ABA JOURNAL — Brenda Gibson is trying something new this semester with her legal writing students. After almost 17 years of using honorifics while teaching, she started calling them by their first names. “There are some things I had to do differently because I didn’t show up as authentic,” says Gibson, a professor at Wake Forest University School of Law.“I felt like based on some of my evaluations, they felt like I did not care. That boundary was something that was more a hindrance than beneficial,” adds the former state appellate court staff lawyer. She explains that convincing them she does care is more important than ever, as the country enters another period of uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic.“We have run up against, ‘It’s going to be better next year.’ The brain is literally tired, our bodies are tired, of the ‘next year,’ because we’ve gotten there,” says Gibson. Of course, that collegiality only goes so far. “One of my students said, ‘Do we get to call you Brenda?’ I just gave them a look,” she says, adding that she still expects to be called “professor.” Like Gibson, other law professors say the pandemic changed how they interact with students, and many find themselves sharing personal information they may not have previously shared. That’s partially due to the chaos of COVID-19, but it’s also a way for faculty to convince students they are there to help.