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Traditional notions of assessment in legal education have limited our capacity to truly measure whether law students are receiving the education and training they need to enter the profession. Rather than using assessment as a sorting mechanism, assessment can and should be used as a powerful educational tool to serve a critical role in lawyer preparation and in improving legal education.

This conference demonstrated how assessment can be used for teaching, for learning, and as support for law schools and educators when developing new or innovative models.

Registration was complimentary for three faculty members from each Consortium school and for all Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers Fellows. Other participants joined the discussion on a limited basis. Contact Caitlin Anderson, Legal Assistant to Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers, for details.

The conference planning committee included:

  • Roberto Corrada, University of Denver Sturm College of Law
  • Andrea Curcio, Georgia State University College of Law
  • Alli Gerkman, Director of Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers
  • Mary Lynch, Albany Law School
  • Michael Hunter Schwartz, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
  • Bill Sullivan, lead author of Educating Lawyers
  • David Thomson, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Conference generously sponsored by:

 

 

 

 

Materials

Gregory J. Brandes, Learning from Online Assessment:

  1. Presentation - Learning from Online Assessment

Andrea A. Curcio, Measuring Learning Workshop:

  1. Presentation - Measuring Learning Workshop

Neil Hamilton, Assessing the “Roadmap for Employment” Experiment:

  1. Slides not available

Mary Lynch, Roadblocks to Assessment:

  1. Presentation - Roadblocks to Assessment

Michael Madison, Writing to Learn in Doctrinal Courses:

  1. Presentation - Classroom-Based Experiential Teaching: An Intellectual Property Illustration
  2. Copyright Law - Assignment
  3. Copyright Law - Memo One
  4. Copyright Law - Memo Two
  5. Copyright Law - Memo Three
  6. Trademark Law - Assignment
  7. Trademark Law - Memo One
  8. Trademark Law - Memo Two

Paul Maharg, Assessment Around the World:

  1. Presentation - Assessment Around the World

Jeffrey Pokorak and Kathryn Linder, Vertical Assessments in the Law School Context:

  1. Presentation - Vertical Assessments in the Law School Context
  2. Assessment Paradigms
  3. Assessment Resources
  4. New ABA Standards for Accreditation

Joseph A. Rosenberg, Law School Curriculum and the Bar Exam: An Assessment Failure:

  1. Presentation - Law School Curriculum and the Bar Exam: An Assessment Failure

Melissa Swain and JoNel Newman, Using Student Narrative to Assess Professional Development:

  1. Presentation - Using Student Narrative to Assess Professional Development
  2. Learning Goals
  3. Health Rights Clinic Self-Evaluation: Fall 2013
  4. Health Rights Clinic Self-Evaluation: Spring 2014
  5. Reflection on Law Clinic Activity

Aaron N. Taylor, Making Sense of Assessment Data: Using Existing Data:

  1. Presentation - Using Existing Data

Sarah Valentine, Implementing ABA-Mandated Outcomes and Assessment: Obstacles and Opportunities:

  1. Revisions to the ABA Standards for Approved Law Schools

Monica Hof Wallace and Christine Cerniglia Brown, Are Experiential Models Really Better? Qualitative Assessment for Student Learning:

  1. Presentation: Are Experiential Models Really Better?
  2. Civil Law of Persons - Syllabus: Fall 2014
  3. Civil Law of Persons - Assignments: Fall 2014
  4. Civil Law of Persons - Experiential Module 1: Client Interview
  5. Civil Law of Persons - Experiential Module 2: After the Client Interview, Drafting the Petition for Divorce
  6. Civil Law of Persons - Experiential Module 3: After Filing the Petition for Divorce, Child Custody Hearing and Child Support Worksheet A
  7. Assessment for Experiential Modules

Please contact Professor Wallace directly if you are interested in grading rubrics and other confidential materials from this course.

