| 1. Demonstrate knowledge of core legal subjects, including Business Associations, Civil Procedure, Commercial Transactions, Contracts and Sales, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Legal Ethics, Real Property, Torts, and Wills.
Knowledge is demonstrated in these courses by using the information learned, in conjunction with the following skills, to provide analysis of legal problems or to perform legal tasks:
- Analyzing Cases and Legal Problems
- Reasoning
- Constructing Arguments
- Problem Solving
- Effective Writing
- Critical Reading
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a. Course Grades: Interim assessment of knowledge of core legal subjects, by assessing student use of the information learned in core courses, in conjunction with the following skills, to provide legal analysis or to perform legal tasks:
- Analyzing Cases and Legal Problems
- Reasoning
- Constructing Arguments
- Problem Solving
- Effective Writing
- Critical Reading
Course grades, thus, also assess student skills, including analysis, reasoning, constructing arguments, problem solving, creative thinking, and some effective writing and reading skills.
* Course grades demonstrate competency in learning outcomes in core legal subjects, as discussed in the Memorandum from Molly O’Brien to Paulette Popovich dated September 28, 2005.
* Course grades also demonstrate competency in learning outcomes, as discussed in the following reports of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) -- (1) "Final Report: LSAC Skills Analysis Law School Task Survey," May 2003; and (2) "LSAC Individual School Report: The University of Akron School of Law," June 2004. These LSAC studies demonstrate that students and faculty at a representative group of law schools consider students to need the majority of the listed skills (analyzing cases and legal problems, reasoning, constructing arguments, problem solving, and some effective writing, and critical reading skills) to perform well in core substantive classes and that other skills (e.g., oral communication and legal research) are critical in targeted courses. The studies also show that students and faculty at our Law School also consider these skills important to performing well in these courses.
b. Bar Examination: Test administered under the authority of the State Supreme Court. Includes multiple choice portion (given nationwide), performance test (nationwide) and essay portion (tailored to Ohio law) and evaluates knowledge of core legal subjects, skills in analytical reading and thinking, problem solving, and effective writing.
Results of failing students are matched to LGPA and to 1st-year LGPA.
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a. The Law School determined the number of 1L students earning below a GPA of 2.0 in Fall 2006 and required those students to work with the Academic Success Office.
The Law School determined the number of students earning below a GPA of 2.0 at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year and took the action set forth in the "Actions" column.
The Law School determined the number of students earning below a GPA of 2.3 at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year, required that these students take courses from a specified curriculum, and encouraged them individually to work with the Academic Success Office.
b. July 2006 Bar Exam Data:
The Law School compared the following data from the July 2006 Bar Exam: (1) data on bar passage rates for all Ohio takers and all University of Akron takers; and (2) data on bar passage rates for all Ohio first-time Bar takers and all University of Akron first-time takers.
February 2007 Bar Exam Data:
The Law School compared the following data from the February 2007 Bar Exam: (1) data on bar passage rates for all Ohio takers and all University of Akron takers; and (2) data on bar passage rates for all Ohio first-time Bar takers and all University of Akron first-time takers.
The Law School also compared the data from the recent Bar Exams with cumulative data on Bar passage that the Law School has accumulated over time.
BAR RESULT DATA: kept over time, and correlated with state pass rate, student LGPA, class rank, index, and other factors that appear relevant based upon results.
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a. All 1L students earning GPA < 2.0 in first semester are required to work with Academic Success Office to improve learning.
All students earning GPA < 2.0 in subsequent semesters are dismissed from the program; students with LGPAs of 1.8 and above may petition for readmission.
Based on studies of risk of Bar Exam failure, any student earning GPA <2.3 must take 18 credits of Bar courses and no more than 12 credits in non-exam courses.
b. Bar Examination results are routinely analyzed by comparing our first-time taker and all taker passage rates to the state first-time taker and overall rates and to the passage rates of each of the other Ohio schools. We analyze the students who passed and failed by matching at least to overall LGPA, 1st-year LGPA, and academic probationers. Since the 1960s, we have used this data to alter programming in Bar courses and to set policies on law school grades, probation, and coursework requirements for students at risk of failing the Bar. Because of the small number of students that take any Bar Exam, it is difficult to draw conclusions that are statistically significant unless results are viewed over time.
