Armed with a year’s worth of legal training and a fierce sense of mission, first-year students at American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) set out on a race against time: rescue a missing agent—who just happened to be a rubber duck named Agent Quackles.

Far more than just a fun send-off, the lively mission marked the culmination of a year of intensive growth in research, analysis, citation, and writing skills. Moving fluidly through the Pence Law Library, faculty offices, and other spaces, students deciphered intricate clues that required them to apply everything they had learned, marking an important professional-identity transition as they prepared to head into their summer legal experiences.
The exercise was a true all-hands effort for the law school. 

"It is a true joy to work with colleagues building-wide who are willing to try new teaching techniques and learning exercises in the classroom,” said Professor Jamie Abrams, Director of the Legal Rhetoric Program. “AUWCL is a site for such innovation and creativity in the classroom, and it is what makes teaching here so meaningful and rewarding."  

Assistant Professor Elizabeth Rylander brought the idea back from a national Legal Writing Institute conference in summer 2024. Thanks to her focus on rigor, accessibility, and fun, the mission to save Agent Quackles became a meaningful and memorable end to an important first year.

“Solving a problem under time pressure meant that students had to apply their research and writing skills quickly and accurately, think outside the box, and work together effectively,” said Rylander. “They will need all these capabilities in the workplace this summer and in their 2L year. I hope rescuing Quackles was a final reminder that they’re ready for their next challenges and that they can also have some fun along the way.”

Above all, the mission was a celebration of the camaraderie, critical thinking, and creativity that define legal education at AUWCL. After a year of rigorous training, students found not just success and good company, but joy—in competitive energy, in testing their skills under pressure, and in taking pride in how far they had come.

See more photos from the event here.