Since 1993, Loyola University Chicago School of Law has provided tutors in all of the first year classes. The tutors are available to help you learn how to prepare for class; synthesize the course material; study for exams; and write a law school exam answer. Tutors also welcome questions about law school and student life.
The tutors attend class with the students in their section and hold office hours. In addition, each tutor offers a series of review sessions and practice hypotheticals each semester. These review sessions and practice problems are a good way to help test your understanding of the material and identify areas of improvement.
We recently asked a few of our current first year students about their experience with Loyola’s tutoring program. One of our current first year students said “Law school is not easy, but the tutoring program is an additional resource to gain a better understanding of the material.” Another 1L shared a common concern of all first year students, “Law school professors can be extremely intimidating so it was great to have the tutors…they know the stress and concerns we were going through and knew how to address those issues in a practical and helpful manner.”
In addition to group sessions, the one-to-one relationship “was like having a built in study partner for the semester”. All current students surveyed recommended attending the review sessions as much as possible, to truly utilize this unique resource.
Finally, the tutors are available to help beyond the coursework. One of the 1Ls commented that” after hearing I had an upcoming interview for a summer clerkship, one of my tutors took the time to send me practice interview questions as well as advice based on her own interview experiences. She even sent me an email of encouragement before the big day!”
At Loyola, we feel that the inclusion of this program in the first year provides additional support to ensure success.
Stay tuned for part II of our tutor program on Wednesday, where we hear from current tutors.