Based on the results from July 2005 and February 2006 Bar Exams and on ongoing statistical studies of varying complexity and depth of Bar Exam results over a number of years, the Law School’s Academic Committee and other appropriate committees have taken various specific actions to improve student learning and ultimate performance. The Law School will continue to evaluate Bar Exam performance after each Bar exam and will continue to fashion initiatives with the goal of improving student learning and performance.
The Law School requests that each student waive non-access to information regarding Bar Exam results and is, thus, able to analyze full data received from the Ohio Supreme Court. After each Bar Exam, the Law School re-examines statistical data and further determines other statistical studies which data indicate would be potentially fruitful for analysis and further determines whether additional actions are necessary regarding, inter alia, Bar Exam preparation or curriculum.
Based on the Law School’s strong results for first-time takers on the February 2007 Bar Exam, the Law School will analyze whether it can determine the impact of the actions taken over the past year to aid in Bar Exam preparation. The Law School will continue the actions instituted over the past year and also consider other methods for maintaining and improving Bar Exam performance.
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2. Demonstrate Effective Legal Writing
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a. 1st Year Writing Requirement: interim assessment of student writing. Three projects each semester. Advanced Drafting requirement in upper class has 4 assessed assignments.
b. Graduate Writing Requirement (GWR): Substantial research paper builds and assesses student research, writing, analytical, creative and critical thinking skills. Individual faculty members work with students through successive drafts until a satisfactory product is completed. B level work or better is required.
c. See also Program Learning Assessment 1, Demonstrate Knowledge of Core Legal Subjects. Effective writing is partially assessed in examinations on core legal subjects.
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a. Grades are based on competency. The program defines competency in two separate ways: (1) competency in writing fundamentals; and (2) competency in legal analysis. In Legal Analysis, Research and Writing I (LARW I), only a few students earned below a "C" even though the Director of the Writing Program has instituted mandatory target means for each assignment that vary between a 2.5 and 2.7 (with some ability for teaching assistants to vary the grades upward or downward slightly, after review and input from the Director). In LARW II, which includes both written and oral advocacy skills, a similarly small number of students earned below a C. (The reported grades for LARW I and LARW II omit lower scores earned because of a penalty, e.g., for turning in work late).
Students considered to be writing at a level below that necessary to demonstrate competency in writing fundamentals are offered an opportunity to work individually with the program director. A small number of students appropriately self-selected and worked with the Director on writing competency issues.
b. Students work with faculty advisor to complete research paper. Students must perform at "B" level or above to receive credit on the GWR. Students who fail to satisfy GWR standards cannot graduate. Although such instances are quite rare, the Law School has enforced this provision on occasion.
c. See Section 1, Demonstrate Knowledge of Core Subjects, above.
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a. Review to consider whether to institute ways of ensuring that those few students who earn below a "C" in LARW I and LARW II later demonstrate competency.
b. Institute a faculty discussion of GWR issues, which may include a number of suggestions for possible adoption, including a required classroom component for students and a suggested rubric showing students how faculty will assess the GWR project. Several faculty have also shared their assessment instruments.
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4. Demonstrate Effective Legal Research Skills
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a. Advanced Legal Research requirement: Required modules measure research ability. Students work at their own pace and re-take assessments as necessary to achieve mastery. Mastery required.
b. Graduate Writing Requirement (GWR): Substantial research paper builds and assesses student research, writing, analytical, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills. Individual faculty members work with students through successive drafts until a satisfactory product is completed. B level work or better is required.
