An INN-ovative Approach to Acclimating Students
For 1L Christian Sweeney, who earned his undergraduate degree from a small liberal arts college, being part of a close-knit community is integral to his academic success.
Sweeney was part of Stetson Law’s inaugural “Inns” program for 1Ls. Modeled after the English Inns of Court – wherein seasoned legal professionals, scholars, students, and prominent visitors lived, worked, and dined together – the program connects new students with mentors, opportunities, and one another via small groups of students led by a faculty “Bencher” and supported by upper-class “Readers.”
As Law Professor Tim Kaye – one of the inaugural Benchers – put it, the program is a way of “training law students by osmosis.”
Part of an Inn led by Law Professor Kristen Adams, Sweeney said the program was an opportunity to interact with classmates and professors in a low-pressure setting before the rigors of life as a full-time law student took hold.
“The transition from undergrad to law school would not have been nearly as easy without the help of my peers, mentors, and Professor Adams,” Sweeney said.
A fresh approach to student development
The program’s genesis is twofold: leadership’s recognition of the need to create a greater sense of belonging for students after the pandemic and the American Bar Association’s new accreditation criteria requiring law schools to offer more opportunities for development of a professional identity.
College leadership did not want to simply create a compulsory course in professional development for 1Ls – as many law schools have. Instead, an opportunity for a more holistic approach emerged.
“Transformation is hard work, and it requires a lot of introspection, exploration, and vulnerability. As a result, we knew that our response had to promote a deep sense of belonging and truly authentic engagement,” said Associate Dean for Assessment and Professional Engagement Anne Mullins. “With the Inns, we created a dynamic in which the students felt connected to each other, to their upper-level Readers, and their faculty Bencher.”
Students joined their Inns at orientation, and events took place throughout the year. Both part- and full-time students took part. After orientation, students could choose to engage in Inn activities they found useful to them based on where they were in their professional identity formation journey.
For his Inn, Professor Kaye organized a variety of presentations and activities, all aiming to promote critical attributes like resiliency, self-reflection, and a deeper absorption of what it means to be a part of the legal profession. This included a presentation by an alumnus who discovered the murder of his staff attorney and video featuring a rock band from Mexico consisting of three sisters who achieved global success despite predatory behavior and other challenges within the music industry.
To Kaye, the experience seemed to help 1Ls gain clarity during a critical point in their legal education journey.
“The message throughout the year has been simple,” said Kaye. “If they take good advice, develop their skills, and work hard in collaboration with others, the students can achieve great things.”
While Stetson Law has always been a close community where mentorship is woven into life and culture, the Inns program’s organizers believe it will set students up for success like never before.
“Support matters for mental health and wellbeing, and it also matters for their academic experience in the first few months of school,” Mullins said. “I think students got a lot out of their Inns, and I am excited to watch the Inns develop.”
The numbers suggest the program is already effective. According to an informal survey taken after Fall Orientation, 97 percent of students said they “started building community during orientation” – up from 54 percent in prior years. Meanwhile, 94 percent of students said they had at least one upper-level student they could reach out to and 96 percent said there was at least one faculty, staff, or administration member they felt comfortable reaching out to. In prior years, those percentages were 55 and 33 percent, respectively.
More reflections on the new Inns program for 1Ls
- “I wanted to serve as an Inn Bencher because working with our students and talking with them about their professional plans and aspirations is my favorite part of being a law professor. My favorite memory from this year was the field trip that our Inn sponsored to the Florida Holocaust Museum, where we received a private tour from Michael Igel, Chair of the Board for the FHM and a local attorney with a powerful personal narrative to share.” – Law Professor Kristen Adams, Bencher
- “I thought the program was impactful considering that it was the first time being implemented at Stetson; I’ve met people who have since become great friends.” – Emily Alan, Part-Time 1L (Podgor Inn)
- “Being a part of the Vaughan Inn as a first-generation college and law student has allowed me to connect with second- and third-year students who were in the same shoes as me. Professors Vaughan and Bowman have created such a welcoming and uplifting environment even in the midst of appellate briefs by having us come to Inn dinners. Even the mentors that were not my leaders have taken part in checking in on me and making sure I know that no question is dumb. It’s something that I have found is unique to Stetson and the positive environment that this school is known for.” – Adriana Louth-Ciaccio, Full-Time 1L (Vaughan Inn)
- “Stetson has always provided a caring community for our students. The Inns went a step further in making that community more accessible for 1Ls… The Inns help us to connect the dots of many aspects of a legal education. From the initial struggle of learning a new language – law, to recognizing bias in interactions with others, to understanding the new profession that they are about to embark upon, the Inns provide a path for students to comfortably maximize the multi-faceted aspects of a legal education.” – Law Professor Ellen Podgor, Bencher
- “I think it gave them a great foundation for success. They had friends, mentors, and a professor they could rely on before their first day of law school… Interestingly, all the Inns are different but have core values in professionalism and mentoring.” -Law Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Bencher
- “This was a great way to get to know people quickly and make friends throughout my class, not just my section. One of my best friends I’ve made so far is in the part-time program and the chances of us crossing paths outside the Inn would have been slim… Overall my experience with Podgor Inn has been extremely rewarding and worth taking time out of my study schedule to participate in. I look forward to becoming a resource for new students as I was provided and help them in any way I can.” – Robert Willis, Full-Time 1L (Podgor Inn)
Post date: May 10
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
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