Student Evaluations

Student Evaluations

Tom receives anonymous student evaluations of his classes every semester. Below is a representative sample of his students’ more recent evaluation comments.


"Professor Holm is one of the best professors I have ever had. He keeps the class engaged with his lively humor and makes what could otherwise be a very boring class something that I look forward to attending each session. He has a clear mastery of the course material and is able to teach it in a way that is accessible and comprehensible to his students. I think that he sets higher standards to meet for his students than some other sections, but I think that in the end it prepares you to be a better lawyer. While he is strict about deadlines, he can also be very understanding to student errors and is overall an extremely fair professor."



“I recently became an avid yelper, so I’ll do this yelp style: 5 stars. Would take this class again if I could. You walk into the classroom on Tuesday. That’s the first time we have lawyering skills. Monday was a blur. After the weekend, who can really pay attention? Tuesday morning, however, is different. Prof. Holm just commands attention. He stands up there with his broad shoulders and big smile and it works! I can actually pay attention. I can learn things. I've learned a whole lot, actually. Thursdays are similar except our Thursday classroom is wholly inferior to our Tuesday one. This fact, however, does nothing to abate Prof. Holm’s sheer forcefulness and power in delivering us knowledge. He truly is spectacular.”


"He explicitly walks us through the relevant facets of our legal analysis and writing assignments. He leaves no stone unturned, and it has tremendously aided the development of our lawyering skills. The course is well organized to go through important topics in a logical progression. He makes himself available to address questions and concerns and generally seems very helpful and sincere in his desire to see us become competent lawyers."



"Holm's strengths are effectively communicating the ideas and principles to us. He was excellent at instructing us how to write persuasively and how to conduct thorough research. He came prepared every class and was great at answering student questions. Anytime I was confused about something, he made it much clearer. He also was receptive to new ideas and was able to refer back to them throughout the semester."



"Professor Holm does a great job of organizing this class so that we are not too overwhelmed but at the same time have to work to keep up--and it pays off. Despite not directly involving discussions of our other classes, this lawyering skills class has improved my ability to analyze what we read in other classes. Professor Holm also very willing to discuss things that don't directly relate to the class, but which we may still have concerns about. He cares that each of his students succeeds, and it shows in his teaching."



" Professor Holm’s greatest strength is being able to convey the material in an understandable fashion. He is also passionate about teaching, which makes it easy to pay attention. If someone doesn’t understand something, he will take the time to clarify. He is also organized and conveys everything we need to know during lecture but also in the materials he provides. While the cases and statutes are filled with ambiguity, Professor Holm’s guidance is not."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are his strong emphasis on doing research the right way and not being seduced by the Westlaw/Lexis reps. How he gives more constructive criticism on the two ungraded papers we’ve had so far than I've received in all of my college papers. How his constructive criticism is actually useful in pointing out specifically what I need to work on. Ex: I need to work on making better linkage statements between facts and inferences, shorter sentences, etc."



" In class, Prof Holm explains concepts in a very logical, easy to follow manner. Prof Holm’s comments on writing assignments are also presented in an easy to understand manner. As a 1L with no prior legal writing experience, I greatly appreciate his teaching and feedback style. Prof Holm also answers every students’ questions in a respectful manner. He will never turn down a question and works with students until they have a better understanding of the subject at hand."



"Understanding students’ questions and giving responsive, illuminating answers; acknowledging students' ideas and encouraging us to explore them further and undertake deeper analysis; giving helpful tips and pointers for legal research; cultivating a friendly and productive classroom culture. I really appreciate Professor Holm’s warm demeanor and willingness to help resolve and explore any problems we may be facing as students and legal researchers."



"I think this was the most helpful course of the semester simply because there was actual application. I feel that applying what you learn is necessary to truly cement it in your mind. Holm is also very engaging and knows the material so well that he makes it easy to learn complex material. Holm also makes himself very accessible. You are not left to muddle through on your own quite so much as in other classes."



"This course has really transformed my writing and thinking about legal problems. The continuous feedback we receive in this course has helped me to make targeted improvements based on my own strengths and weaknesses coming into this course, and I feel like I have made great strides as a result. I believe I will be very prepared for my work this summer based on the writing and research skills I have honed in this course."



"This class was the most helpful in developing my research and writing skills. I enjoyed coming to class because we would actually do research/argument/writing work rather than reading cases. The best part of this class is definitely the detailed feedback that Prof. Holm gives us on each of our papers. They are extremely helpful for improving my memo writing skill."



