Adopted by the School of Law Faculty August 13, 2015;
updated by the School of Law Faculty May 6, 2022.
I. ABA Standard 302(a): Knowledge and Understanding of Substantive and Procedural Law.
I.a. Students should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the law as applied in trial and appellate courts, transactional practice, and as tested on the bar exam.
II. ABA Standard 302(b): Legal Analysis and Reasoning, Legal Research, Problem Solving, and Written and Oral Communication in a Legal Context.
II.a. Students should be able to produce effective court memoranda and appellate briefs to analyze fact patterns using predictive and persuasive styles of legal writing by synthesizing, analogizing, and distinguishing cases, statutes, and rules with due attention to correctness of expression, organization, and coherent legal analysis.
II.b. Students should be able to identify and marshal key facts, concepts, and related legal issues raised in fact patterns and apply the law to these fact patterns to resolve those legal issues and evaluate possible outcomes.
II.c. Students should be able to recognize precedent, know the difference between binding and persuasive authority (understanding their respective weight), and plan and implement research strategies to find sources of primary and secondary authority from digital legal databases, books in the law library, and the internet, and be able to provide proper citation forms for such authorities.
II.d. Students should be able to communicate effectively, integrating doctrine, facts, theory, skills, and ethics, both in writing and orally, state a legal argument one-on-one or to a group, and coherently and persuasively deliver such an argument to a court, with due attention to civility, decorum, and deference.
III. ABA Standard 302(c): Exercise of Proper Professional and Ethical Responsibilities to Clients in the Legal System.
III.a. Students should be able to apply the applicable rules of professional conduct to determine proper and ethical courses of action in the practice of law, consistent with the values and responsibilities of the legal profession and its members and should develop their professional identity in the sense of understanding what it means to be a lawyer and the special obligations lawyers have to their clients, the legal system, and society. Â
IV. ABA Standard 302(d): Other Professional Skills Needed for Competent and Ethical Participation as a Member of the Legal Profession.
IV.a. Pursuant to the Mission of the 51²Ö¿â School of Law to provide quality education in a caring environment with a religious dimension, students should have the ability to work with others of diverse backgrounds and understand the importance of building an inclusive community characterized by interdependence, equality, and compassion for self and others and should promote social and ecological justice through performing pro bono work or community service.
V. ABA Standard 303(c): Education to Law Students on Bias, Cross-cultural Competency and Racism.
V.a. Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of cross-cultural competency to represent clients professionally and responsibly and to fulfill the obligation of lawyers to promote a justice system that provides equal access and eliminates bias, discrimination, and racism in the law. (Interpretation 303-6).