Chapman launched its first ever Law School Boot Camp. The boot camp is an optional program for new and prospective law students who wish to eliminate uncertainties and acclimate themselves to the law school environment prior to orientation. Led by Professor Rick Faulkner, this program spanned one week in late summer and taught incoming students how to effectively brief cases, prepare outlines and incorporate strategies for successful written examinations.

Boot camp attendee Shaun Sanders, a new law student who previously worked in the tech sector, says he “thrives best when prepared for the unknown.” Echoing the other attendees, Shaun felt that one of the best aspects of the program was “the interaction with the professor and the ability to ask questions with immediate feedback.” Michael Lopez, another new Chapman Law student, says that he “enjoyed being able to be open and talk freely without being in front of a big group,” noting that the practice exams were also extremely helpful.

In creating the program, Professor Faulkner knew he wanted to teach students about key issues in two required first year courses—Torts and Criminal Law. So he created meaningful lectures around these two topics to give boot camp participants a critical head start in their first year of law school. New student Jamie Murdock says that the program prepared her by offering “a mix of general knowledge and tips for how to succeed and what to expect in law school while covering actual cases and concepts.” Likewise, classmate Jennifer Tedmori concluded that boot camp helped her to fully understand what she was really getting herself into. All of these new students agree that getting a first-hand look at law school classes through boot camp was an invaluable experience.