"Holm is a great speaker and communicates very effectively. He explains the concepts and issues very thoroughly, which helped me understand the basics of legal writing very quickly. Holm is very methodical and plans his course very well, which makes it easy to follow along with the material. He is also very supportive and gives great constructive criticism on every assignment."



"He is an excellent communicator who is able to drive his points home with a nice mixture of logic and humor. He keeps the entire class engaged throughout each session. I never once felt bored, which occasionally happens in other classes. He conveys a passion for his work and a desire to see us succeed. It is motivating to know that the Professor is pulling for your success."



"Keeps class moving and on task and commands the attention of the classroom; concepts are broken down in understandable chunks; really utilizes class participation and keeps everyone involved; down to earth approach about learning memo writing and research; class feels like it has a much more applicable nature than the rest of our classes; I love having feedback in a class."



"I thought this course was set up very well. I liked that the course reader had specific outlines and explanations for each part of the memos that we could refer back to. I also felt that the class was very organized, so it was easy to follow what we were doing and see where we were going. I also liked that we had a very collaborative class, and we were able to share and discuss many topics."

"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are instilling confidence in the students that we are capable of producing a great work product. Professor Holm has structured his course so that the skills we are learning build one on top of the other. Although I was unsure about my legal writing skill at first, I am confident now in my ability to do good legal analysis and create work products that I can be proud of. Holm offered instructive and emotional support throughout the entire process to get us where we are today."



"Professor Holm obviously cares a considerable amount about helping his students and contributing to their overall understanding. He was been very helpful in making concepts clear and giving step-by-step instructions to make the process a lot easier. He is very knowledgeable about the information and is very effective in his delivery of that information. He is very approachable and this helps a lot, especially in a writing course."



"Has a great sense of humor and is incredibly personable. Of all my professors this semester, I felt like he was the one I could most easily approach. Is willing to help you with anything at all, whether it has to do with his class or not, and makes sure his students know this. He is incredibly knowledgeable and has outstanding mastery of the subject matter. Expects a lot out of you but gets the best out of you as a result and really knows how to make you better."



"Professor Holm is a dynamic teacher who is very talented at connecting with his students. He was really good at bringing potentially boring topics to life, like learning research tools on Westlaw. In one-on-one meetings he was incredibly kind and supportive. He has a great way of presenting critiques in an encouraging and constructive manner that I really liked. He definitely was the one teacher this year that inspired me to continue on in law school. He gives great advice and is really easy to talk to."



"Professor Holm has supported my fellow classmates and me inside and outside the classroom. He is always available to answer questions or just to talk and flesh out ideas and approaches to legal analysis. He is also exceptionally good at giving pep talks and providing general encouragement for life. Professor Holm has had a tremendous positive influence on my first year in law school, and I am sure that my learning experience would not have been the same without his support and uplifting 70s songs."



"Prof Holm is enthusiastic and serious about teaching, which could be shown from the continuous broke of chalk when he teaches. He does care for students, occasionally will give us songs to ease our nerves. He is also patient with all different kinds of questions, explaining in a open-minded way. He prepared class very well and the handouts are very informational and detailed. His critiques of our memos are also very detailed and helpful."



"Professor Holm preempts students’ concerns and offers very clear instructions. Further, his responses in class are direct and on point, making class a helpful learning endeavor rather than a formality. It’s surprisingly rare for professors to not give opaque answers in class, making Professor Holm stand out as a helpful, responsive instructor. Further, he's incredibly supportive of students both in- and outside the classroom."



"Lawyering skills is really the class that I feel offers the most ‘practical’ knowledge of what it will be like/what will be required of me as a lawyer out in the real world. Professor Holm is particularly skilled at tying the material to real world situations and his own personal experience and is very candid about doing so. This is greatly appreciated. I also thoroughly enjoy legal writing and this gives me hope."



"Really enjoyed the course and found incredibly useful. Professor Holm tells you on the first day of class that his job and the goal of the course is to make sure that you don’t get fired from your first job. Everyone laughs but that really is the goal and I feel confident going into my 1L summer that I am prepared for the tasks that I will be given. And again Professor Holm was possibly the best professor I had all year. Great class."



"Holm possess great mastery of the subject and even more importantly knows exactly how to articulate the material so that everyone is able to understand it. Above all, his greatest strength is that he genuinely wants everyone to succeed. He is also very personable and is always available to students for questions and help not only about his class but about law school in general."



"It seems that Professor Holm has equipped us with some critical skills that we'll need as lawyers through the teaching and the practical assignments. It's kind of like a ‘lab’ session for lawyers - one that I'm sure I'll be very thankful for in the years to come, as I can start learning these skills now, as opposed to waiting until my first job to fail terribly and have to learn when the stakes are higher."



