Lindsey Gustafson has been a professor of law at the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law for 20 years. Her teaching techniques help students progress and achieve peak performance by “triggering metacognition,” through Team-Based Learning (TBL), and by using problem-based research instruction.
In the classroom, Gustafson believes that teaching is more of a conversation than a presentation. She demonstrates this through responsible leadership and by listening to her students. In her Research, Writing, and Analysis course, she creates a safe space for students and frequently meets with them to help them improve their writing skills. She also provides valuable feedback and encourages open dialogue with her students, while allowing them to explore their own unique abilities. Gustafson believes in respectfully challenging her students and helping them build confidence. Even outside of the classroom, she tries to make herself available as a “shoulder to cry on” for her students and support them through their law school journey.
She was awarded the Bowen School of Law Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004 and again in 2014. She has written several published articles and presented at numerous national conferences. Gustafson is a member of the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) and the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) for which she has served on several committees. She is an advocate for students and successfully supported the highly controversial Bowen School of Law grading policy change to allow courses that use criterion-referenced grading, an exemption from the mandatory mean. She willingly discussed the proposal in an open forum, educating faculty and students on how criterion-referenced grading measures student-learning outcomes.
Gustafson received a Juris Doctor and a B.A. from Brigham Young University.