Conference Takeways

  1. Saturday Takeaways
Agenda

Thursday, September 18

11:00 a.m.  Registration Opens

1:45 p.m.   Welcome — Introduction — Updates from ETL

Alli Gerkman, Director of Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers

2:15 p.m.  Show, Tell, and Learn — Round One

Multiple Presenters, Ignite Format (30 minutes, 5 presenters from Consortium schools)

Group Discussions (30 minutes) — small group tables

3:15 p.m.  Break

3:30 p.m.  Show, Tell, and Learn — Round Two

Multiple Presenters, Ignite Format (30 minutes, 5 presenters from Consortium schools)

Group Discussions (30 minutes) — small group tables

4:30 p.m.  Break

4:45 p.m.  Show, Tell, and Learn — Round Three

Multiple Presenters, Ignite Format (30 minutes, 5 presenters from Consortium schools)

Group Discussions (30 minutes) — small group tables

5:45 p.m.  Reception

6:30 p.m.  Dinner

8:15 p.m.  Adjourn

 

Friday, September 19

8:00 a.m.  Breakfast

9:00 a.m.  Roadblocks to Assessment

Professor Mary Lynch, Albany Law School, Albany, NY

Using role play and breakout groups, this session will identify and address common roadblocks to assessment and propose ways to break them down. 

10:00 a.m. Break

10:15 a.m. Vertical Assessments in the Law School Context

Professor Jeffrey Pokorak, Vice Provost for Faculty and Curriculum, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, MA

Dr. Kathryn Linder, Director of Center for Teaching and Scholarship Excellence, Suffolk University, Boston, MA

11:15 a.m. Measuring Learning Workshop

Professor Andrea A. Curcio, Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, GA

This session will help conference attendees identify particular course or curricular learning objectives and/or outcomes they want to measure and will explore how to design and implement assessments to determine whether students have, in fact, achieved those learning outcomes or objectives.

12:15 p.m.  Lunch

1:00 p.m.  Reporting Out: Measuring Learning

1:30 p.m.  Assessment Around the World

Professor Paul Maharg, Australian National University College of Law, Canberra, AU

2:15 p.m.  Break

2:30 p.m.  Making Sense of Assessment Data

Learning from Online Assessment

Professor and Executive Director Gregory J. Brandes, Concord Law School of Kaplan University, Los Angeles, CA

Using Existing Data

Professor Aaron N. Taylor, Saint Louis University School of Law, Saint Louis, MO

Director, Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE)

3:30 p.m.  Breakout Groups

4:00 p.m.  External Influences

The Law School Curriculum and the Bar Exam: An Assessment Failure

Professor Joseph A. Rosenberg, CUNY School of Law, Long Island City, NY

Implementing ABA-Mandated Outcomes and Assessment: Obstacles and Opportunities

Professor Sarah Valentine, CUNY School of Law, Long Island City, NY

5:00 p.m. Reception

6:30 p.m. Adjourn

Dinner on your own

 

Saturday, September, 20

8:00 a.m.  Breakfast Buffet

9:00 a.m.  Assessment Throughout the ETL Consortium

Are Experiential Modules Really Better? Qualitative Assessment for Student Learning (15 min)

Christine Cerniglia Brown, Coordinator of Skills and Experiential Learning, Assistant Clinical Professor, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, New Orleans, LA

Professor Monica Hof Wallace, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, New Orleans, LA

Assessing the “Roadmap for Employment” Experiment (15 min)

Professor Neil Hamilton, University of St. Thomas School of Law, Minneapolis, MN

Writing to Learn in Doctrinal Courses (15 min)

Professor Michael Madison, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, PA

Using Student Narrative to Assess Professional Development (15 min)

Melissa Swain, Associate Director and Clinical Instructor, Health Rights Clinic, University of Miami School of Law, Miami, FL

JoNel Newman, Associate Professor of Clinical Legal Education, University of Miami School of Law, Miami, FL

10:00 a.m.  Break

10:15 a.m.  Table Topics

In a small group format, attendees will choose to explore one of the following topics with the topic presenter(s).

