Class record · LAWS · LAW

LAWS 8308

Compassionate Release & Parole Clinic · 1 instructor on record · 10 sections

What the course score is made of

98BC evaluations10 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

—RateMyProfessorsno ratings — does not contribute

That is the class itself, averaged across everyone who taught it. Who taught it, and how each of them scored, is the board below — that is what a student picking a section is actually choosing between.

What the challenge rank is made of

81stMore challenging than 81% of BC classesranked against every one we hold

96BC — “Intellectually Challenging”10 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question for this class only — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score.

What the workload rank is made of

95thMore work than 95% of BC classesranked against every one we hold

93BC — “Workload”10 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload for this class only as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

Students represent inmates who have become eligible for parole from life sentences after serving at least 15 years in prison. Inmates often appear without counsel and are unable to effectively represent themselves. Students help prepare such inmates for their parole hearings; represent them at the hearings, prepare a petition for grant of parole. Students also represent inmates who are within 18 months of death or mentally or physically incapacitated. Working with graduate social work students and nursing students, law students prepare a petition for medical release.

The only instructor on record

10 sections · nobody else has taught itFull record

Instructor	Overall	Workload	Challenge
Francis HerrmannLaw	9610 records	95th	81st

There is no ranking to read here: Francis Herrmann is the only instructor with evaluation records for LAWS 8308, so the number is a record, not a position.

Also taught by Francis Herrmann

1 other class

Class	Instructors	Course score
LAWS 4308Advanced Parole and Medical Release Practice	14 records	97

Other LAWS classes

All of them

Class	Instructors	Course score
LAWS 2110Critical Perspectives: Law, Context, and Professional Identity	3080 records	66
LAWS 8667Legal Practice Externship	251 records	91
LAWS 2150Law Practice 1	1032 records	84
LAWS 2155Law Practice II	1032 records	83
LAWS 8130Advanced Legal Research	829 records	92
LAWS 2190Professional Responsibility	926 records	74

The line

All 13 items · means across 10 records

The Professor4 items

Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.

9670th pctl

Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.

9777th pctl

Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.

9883rd pctl

Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.

9879th pctl

The Course3 items

Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.

9251st pctl

Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.

9571st pctl

Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.

9989th pctl

Assignments & Feedback3 items

Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.

9364th pctl

Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.

9463rd pctl

Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.

9464th pctl

Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings

WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.

9395th pctl

Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.

9681st pctl

Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.

9467th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Game log

10 sections · newest first

Instructor	Term	Sec	Instr	Course	Work
Francis Herrmann	Spring 2026	01	100	100	80
Francis Herrmann	Fall 2025	01	100	100	80
Francis Herrmann	Spring 2025	01	90	95	100
Francis Herrmann	Fall 2024	01	80	97	100
Francis Herrmann	Spring 2024	01	96	100	80
Francis Herrmann	Fall 2023	02	95	95	—
Francis Herrmann	Spring 2023	01	100	97	100
Francis Herrmann	Fall 2022	01	100	100	100
Francis Herrmann	Spring 2022	01	100	100	100
Francis Herrmann	Fall 2021	01	100	100	100

How to read this boardInstructors are ranked on their record in this class only, never on their average across everything they teach. Scores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Workload is BC's own five-band figure, not a number of hours, and is shown as a rank. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero.