The Suffolk Law Legal Practice Skills Program recently joined forces with the Career Development Office to form the Legal Education and Practice Partnership (LEAPP), a new program designed to bring Suffolk Law faculty together with legal professionals to discuss ways to improve educational opportunities for students and increase communication and cooperation between academia and practice.

LEAPP is the brainchild of Professor of Legal Writing and Director of the Legal Practice Skills Program, Kathleen Elliott Vinson; Assistant Professor of Legal Writing Gabe Teninbaum; and Director of Employer Relations Betsy Armour.

The new partnership brings Suffolk Law faculty and administrators together with lawyers in all types of practice, both from Suffolk Law and the community at large. Participants include lawyers from government and pro bono work, large and small firm practitioners, transactional lawyers and litigators, judges, and corporate counsel, plus professional development directors, librarians, law school administrators, faculty, recruitment directors, and career development professionals. Meetings will take place once a semester.

"It’s a matter of translating the theoretical view of law into the practice of law,” said Kathleen Vinson, professor of legal writing and director of the Legal Practice Skills Program. “With the economy how it is, it’s important for new associates to hit the ground running."

During the inaugural meeting in June, participants discussed and brainstormed ideas for future meetings and identified ways to work together to prepare students for practice. Different viewpoints from many areas of law practice and the legal profession were heard.

Based on our discussion in June and subsequent feedback, the theme of our next meeting, to be held October 27 from 12-2 p.m., will be "Business 101 in Legal Practice." The goal of the meeting will be to have a focused discussion about how to collaborate to better prepare our students for the business aspects of the legal profession.

• Prof. Kathy Vinson, Director of Legal Practice Skills Program (kvinson@suffolk.edu)
  
  
• Prof. Gabe Teninbaum (gteninbaum@suffolk.edu)
  
  
• Betsy Armour, Director of Employer Relations (earmour@suffolk.edu)