"I think this was the most helpful course of the semester simply because there was actual application. I feel that applying what you learn is necessary to truly cement it in your mind. Holm is also very engaging and knows the material so well that he makes it easy to learn complex material. Holm also makes himself very accessible. You are not left to muddle through on your own quite so much as in other classes."



"He is an excellent communicator who is able to drive his points home with a nice mixture of logic and humor. He keeps the entire class engaged throughout each session. I never once felt bored, which occasionally happens in other classes. He conveys a passion for his work and a desire to see us succeed. It is motivating to know that the Professor is pulling for your success."


"Professor Holm is wonderful! He is nice and deeply cares about us. He has absolute mastery of this subject and I feel tremendously more prepared in this subject than others in classes with other professors. I feel confident that I can approach him with any problem that I may be having in law school."



"I think that this class is extremely helpful in my future career; even more than any other first year class. We are doing things that we are actually going to be doing in our professions later on. I can already tell that my writing has substantially improved since the beginning of the course and it’s only been 12 weeks."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are his eagerness to meet with students outside of class to answer writing questions/concerns; he puts a great deal of time into providing detailed feedback for writing assignments; enthusiasm for teaching; his readiness to share general law school advice and serve as a kind of mentor for his students."



"I have found this course to be extremely useful for learning the skills that we will put to use on the job. I feel very lucky to have had Professor Holm as my instructor because he made the class very fun and interesting while also successfully conveying a wealth of knowledge in an extremely effective manner."



"Very clear and engaging in class; keeps class interesting and entertaining; presents material well; is very helpful when approached either inside or outside of class, answers questions well; The comments in papers were generally helpful and clear. Overall, excellent professor."



"Professor Holm is very clear in his explanations of ideas and concepts, and very helpful in rephrasing something if we do not understand. He is good at keeping us engaged and seems very interested and excited by the material. Useful criticisms and helpful analysis of my submitted work. Professor Holm is very friendly and approachable."



"This is one of my favorite classes as a first year. I think the class itself is interesting because it allows me to see the real life applications of what I am learning and I feel like the analysis that we do in class has helped me understand how to read cases in my other three classes."

"Certainly my favorite professor of 1L year; Holm really cares about making a connection with students, and about the presentation of material. It is clear that he wants everyone to learn, and he does an excellent job of making that happen. Great classroom manner as well."



"Professor Holm is extremely knowledgeable about his subject. He gives great explanations to any questions which are asked. His feedback on memos is extensive and very helpful. He is friendly and approachable. He makes lawyering skills entertaining and fun."



"Professor Holm is the best! He is always willing to meet, he wants to depart his life wisdom on us, and even gives us songs and ideas to make our lives a little better. I will really miss not having Professor Holm as a teacher next year. Lawyering skills was the best class and easily the most practical."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are explaining what is asked of us very clearly. Answering students’ questions with relevant answers. Keeping our class discussions organized. Being accessible for student questions. Very helpful memo comments and meetings."



"Professor Holm really knows what he's talking about and does a good job presenting the information to the class. He does a good job taking questions and answering them in a way that clarifies complex issues for the class. He’s also very helpful with the writing assignments after the fact in helping us improve our writing skills."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are -a clear idea of what he is looking for from students -receptivity to student concerns and feelings -establishing good rapport with students and making them feel at ease -conducting class exercises and repeating important takeaway points."



"Professor Holm is very knowledgeable in his field. He takes immense efforts to help students with issues in and outside of the classroom. He displays tremendous care for our well being not just with the course material but our survival in law school and the legal field."

"Professor Holm is wonderful. He truly knows what he is talking about and is great at teaching legal analysis and writing. He is the director of Lawyering Skills and his mastery of the course reflects that. He is very nice, accessible to students, and has an unparalleled dry sense of humor. Great professor!"



"Professor Holm is dynamic, engaging, and really knows the course material. He is by far and away the friendliest and most personable professor I have. I feel comfortable asking him “stupid” questions and going to his office hours. And I can tell he really cares about teaching us and our overall well-being. Really appreciate that."



"He has an amazing ability to keep the entire class both interested and engaged in the subject matter. Professor Holm keeps class light an entertaining while fostering helpful and dynamic class discussions. Overall he is an amazing professor, the best I have had at UCLA Law."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are his ability to connect with students. Professor Holm is keenly aware of students’ concerns and sentiments. He tries to address and assuage them as much as possible. Additionally, Professor Holm’s enthusiasm makes students look forward to attending class."



