Winston & Strawn Offers Free, Online Course to Help Students Succeed in Law School

Chicago – May 31, 2023 – Winston & Strawn LLP continues to offer the Winston & Strawn Law School Experience, a free, virtual course created to help incoming law students enhance their academic performance in law school.

The program features instructional videos on topics such as:

• Succeeding on law school exams;
• Reading and analyzing case law; and
• Writing a useful, thorough law school course outline.

The program is self-paced and takes approximately six to seven hours to finish. Upon completion, students earn a certificate that can be added to LinkedIn profiles and resumes.

The Winston & Strawn Law School Experience equips incoming first-year law students with a methodology for developing the aptitudes that law schools expect and require. Its skills-building approach also aims to correct for the fact that many first-generation and diverse law students confront inequitable access to resources (including tutoring, mentoring, and networking) that are key building blocks for success in law school and the legal profession.

Over 470-students have enrolled in the program since its inception in 2022. Of those registrants, 48% identified as first-generation, incoming law students. After taking the course, some two-thirds of students felt they had a better understanding of what success in law school would require; only one-third felt that way before completing the program.

“Law schools are fantastic at teaching students the law. But Winston & Strawn Law School Experience helps show incoming students how to succeed in law school. The program is comparable to every other law school prep course out there in that it is designed to provide practical skills. The key difference, however, is that our offering is free, substantive, and self-paced. And it’s fully accessible to all students regardless of finances, background, or other personal factors,” said Bill O'Neil, a litigation partner in Chicago, chair of Winston’s Hiring Committee, and the primary driver behind this initiative.

“In providing this course, we are offering all incoming law students, including those whose lives have presented obstacles, an equal opportunity to learn and excel,” said Winston Chairman Tom Fitzgerald. “We encourage students to take advantage of this resource, and we look forward to engaging participants from all backgrounds as they pursue their legal education and their promising careers.”

Winston & Strawn LLP is an international law firm with 16 offices located throughout North America, South America, Asia, and Europe. More information about the firm is available at www.winston.com.