Willamette Common Law

Stephanie Davidson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Education
  • Series

Podcast for Willamette University College of Law students. The first series, Matters of First Impression, is directed at incoming 1Ls. Seasons 1-2 created & hosted by Professor Kelly Gamble. Season 3 by Professor Stephanie Davidson.

  1. Episode 1

    A Conversation with the Dean of Students, Lexie Zirschky

    Welcome back! In this first full episode of Season 3, we welcome Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Administration at the College of Law, Lexie Zirschky. Dean Zirschky talks about her love of the Pacific Northwest, what students ought to do this summer to prepare for law school, and habits of successful law students -- among many, many other topics. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  2. Episode 2

    Contracts: Professors Bridgeman & Hatza

    In this episode, we talk to the two professors who teach Contracts in the first year: Curtis Bridgeman and Nikki Hatza. During our conversation, we covered a wide range of topics, from the history behind cold-calling, to body doubling for productivity and focus, to the importance of reviewing what you're learning throughout the semester. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  3. Episode 3

    Civil Procedure: Professors Dobbins & Simowitz

    In this episode, I talk with Professors Jeff Dobbins and Aaron Simowitz about Civil Procedure, a foundational course for first-year law students. We discuss the importance of understanding the mechanisms of law and litigation and how a thorough knowledge of civil procedure can provide significant advantages in legal practice. We also talk about both professors' paths to teaching. Questions or comments? Contact us!

  4. Episode 4

    Torts and more: Professor Friedman

    In this episode, I'm speaking with Associate Dean and Professor David Friedman about how the Torts class connects to just about every other subject in the law. He also talks about using legal analysis as a tool, while pursuing the values that brought you to law school -- plus a little baseball and some book recommendations! Questions or comments? Contact us!

  5. Season 3 Trailer

    Welcome Back! Season 3 coming July 6

    The new season of Matters of First Impression is coming soon! We'll talk to your first-year professors, Deans, staff, and some bonus guests, all to help you make a strong and successful transition to law school. See you on July 6th! Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  6. May 24

    Ten Insider Tips for the Classroom

    In this episode, we talk about law school culture and, specifically, about the classroom norms that are seldom discussed or made explicit in syllabi or prep books. Learn them now, and feel like an insider on day 1 of your fall semester. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  7. Jun 15

    Stumbling towards Success

    In this episode, we talk about using every challenging moment in law school as data, and how stumbling in the first semester is completely normal. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  8. Aug 9

    Learning a new Language in law school

    This mini-episode introduces a core challenge for new law students: familiar words often carry compressed legal frameworks. I explain how terms like "issue," "reasonable," "consideration," "standing," "assault," and "discovery" are not merely vocabulary but labels that cue multi-step analyses. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  9. Bonus

    Welcome to Discovery Phase!

    Welcome to a new miniseries on the podcast: Discovery Phase. In this short set of mini-episodes geared especially for our Early Start cohort, we will unearth a handful of terms and concepts to prime you for success this summer. This first mini-episode introduces the idea of monitoring both WHAT you learn in law school (types of knowledge), and what you are expected to DO with that knowledge (types of thinking, or cognitive processes). Visual aid for the "staircase" model. Contact form.

  10. Bonus

    Reading Cases: Arguments about Arguments

    Welcome back! Submit your questions or comments here: https://forms.gle/yRpwouCze5ZFQ2vi7

  11. Bonus

    Why all the talk about Rules?

    In this episode, we talk about law's obsession with RULES, and how the constant focus on them can be disorienting in the first year. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

  12. Bonus

    How Law School is like Learning to Drive

    In this mini episode, I talk about the skills law school tests on final exams, and how to prepare differently for those "driving tests," as opposed to the kinds of tests you experienced in college. Questions? Comments? Contact us!

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    11 Episodes

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About

Podcast for Willamette University College of Law students. The first series, Matters of First Impression, is directed at incoming 1Ls. Seasons 1-2 created & hosted by Professor Kelly Gamble. Season 3 by Professor Stephanie Davidson.

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