  • The Law School Curriculum and the Bar Exam: An Assessment Failure
  • Implementing ABA-Mandated Outcomes and Assessment: Obstacles and Opportunities
  • Are Experiential Modules Really Better? Qualitative Assessment for Student Learning
  • Assessing the “Roadmap for Employment” Experiment
  • Writing to Learn in Doctrinal Courses
  • Using Student Narrative to Assess Professional Development

11:15 a.m.  Measuring Learning: Takeaways

Facilitated Session

12:00 p.m.  Adjourn

 

For questions or information about the agenda or program of the conference please contact Caitlin Anderson, Legal Assistant, Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyerscaitlin.anderson@du.edu or 303-871-6624.

For more information or assistance with the logistics of this conference (hotel, travel, special needs, etc.), please contact Amy Downing, IAALS Special Events Coordinator, amy.downing@du.edu or 303-871-6649.

Presenters

Gregory J. Brandes
Executive Director and Professor of Law
Concord Law School of Kaplan University


Christine Cerniglia Brown
Coordinator of Skills and Experiential Learning
Assistant Clinical Professor
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law


Andrea A. Curcio
Professor of Law
Georgia State University College of Law


Neil Hamilton
Professor and Director, Holloran Center
University of St. Thomas School of Law


Dr. Kathryn Linder
Director, Center for Teaching and Scholarship Excellence
Suffolk University


C. Benjie Louis
Visiting Associate Clinical Professor of Law
Attorney-in-Charge, Disaster Recovery Clinic
Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law


Mary Lynch
Clinical Professor of Law
Director, Center for Excellence in Law Teaching
Director, Domestic Violence Prosecution Hybrid Clinic
Albany Law School


Michael Madison
Professor of Law
Faculty Director, Innovation Practice Institute
University of Pittsburgh School of Law


Paul Maharg
Professor of Law
Australian National University College of Law
Nottingham Law School


JoNel Newman
Associate Professor of Clinical Legal Education
University of Miami School of Law


Jeffrey Pokorak
Professor of Law
Vice Provost for Faculty and Curriculum 
Suffolk University


Jayesh Rathod
Associate Professor of Law
Director, Immigrant Justice Clinic 
American University Washington College of Law


Joseph A. Rosenberg
Professor of Law
Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Programs
The City University of New York School of Law


Melissa Gibson Swain
Associate Director and Clinical Instructor, Health Rights Clinic
University of Miami School of Law


Aaron N. Taylor
Assistant Professor
Director, Law School Survey of Student Engagement
St. Louis University School of Law


Sarah Valentine
Professor of Law
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
The City University of New York School of Law


Monica Hof Wallace
Dean Marcel Garsaud, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Location

The Curtis Hotel

1405 Curtis Street
Denver, CO 80202

thecurtis.com
info@thecurtis.com

Contemporary design meets good old-fashioned fun at this unique hotel in downtown Denver. Discover a vast array of arts, entertainment, and sports venues near Curtis Denver – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. Be welcomed with a warm chocolate chip cookie on arrival. Play a game of rock-paper-scissors, and then browse our Denver hotel’s library. The Five & Dime store brims with treats from the past. Each guest floor is designed to reflect a pop theme from TV to music to art or sports and beyond.

Rooms at The Curtis Hotel are now SOLD OUT for the nights of September 17, 18, and 19. If you are attending the conference and have not yet made your hotel reservation, please try The Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown or Hilton Garden Inn Denver Downtown – both only a few blocks away from The Curtis.

Privacy Statement

The University of Denver maintains Privacy Guidelines at http://www.du.edu/privacy and endeavors to take reasonable precautions to maintain privacy and security within the sphere of its operations.

Questions

For more information or assistance with the logistics of this conference (hotel, travel, special needs, etc.), please contact Amy Downing, IAALS Special Events Coordinator,amy.downing@du.edu or 303-871-6649.

For questions or information about the agenda or program of the conference please contact Caitlin Anderson, Legal Assistant, Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyerscaitlin.anderson@du.eduor 303-871-6624.