Learning Outcomes

Specific Learning Outcomes
 

Demonstrate an understanding of substantive law and procedural law

• Identify and apply concepts of Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Property, and Torts, and the manner in which the law - statutory, regulatory, and judge-made -  evolves.
  
  
• Identify and apply concepts of other core (bar-tested) areas of law such as Administrative Law, Business Organizations, Commercial Law, Family Law, Remedies, Tax Law, and Wills & Trusts.
  
  
• Identify and apply concepts in areas of law identified in the College of Law’s elective curriculum.

Employ legal analysis, reasoning, and problem-solving

• Identify relevant legal issues raised by clients’ legal problems or objectives.
  
  
• Identify relevant legal rules applicable to each issue, including synthesizing multiple authorities into a cohesive rule.
  
  
• Identify legally significant facts applicable to each issue or which operational issues need to be addressed through a legal lens.
  
  
• Apply the relevant legal rules to the legally significant facts and, as necessary, analogize and distinguish authorities, and respond to counter-arguments.
  
  
• Draw appropriate conclusions based on the facts, taking into account the clients’ interests, goals, and objectives.
  
  
• Identify which facts must be ascertained or which actions must be taken to achieve a goal within legal requirements.

Engage in factual development and legal research

• Create and execute a factual development plan, interviewing, and marshalling facts learned from a factual investigation.
  
  
• Develop a legal research strategy that is efficient and takes into account financial constraints of a client.
  
  
• Locate, analyze, and synthesize primary sources relevant to the legal issue at hand.
  
  
• Locate, analyze, and synthesize secondary sources relevant to the legal issue at hand.
  
  
• Identify legal requirements and solutions that take account of business, operational, and other context of a client.

Communicate effectively in both written and oral form

• Draft and edit documents that objectively analyze a legal problem.
  
  
• Draft and edit documents designed to persuade a reader.
  
  
• Draft and edit documents that create legal rights and obligations.
  
  
• Write in a clear, concise, and effective manner.
  
  
• Properly utilize rules of grammar, spelling, and citation.
  
  
• Make persuasive oral arguments or presentations.
  
  
• Effectively participate in all aspects of trial (opening statements, examination, etc.).
  
  
• Clearly and succinctly summarize complex legal concepts to ensure client understanding.

Fulfill professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system

• Identify the history, goals, structures, values, and responsibilities of the legal profession.
  
  
• Identify and apply the rules of professional conduct for attorneys.
  
  
• Understand the importance of assisting the underserved with their unmet legal needs.

Use interpersonal skills to participate competently, professionally, and ethically as a member of the legal profession

• Be aware of one’s own strengths and weaknesses as they relate to the legal profession.
  
  
• Be aware of cultural differences that may impact representation of one’s clients.
  
  
• Interview clients and witnesses.
  
  
• Counsel clients on legal problems.
  
  
• Negotiate effectively on behalf of clients.

Engage with legal concepts, policies, and values at a scholarly level

• Identify an unresolved issue of law or legal policy.
  
  
• Research, locate, digest, and engage with scholarship on that topic.
  
  
• Communicate an argument on that topic.
  
  
• Cite and attribute the words and ideas of others in a proper manner.