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a. 100% of all graduating upper level students mastered the Advanced Legal Research (ALR) requirements. For each lesson within each ALR module, students must earn a minimum of 70% to master the material.
b. Students work with faculty advisor to complete research paper. B level work is required. One component of the grade is that the project demonstrate legal research skills, i.e., students must demonstrate "thoroughness in the discovery of data available." Students who fail to satisfy GWR standards cannot graduate. Although such instances are quite rare, the Law School has enforced this provision on occasion.
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a. No actions will be taken.
b. Institute a faculty discussion of GWR issues, which may include a number of suggestions for possible adoption, including a required classroom component for students and a suggested rubric showing students how faculty will assess the GWR project. Several faculty have also shared their assessment instruments.
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5. Demonstrate Ability to Combine Problem-Solving, Creative Thinking, Oral Communication, Interpersonal Skills.
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a. Student performance in intermural and national competitions and in an intramural mock trial competition.
Student performance in clinical programs.
Student performance in multiple practical skills oriented courses measure practical skills. The curriculum requires (1) each student to take a "mock litigation" component (which requires drafting of 5 to 8 court documents and some oral argument) as part of the required first-year Civil Procedure course; and (2) each student to take at least 2 additional credits of upper-level skills instruction in designated skills courses.
The School also provides an intramural mock trial competition for students who are not members of Mock Trial teams the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s (ATLA) intramural trial team competition. Se 3.a., above.
b. See also Program Learning Outcome 1, Demonstrate Knowledge of Core Legal Subjects. Problem-solving and creative thinking are partially assessed in examinations on core legal subjects.
c. See also Program Learning Outcome 3, Demonstrate Ability to Communicate Orally
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a. Assessment of student performance on national competition teams is based on performance at competitions. Trial teams have placed us in the top 16 in nation for 15 of 17 years; trial teams have won regional competitions and two national titles in the last three years. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked the School’s trial advocacy program as tied for 7th in the nation, sharing honors with Georgetown, Northwestern, and Washington University in St. Louis.
The School also hosts an intramural mock trial competition for students who are not members of intermural Mock Trial teams. The School uses the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s (ATLA) intramural trial team competition. Again, assessment is based on performance. See 3.a., above.
The School’s intermural moot court teams participate in competitions annually that include oral argument and brief-writing components.
Student performance in clinical placements is assessed based on field supervisor assessments, which are collected by the director.
Students are evaluated by faculty in coursework.
b. See also, 1.a., above, regarding Knowledge of Core Legal Subjects and assessment of problem-solving and creative thinking skills in core substantive courses.
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a. Continue collecting and monitoring competition data.
Continue collecting and monitoring field supervisor assessments.
Monitor student performance in skills courses through graded work.
6. Values: Demonstrate Knowledge of Professional Ethics.
a. Multi-state Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE): Nationally standardized test measuring knowledge of professional ethics norms.
b. Students take a required 3-hour course in professional responsibility. Assessment by course grade.
a. MPRE Examination: required by every state for admission to Bar. MPRE data is not provided to law schools. The MPRE is competence-based, however, requiring that each student retake the exam until the student attains at least the minimum required score before that student will be admitted to the Bar
a. No action will be taken.
7. Employment Assessment.
a. Employer Surveys, Student Exit Surveys, Alumni Surveys: The Law School collects data annually on employment placement rates. Qualitative feedback about Akron graduates is also sought from employers to assess student skills and indirectly to assess student interpersonal skills. Exiting student surveys are collected every year. Alumni feedback is collected every 5-7 years.
a. The Law School annually analyzes data on placement rates for graduates both at time of graduation and within 9 months of graduation. There are two major ways to calculate employment rate within 9 months of graduation. One way is to use the National Association of Law Placement (NALP) formula. Another formula is the one used by US News & World Report. Using both formulas, the Law School’s employment figures are competitive with other law school placement rates.
A report on the qualitative data collected in student exit surveys, alumni surveys, and employer surveys is beyond the scope of this form.
a. Data collected through the various surveys is evaluated by the Dean and the Career Placement Office. Results of surveys are discussed among faculty.
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