The 2004 ABA Section on Legal Education and Admission to the Bar curriculum survey revealed a dramatic increase in clinical and legal skills programs. I am on the ABA Curriculum Committee and we are again surveying law schools about their curriculum. The survey has some new questions and some reframing of questions to get more detailed and specific information. This will tell us how schools are progressing on Best Practices. Please encourage your law school to participate in the survey as soon as possible!
This survey will track changes in legal education since the last edition was published in 2004, including detailed empirical information on such topics as: requirements for graduation, first-year curriculum, elective offerings, concentrations, and post- and non-J.D. degrees.
This second edition of the Survey also addresses academic support and bar preparation classes and alternative scheduling options, and provides detailed information on legal research and writing courses and professional skills offerings. This report will provide valuable information about legal education in America today, and comprehensive participation ensures both the validity of data and strength of information found within it.
The survey should be submitted it to the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar by December 15, 2010. Instructions are easy to follow, and the survey should take no more than 45 minutes.
The Curriculum Survey can be accessed at http://www.curriculumsurvey.org/. Instructions for accessing and navigating the survey, including information regarding UserID and password for your school can be found on the Section’s home page: http://www.abanet.org/legaled.
Filed under: Best Practices & Curriculum, Catalysts For Change, Uncategorized |
Best Practices for Legal Education 
When you go to the survey, it is asking for a login and password. What login and password do we use? Or do we need to apply for one? It isn’t clear who should be using the survey.
I too could not navigate the ABA Section gateway to the Curriculum Survey. I got as far as the mandatory “change password” screen, but my new password was not accepted (there are no instructions limiting or defining attributes of the new password). I have sent a request for help to the trouble-shooter listed at the end of the page-long set of instructions for getting into the Survey. — one “Ken Williams” (williamk@staff.abanet.org or 312.988.6739) (and my email appeared to go through, although I wondered about the difference between the listed name — Williams — and the “williamk” email address). Can’t help wondering if the rather complex and laborious process required just to access the Survey will diminish participation.