The University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law has entered a new partnership with Harvard Law School to offer incoming students a series of online orientation modules called Zero-L.
Made up of about a dozen hours of video lectures and comprehension checks, Zero-L will provide incoming students with an overview of key features of the U.S. legal system, the vocabulary of law school, and what it means to be a law student. It will also provide a number of practical tips, such as how to read a case most effectively.
“Most importantly, Zero-L will give our incoming students a common baseline of knowledge and the foundational background regardless of their prior experience with the law,” said Louisa Heiny, a law professor who will oversee the programming for incoming students.
The modules will be required prior to the start of orientation for first-year law students and will form the basis of an Introduction to Law class, Heiny said. Students enrolled in the Master of Legal Studies program will also use the resources.
Both faculty and students will have access to the materials throughout the 2020-2021 academic year.