The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/34686
“The reality is that most law schools have yet to see widespread use of technology throughout the curriculum.” More Practical Courses for Lawyers Who Practice The section of the American Bar Association that covers legal education has embarked on a multi-year project to review comprehensively the standards by which law schools are accredited. Proposed revisions would give schools greater flexibility in certain areas; for example, allowing more credit hours to be taken in distance education courses, while at the same time placing greater emphasis on the assessment of student outcomes. Drafts of standards relating to law school curricula focus more on professional skills than the current versions. For example, a proposed standard would require every student to complete at least one faculty-supervised course after the first year that integrates doctrine, theory skill and ethics. Competency as an entry-level practitioner in professional skills is included in the proposed standards as a learning outcome. Recent blog posts and news articles have urged law schools to make job placement information about their graduates more transparent to assist both law students choosing a legal career and prospective students choosing a law school. In 2007, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching issued the report “Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law.” Among other recommendations, the authors of this oft-cited report identified a need for law students to have “substantial experience with practice as well as opportunities to wrestle with the issues of professionalism.” While law schools such as New York University and the City University of New York are well-known for their ongoing efforts to link doctrinal courses with lawyering and clinical courses, several other law schools have recently announced innovations designed to address issues identified in the Carnegie report. Washington and Lee University School of Law has revamped its third-year curriculum to offer a two-week skills immersion at the beginning of the semester; a clinic experience; additional electives taught in a problems-based, practicum style; and 86 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer participation in a semester-long professionalism program. The curriculum emphasizes strategic thinking, project management skills, teamwork and professional values. The Maurer School of Law at Indiana University has focused instead on the first year, requiring a legal profession course for first-year students. This course immerses students in a variety of practice settings and educates them on how economics, workplace pressures and organizational incentives affect lawyers. A growing number of law schools offer law practice management courses, emphasizing the economics of practice and the development of management skills. Other law schools, such as Harvard and Vanderbilt, have substituted courses on legislation, the regulatory process and international and comparative law for some of the traditional case-based courses taught in the first year of law school. While these are all positive developments, the ideal should be to integrate skills such as problem solving, negotiation, teamwork and oral and written competencies throughout the curriculum, not just in selected courses. In addition, while live-client clinics are expensive and labor-intensive for faculty, they offer some of the best opportunities for integrating theory and practice. Technology (Finally) Enters Law Schools Although law faculty have generally been slow to incorporate technology in the classroom, the use of course management systems such as TWEN or Blackboard to distribute course materials and communicate with students is now relatively common. Faculty members are gradually increasing their use of PowerPoint and other presentation software, and they routinely use email to communicate with students. As for students, many now use computers for exams and some state bars are allowing laptop use during the bar examination. Some law schools are experimenting with