After Michael Santana earned a law degree from City University of New York Law School he became a legal writing professor.

At some point, he wanted to move back to Olympia and work as an entrepreneur.

He was faced with two dilemmas - how to earn a living and what to do so he could be his own boss.

His solution was an online law school preparation course.

"There are some law school preparation courses out there," Santana said. "But I am unaware of anyone else doing what I am doing. The goal of the program is to help students to make a quicker, transition into law school. "

Called Law Boost, the three-day online course was started in 2005, to help students entering law school  write more clearly and concisely, analyze case law, and how to focus on basic sentence structure.

Law Boost focuses on legal writing because it is one of the most important aspects of law school, Santana said.

First, in accredited law schools and in the legal profession the IRAC, or Issue Rule Analysis and Conclusion writing structure is used, he explained.  The program teaches students how to write using this structure of writing, he said.

Secondly, the program teaches students how to analyze case law, and instructs them on how to look at a case with multiple issues, he said.

"Students who take my class will learn how to take one issue they need and pull it out of the case properly," he said.  "This is an invaluable skill when they enter law school."

Finally, the course teaches students how to focus on a basic, clear, concise, sentence structure, he said.

For $250, about 200 students a year take the course that comprises pre-course preparation that includes reading a 15 page lecture.  Then on the first day of the course, the students have 24 hours to complete their first writing assignment using IRAC, which involves taking eight cases and condensing them.  The writing assignment is then critiqued, he said.

"Often they will give me 600 words of writing assignment and I will give them 600 to 800 word critiques that include what they did right and what they can improve," Santana said.

The second day of the course, they receive another assignment that must be completed in 24 hours, and is also critiqued.  The final assignments are shorter writing assignments.

"Anything they write gets critiqued," he said. "Once they go through the course, I tell them if I think they will have trouble with the law school transition.  Sometimes I recommend that they go to the academics services professor at their law school. 

Most students do not connect with them, but they are there to help students learn in law school using their own learning style."

To participate, or for more information, anyone who wants to learn how to write more concisely can register for the course online at www.lawboost.com.