Aniah Gagliano
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Patrick Barry
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Law / Law
Program:
Authors: Aniah Gagliano, Aanna Farhang, Sarah Hintzen
Session: Session 4: 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
Poster: 93
Abstract
Law school is considered a feedback desert due to the lack of periodic evaluations. As a result, law students fail to develop key advocacy skills, including writing and public speaking. Good With Words is a project which aims to improve education around these critical skills in the world of law and litigation. In an effort to continually improve the course, Professor Barry’s undergraduate student research assistants attend the Teams and Talent classes and provide feedback on the course using Eliminate, Decrease, Increase, and Try (EDIT) memos, providing specific and actionable feedback. At the end of this semester, the goal is to incorporate the feedback from the Research Assistants into the Teams and Talent Course, improving the curricula and, thus, the education around communication and collaboration skills. The process of building a successful class requires a constant feedback loop and process of refinement. Teams and Talent illustrates the value of emphasizing communication and collaboration skills in legal education. As a result of this research, law students are able to take courses like Teams and Talent that are more effective and engaging – a combination not nearly common enough in law schools around the country. Through the improvement of the seminar, there are noticeably more positive responses from students about the course and how it has helped them prepare for a career in law.