"He brings a tremendous amount of energy into the class room and captivates his students, making learning an involved, welcoming, and fun process. He is extremely approachable outside of class, very receptive to student ideas, and an expert in his subject."



"Professor Holm is extremely charismatic and engaging during lectures. He is very organized. He is always willing to meet outside of class to discuss the material. The way in which he ties the material to his own experience as a lawyer/firm culture is very helpful and relevant."


"His mastery of the material is evident. Very personable. Knowledgeable about the law school game and good at keeping us grounded and prepared for the job market."



"Professor Holm has great energy and enthusiasm for teaching. He is good at getting the students engaged in the discussion. He also provides very detailed feedback, which is helpful for development."



"He knows the material inside and out and makes it so accessible to the students."



"Professor Holm is a truly great instructor. It is obvious that he cares deeply about his students, and that he also puts a great deal of effort into teaching legal research, writing, analysis, and other skills."



"A solid class taught by a very professional professor."



"Excellent feedback on our written assignments."



"This is one of my favorite classes as a first year. I think the class itself is interesting because it allows me to see the real life applications of what I am learning and I feel like the analysis that we do in class has helped me understand how to read cases in my other three classes."



"Holm is a great guy and a great teacher!"



"The instructor's greatest areas of strength are being able to give real life advice and teaching us skills that will apply to the real world."



"Holm relates to students in a way that makes the objectives of assignments clear, which ultimately makes the writing process less stressful. He is also great when it comes to talking one-on-one and reducing the angst that law school creates."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are articulate explanation of concepts, skills, and tips on organizing legal arguments. Very motivated to teach students and get students to be involved."



"I love this professor and am happy I have him for the entire year."



"I rated this class highly because Prof. Holm has helped me make leaps and bounds in my writing ability this semester and year. I can see the improvement in my writing, and I feel much more confident in my ability to do legal analysis now than I did before."



"I really enjoyed this class because I feel like the material we learned will actually be relevant in our legal careers. Our professor was very engaging, and I really enjoyed the classroom experience."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are providing constructive criticism that improves our legal writing has been his greatest strength. He’s also very clear when teaching. Overall, he’s an exceptional teacher."



"I found this to be the most helpful and interesting course of my 1L year. It gave me a good understanding of what it is to be a lawyer and developed my analytical skills and research abilities greatly. I wish it was a 3 year course."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are lecturing, providing realistic, practical advice, and providing us perspective that is helpful to us in stressful times."



"I think Holm is an excellent professor, and I think he understands legal writing perfectly to the point that it’s easy for him to teach it."



"Very engaging in class. Good use of time in class. Always available to talk outside of class. Engaging in a way that makes me happy to come to class."



"I enjoyed this class because I felt that we learned real-world skills that we will be able to use in our actual jobs."



"Great usher into the world of advocacy; excited to put the skills to good use in the summer."



"I felt this was by far the most useful course that will have the greatest impact on my career. It was extremely well put together and my time in this class was very well spent."



"Incredibly personable, knowledgeable, and funny. Has the ability to tell you you're wrong without coming across as condescending."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are making the material relatable and relating to students. Probably not a better instructor to start off the day with."

"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are energy, passionate about teaching and helping students, provides very thorough helpful feedback, uplifting - funny, boosts class morale, cares about students."



"Great course, enjoyed it very much, found it very helpful and it was usually the highlight of my day - especially because of the quality of the professor. Holm rocks!"



"Makes class interesting. Very engaging. Creates a comfortable, safe learning environment. This is the class where I feel most comfortable participating. Knows the material very well."



"Very charismatic and amicable. Makes the students like him and seems like he genuinely likes his students. Clear explanations and expectations. The class seems very practical and Holm makes it applicable to the real world."



"I wish I could take this class again."



"This is an excellent course taught by an excellent instructor and I feel lucky to have been a part of it."



"Professor Holm is very knowledgeable in his field. He takes immense efforts to help students with issues in and outside of the classroom. He displays tremendous care for our well being not just with the course material but our survival in law school and the legal field."



"Professor Holm is always very dynamic when he lectures, so classes are always very interesting. He is really well-prepared and I always enjoyed my time in class. He clearly cares a lot about his students, and I really appreciated his dedication."



"Intense, but so very useful. Feels great to be learning very concrete and applicable skills. Everything we learned was consistently re-enforced. Love the small class size and more intimate atmosphere. Felt like a very safe environment."



"Mastery of the material, passion and enthusiasm. Makes it enjoyable to learn any material under those circumstances."



