Emory Law’s Academic Excellence program provides multi-pronged support to ensure student success both in terms of academic performance and more specifically in preparation for the bar exam. Our dedicated team of faculty and academic advising professionals oversee Bar Readiness, Elements of Legal Studies Program, the Dean’s Teaching Fellows, and more. Please see below to learn more about each of our focus areas:
Bar Readiness
Our faculty instruct multiple courses designed to help prepare students for the Multistate Performance Test (MPT) and Georgia Essay sections of the bar exam. Examples include LAW995: Survey of Integrated Legal Concepts and LAW999: Georgia Law, Practice, and Procedures. These courses strategically cover frequently occurring bar topics along with test taking practice and methodologies to enhance student success. We also provide associated workshops and direction to helpful resources. View more about Bar Readiness.
Academic Advising
With the support of our associate dean and director, our experienced team of academic advisors serve our JD and LLM students as the primary touchpoints of academic advising and planning during their law school career. As such, our advisors are strategic partners to faculty, administrators, and student organizations promoting student development and retention via advising, targeted intervention, and cross-departmental collaboration. Additional duties also include graduation audits, guiding students to campus resources such as bar readiness, counseling, accessibility, and career services. Likewise, they are involved in orientation and assessment including participation in the design of relevant workshops and initiatives. Upon the request of the Dean of Academic Programs, they also serve as Conduct Court Investigators. Finally, our advising team oversees the selection, training, supervision, and ongoing mentorship of the Dean’s Teaching Fellows.
Elements of Legal Studies (ELS)
Our ELS Program is designed to help our newly admitted students to transition to Emory Law. We provide programming starting the summer prior to orientation and continuing throughout the academic year including workshops that focus on critical reading and analytical skills essential for student success. Associated coursework includes LAW994A: Elements of Legal Study I and LAW994B: Elements of Legal Study II.
Academic Excellence Team
Kamina Pinder
Kamina Pinder is the associate dean of Academic Excellence and a professor of practice. She teaches LAW995: Survey of Integrated Legal Concepts, LAW520: Contracts, LAW741: Remedies, LAW 535A: Introduction to Legal Analysis, LAW535B: Introduction to Legal Advocacy, LAW747: Legal Profession, and LAW747E: Law and Legal Professionals. She has taught in several law and business schools in the areas of legal writing, contracts, professional ethics, ethical issues in healthcare, remedies, case settlement negotiation, bar prep, and externships. She has also published multiple works including a student-centric guide on legal writing and a study aid to improve performance on contracts. Dean Pinder is also a bar review lecturer in the subject of professional responsibility. We welcome you to
view her profile for more information about her extensive scholarship, professional background, and notes of distinction.
Franklin B. Lebo
Franklin B. Lebo is the director of Academic Excellence and an assistant teaching professor. Among the courses he instructs, Lebo is responsible for LAW999: Georgia Law, Practice/Procedure. He previously served multiple experiential learning programs at Emory Law including the Externship and Professionalism Programs along with the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program and Barton Child Law and Policy Center. Before joining Emory University, from 2017-2022, he served as co-director and assistant teaching professor of Baldwin Wallace University's Sustainability Program. Lebo is a recurring CLE lecturer for TRTCLE, Inc. delivering addresses to national audiences of attorneys on topics such as executive powers, judicial discretion, benefit corporations, public-private partnerships (3P), environmental social governance (ESG), professional responsibility, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). We welcome you to
view his profile for more information about his scholarship, professional background, and notes of distinction.
J. Brown
Brown advises JD, MLS, and LLM students on course planning, externships, bar preparation, and early-career development. She also supports first-generation and minority law students through individualized guidance and mentorship. She earned her JD from Fordham University School of Law and her BA from Emory University.
Jennie Geada Fernández
Jennie Geada Fernández (03L) is a Senior Academic Advisor under the Program for Academic Excellence at Emory University School of Law. Jennie’s connections to Emory Law run deep having previously served as Associate Director for Student Engagement from 2013-2019. Among her many duties, she worked closely with student organizations, supervised the Houses program and the Dean’s Teaching Fellows, assisted students with bar readiness, and served as an academic advisor. Likewise, she brings a decade of experience practicing in family law in the Atlanta Area with an emphasis on high asset and complex divorce litigation. She is passionate about guiding students in their academic and other pursuits.
Henry Echols
Henry Echols is a senior academic advisor under the Program for Academic Excellence at Emory University, School of Law. Henry earned his JD from the University of Arizona. Henry previously worked as an IT and programming professional for ten years, honing his attention to detail and management skills. Thereafter, Henry attended the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law as he was drawn to the institution’s Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy program. He was a member of the Native American Law Students Association and participated in the school’s Tribal Justice Clinic. After law school, Henry clerked for a judge on the Pima County Juvenile Bench, an opportunity which drew his attention in part due to the Indian Child Welfare Act cases over which the Court presided. He then served as a staff attorney for the Pima County Office of Children’s Counsel where he represented minors in dependency, severance, and guardianship actions. Henry has a broad range of salient experiences and interests that adds significant dept to his dedicated advising of Emory Law students.
