Amy Vaughan Thomas

faculty

Amy Vaughan-Thomas she/her/hers

Assistant Teaching Professor / Director of Academic Success

Law School / Student Services

Contact

508-985-1162

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UMass School of Law LAW

Education

2016California Western School of LawJD
2011University of ConnecticutBA

Teaching

  • ADR
  • Professional Responsibility
  • Academic Success

Teaching

Courses

The Academic Skills Lab is a non-credit bearing, weekly course for first year law students. Participation is mandatory during the fall semester when instruction focuses on a variety of fundamental legal skills such as law school study skills, case reading and briefing, legal analysis, and law school examination preparation. In the spring semester, the program's focus is remedial. First year students are referred to weekly workshop sessions designed to improve law school exam performance

The Academic Skills Lab is a non-credit bearing, weekly course for first year law students. Participation is mandatory during the fall semester when instruction focuses on a variety of fundamental legal skills such as law school study skills, case reading and briefing, legal analysis, and law school examination preparation. In the spring semester, the program's focus is remedial. First year students are referred to weekly workshop sessions designed to improve law school exam performance

The Academic Skills Lab is a non-credit bearing, weekly course for first year law students. Participation is mandatory during the fall semester when instruction focuses on a variety of fundamental legal skills such as law school study skills, case reading and briefing, legal analysis, and law school examination preparation. In the spring semester, the program's focus is remedial. First year students are referred to weekly workshop sessions designed to improve law school exam performance

The Academic Skills Lab is a non-credit bearing, weekly course for first year law students. Participation is mandatory during the fall semester when instruction focuses on a variety of fundamental legal skills such as law school study skills, case reading and briefing, legal analysis, and law school examination preparation. In the spring semester, the program's focus is remedial. First year students are referred to weekly workshop sessions designed to improve law school exam performance

The Academic Skills Lab is a non-credit bearing, weekly course for first year law students. Participation is mandatory during the fall semester when instruction focuses on a variety of fundamental legal skills such as law school study skills, case reading and briefing, legal analysis, and law school examination preparation. In the spring semester, the program's focus is remedial. First year students are referred to weekly workshop sessions designed to improve law school exam performance

The Academic Skills Lab is a non-credit bearing, weekly course for first year law students. Participation is mandatory during the fall semester when instruction focuses on a variety of fundamental legal skills such as law school study skills, case reading and briefing, legal analysis, and law school examination preparation. In the spring semester, the program's focus is remedial. First year students are referred to weekly workshop sessions designed to improve law school exam performance

Students will complete weekly practice exams using Agency materials. Students will receive frequent feedback on assignments. In-class instruction will focus on writing and study skills, as well as legal analysis and reading techniques. This course will be required for students on academic probation after their first full-time semester or second part-time semester, and will be open to other first-year and second-year students up to the course limit.

This course addresses the lawyer's ethical obligations under the ABA Rules of Professional Conduct. Lawyers are governed by professional rules and are subject to disciplinary sanctions for non-compliance. But the lawyer's duty to act ethically and professionally goes beyond the model rules. In addition to discussion of the ethical behavior demanded, the course will examine the rules of professional conduct and the values and responsibilities promoted through the rules. The course will explore how the rules' ethical requirements interplay with conscience and moral beliefs, and how adherence to the rules can create social, familial and religious dilemmas for attorneys. The course will address bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism, and will introduce (1) the importance of cross-cultural competency to professionally responsible representation, and (2) the obligation of lawyers to promote a justice system that provides equal access and eliminates bias, discrimination, and racism in the law. In addition, this course affords students an opportunity for the development of a professional identity. Professional identity focuses on what it means to be a lawyer and the special obligations lawyers have to their clients and society. The development of professional identity involves an intentional exploration of the values, guiding principles, and well-being practices considered foundational to successful legal practice.

This course examines the procedural, practical and theoretical aspects of settlement as an alternative to trial. The course will focus upon the following methods of alternative dispute resolution: Arbitration, Early Neutral Evaluation, Mediation, Summary Jury/Bench Trials, and briefly touch upon some other settlement mechanisms. Methods of instruction will include LEC and Socratic method. In addition, students will be required to engage in extensive role playing in order to apply acquired knowledge and concepts to realistic situations involving each of the ADR methods covered.

The course provides individual students with the opportunity to complete an independent legal research and writing project under the supervision of a full- time faculty member with expertise in the area studied. Permission of Full-Time Professor; Permission of Associate Dean required for second I.L.R. Of the 90 credits required for graduation, students are required to earn at least 65 in courses that meet in regularly scheduled class sessions. This course does not count toward the 65 credit requirement.

Professor Vaughan-Thomas values legal education pedagogy and strives to make her classroom an active, engaging, and inclusive atmosphere. Professor Vaughan-Thomas also collaborates with UMass faculty, staff, and administration to improve law school policies, and promote student success.

As a former Division 1 athlete, she values the importance of a "team first" mentality and appreciates being a member of the UMass Dartmouth community. In addition to her academic responsibilities, Professor Vaughan-Thomas serves on the board for the New England Association of Conflict Resolution.