To maximize the academic experience of each student
  • To expand students’ perceptions of possibilities on how to approach their law study
  • To help students enhance their oral and written communication skills
  • To promote a culture of collaborative learning
  • To encourage intellectual curiosity
  • To support the development of effective lawyering practices. 

What kinds of programs are offered?

There are three core forms of academic support and development:

  • Individual coaching:
    • Law students bring a diversity of life experiences and academic training to the study of law. Our academic coaching program helps students recognize their default study methods so they can add strategies, adapt successful habits, and create a study plan to most effectively support their law study. All students participate in this self-examination process to maximize their experiences in law school and to provide the basis for the academic portion of their individual leadership plans.
    • Students typically seek individual coaching support in a number of areas. Time and stress management are two examples of commonly requested topics that influence law study and are important leadership skills.
    • Oral communications skills are extremely important for lawyers. From the first month of law school Elon law students receive coaching in this important area.
  • LET’S Study [Learning Effective Tools for Successful Study] is a program for first-year law students to explore law study and exam-taking strategies in small and large group settings. A few examples of topics explored in these interactive workshops include: Reading Cases Effectively, Organizing Materials, Identifying Effective Approaches to Essay Exam Writing, Taking Multiple Choice Exams, Planning and Preparing for Exams. 
  • We also offer web-based assistance, such as that found under the study aids links on this web page.