"Overall this course was very helpful and I enjoyed every class. The professor is very engaged with the students and seems very knowledgeable. This has probably been the most helpful class this semester."



"The instructor's greatest areas of strength are his ability to connect to the students and effectively explain issues; also just general attitude toward teaching - really making sure that the material is understood and applied - just an overall excellent professor."



"Lawyering Skills will be the most helpful class in my time at UCLA Law. I feel I can already say that. It teaches us how to be a lawyer and we're going to excel because of the instruction in this class."



"I truly feel that I have learned more in this class than any other, and my improvement in writing memos had become apparent. Professor Holm makes the subject understandable and manageable to first year students."



"Professor Holm was very helpful in an answering all of our questions and concerns. The classroom experience was extremely engaging and beneficial, and the class was structured in a very organized and helpful way."



"The bottom line is that I have no doubt that I am a better legal writer and that I was lucky to have Prof Holm as my lawyering skills professor. I would not have changed him out for anyone. He’s exactly what I needed."



"Prof. Holm’s greatest strength is the amount that he cares about his students both personally and in helping them to achieve educational goals."



"Thank you for all your hard work this year. It was always a joy to come to class. I will remember this as one of my most pleasant experiences of my 1L year!"



"I enjoyed this class because I felt that we learned real-world skills that we will be able to use in our actual jobs."



"Great usher into the world of advocacy; excited to put the skills to good use in the summer."



"Great class. The information we learned is very practical and will be continuously used throughout my legal profession."



"Just wanted to let you know that the love that you constantly radiate in and out of classroom is felt and greatly appreciated... no joke!"



"I really enjoyed this course with Professor Holm and would absolutely recommend him to any future students."



"He was very entertaining and extremely helpful. I feel that I got more practical knowledge out of this class than any of my other first year courses."

"He has a good idea of what skills he wants his students to learn, as well as how to get the students to learn those skills."



"Incredibly knowledgeable and charismatic. I appreciate that he attempts to connect core concepts of the class with actual skills required at firms."



"He has a through grasp of legal analysis and teaches the difficult topic in a very intuitive manner. MOREOVER, he is receptive to all student comments and is almost always available to talk in person. He is an all around great professor."



"Overall this course was very helpful. I really appreciated how accessible the professor was. He was very helpful during office hours and helped me through my confusions. Also, I appreciated that he tried to help us through the stress of law school."



"Great enthusiasm and a strong awareness of how to better legal writing. Good organization. A sincere desire to help."



"Very engaging and super funny! It really shows that he cares about his students and that they learn and succeed in class."



"He knows the material so well that he is able to explain things in great detail. He also cultivates a great atmosphere in the classroom, making students very comfortable. He breaks down complex things very well."



"Prof. Holm is very enthusiastic to teaching and cares a lot about students. He is a very warm and funny person as well. He gives many other helpful and valuable suggestions to our career."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are his empathy. Professor Holm relates really well with students, and I always feel as though he knows exactly what we are going through. He understands our concerns, addresses them, and gives helpful suggestions."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are expertise, organization, ability to present material in a clear way, humor, willingness to help."



"I feel like I learned a lot and definitely got the best lawyering skills professor."



"The instructor is wonderful at answering questions, explaining issues, and provoking thoughtful discussion. He is also always available outside of class to respond to any further issues; he never feels hard to approach."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are providing constructive criticism that improves our legal writing has been his greatest strength. He’s also very clear when teaching. Overall, he’s an exceptional teacher."



"I have found this course to be extremely useful for learning the skills that we will put to use on the job. I feel very lucky to have had Professor Holm as my instructor because he made the class very fun and interesting while also successfully conveying a wealth of knowledge in an extremely effective manner."



"I felt that this course helped me greatly improve my legal research and writing skills, as well as my oral communication skills. I feel much more prepared for legal practice as a direct result of this course."



"Great instructor. However, he can’t seem to write without breaking the chalk because he is so excited to teach."



"Professor Holm is by far the best professor I had this year. He is approachable, very knowledgeable about legal writing, and makes class entertaining."



"The instructor’s greatest areas of strength are caring for students, generosity, Willing to take the time to answer student's questions."



"Memo critiques are extremely helpful. He shows that he really wants to help you improve."



"This course was amazing. I improved massively as a writer, and I now really like researching legal issues."



"Incredibly personable, knowledgeable, and funny. Has the ability to tell you you're wrong without coming across as condescending."



"I believe this class taught me the most applicable skills my first year of law school. Looking back I can see how far my legal analysis and legal writing skills have come."



"The class was really helpful and seems like the most useful for actual practice."