October 7, 2005

MEMORANDUM 05-28

I'm writing to invite you to participate in the spring 2006 administration of the Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE). The AALS is pleased to join The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a cosponsor of this project. Since 2004, more than 34,000 JD students at 73 law schools have participated in the survey.

LSSSE (pronounced “lessie”) is designed to gather information about students' views and attitudes about the nature of their activities and learning during law school. The results promise to better inform us about students' experiences and their views about the quality of a law school's academic programs. Moreover, the data are “actionable,” in that the findings point to aspects of law school that can be improved.

At the AALS Annual Meeting in Washington , DC , LSSSE will release its second annual report discussing key findings from the study. In addition, two sessions will feature law school faculty and administrators along with LSSSE staff discussing how law schools can use student engagement findings to enhance student learning and law school effectiveness and the conceptual foundations for measuring law student engagement. They are: Using New Empirical Studies to Improve Legal Education (Thursday, January 5, 10:30 a.m.); and Empirical Research on Law Student Engagement (Friday, January 6, 10:30 a.m.).

Enclosed is additional information about next spring's survey including participation costs. You can view a demonstration version of the LSSSE online survey and additional project details at http://www.iub.edu/~nsse/lssse. Please note that LSSSE asks schools to register by January 20, 2006. If you have questions regarding LSSSE and the benefits of participating, contact Patrick O'Day, LSSSE Project Manager, at 617-548-1247 or paoday@indiana.edu .

I look forward to having you join us in this important venture.

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