Residency

Residency

Elon Law School

Spring 2024


Professor: Eric M. Fink

efink@elon.edu

336-279-9334

Office hours by appointment

Description

Overview

The Residency program includes both a field experience and a class component. The class component is an integral part of the work for which you earn academic credit. As your faculty supervisor, I will review your weekly assignments and meet with you periodically as a group and individually to discuss your field experience. I will also communicate with your site supervisor about your progress.

To earn academic credit for work in a law or judicial office, ABA Standards require that you participate in substantial lawyering experiences, receive feedback from your site and faculty supervisors, reflect on your experiences throughout the placement, and engage in self-assessment. The Residency course is designed to meet these requirements.

During your residency, you are bound by the professional conduct rules and other standards governing lawyers in your jurisdiction and practice setting. You are expected to resolve any workplace problems with the attorney or others involved. If you cannot resolve the issue yourself, you should discuss it with me. If necessary, we will involve the Residency Program Director.

Learning Goals

The Residency course is intended to advance these learning goals:

  • Integrate substantive learning with practical experience, assimilate knowledge from the study of law to the practice of law, apply legal doctrines learned in class to a practice setting, and bring knowledge and skills developed in practice back to the classroom;
  • Deepen knowledge of the legal profession and lawyers’ professional responsibilities and enhance professional development;
  • Increase ability to learn from experience, through feedback from attorneys, self-evaluation, and reflection on practice experience under faculty guidance.

Each student will also identify individual goals and develop a plan for attaining these goals in the residency.

Policies

Requirements

To receive credit for the Residency, you must complete these course requirements:

  • Field placement hours
  • Assigned reading, reports, time logs, and forms (as specified in the Syllabus)
  • One hour of professional development
  • Individual conferences and group meetings with faculty supervisor
  • Midterm conference with site supervisor and faculty supervisor

If you complete the requisite number of hours early, you may request to end your field placement one week before the end of the term (but no earlier). Your site supervisor and faculty supervisor must both approve this request.

Report prompts, time log, and other required forms are posted on TWEN. All forms, weekly time logs, and reports should be submitted on TWEN by 11:59 pm on Friday of the week in which they are due (see Schedule & Assignments below). If you encounter problems with TWEN, you may send the assignment to me by email and then submit it to TWEN when you are able.

If you are unable to meet a due date because of your site supervisor’s schedule, you should notify me to receive an extension. Extensions will generally not be granted for other reasons absent compelling circumstances.

Unless specifically authorized by the faculty or site supervisor, you may not use generative AI services in any work required for this course.

Grading

The course will be graded on a pass/fail basis, based on these standards:

  • Completion of required field placement hours;
  • Attendance & participation in group meetings and individual conferences;
  • Timely submission of all forms, reports, and time logs; and
  • Professionalism in dealing with your field supervisor, faculty supervisor, clients, and others during the residency.

Exemplary performance in your field placement, assignments, and group meetings may earn a High Pass. Failure to meet these standards may result in a Low Pass or a failing grade.

Disability Accommodations

For disability accommodation requests, contact Tammy Horn, Director of Academic and Administrative Services.

Honor Code

The Law School honor code applies to all activities related to your law school study, including conduct during class and examinations.

Schedule & Assignments

Orientation

March 25

Assignments:

Practice group meeting with faculty supervisor (elon.zoom.us/my/emfink)

Week 1

March 25-29

Assignments:

  • Report: Wellness in the legal profession
  • Memorandum of Understanding
  • Confidentiality Agreement
  • Draft Learning Goals & Plan
  • Time Log

Week 2

April 1-5

Assignments:

  • Schedule individual conference with faculty supervisor for Week 3 (calendly.com/emfink/)
  • Final Learning Goals & Plan
  • Time Log

Week 3

April 8-12

Individual conference with faculty supervisor (as previously scheduled) by telephone or Zoom

Assignments:

  • Report: Organizational structure
  • Time Log

Week 4

April 15-19

Assignments:

  • Report: Supervision and feedback
  • Time Log

Week 5

April 22-26

  • Practice group meeting (date & time TBA)

Assignments:

  • Schedule conference with site supervisor and faculty supervisor for Week 6 (calendly.com/emfink/)
  • Report: Midterm reflection on work & goals
  • Self-Evaluation of Effective Lawyering Skills (Midterm)
  • Site Supervisor’s Midterm Evaluation (give form to supervisor and submit to TWEN when completed)
  • Time Log

Week 6

April 29-May 3

Conference with site supervisor and faculty supervisor (date and time as scheduled), by telephone or Zoom

Assignments:

  • Report: Project analysis
  • Time Log

Week 7

May 6-10

Assignments:

  • Schedule individual conference with faculty supervisor for Week 8 (calendly.com/emfink/) s
  • Attend 1-hour professional development activity (CLE program, one unit on Procertas, or other activity approved by faculty supervisor). See the NC Bar Association website (ncbar.org) for CLE options (some are free for students).
  • Report: Professional development
  • Time Log

Week 8

May 13-17

Individual conference with faculty supervisor (as scheduled above) by telephone or Zoom

Assignments:

  • Report: Projects and assignments
  • Time Log

Week 9

May 20-24

Practice group meeting (date and time TBA) by Zoom (elon.zoom.us/my/emfink)

Assignments:

  • Report: Learning milestones and benchmarks
  • Site Supervisor’s Final Evaluation (give form to site supervisor and post to TWEN when completed)
  • Time Log

Week 10

May 27-May 31

Assignments:

  • Time Log

Final Assignments

June 3-7

  • Time Log (if applicable)
  • Thank-you note to site supervisor
  • Site Supervisor’s Final Evaluation
  • Student evaluation of residency placement
  • Self-Evaluation of Effective Lawyering Skills (Final)
  • Certificate of Completion