D. Selected ABA Standards for the Approval of Law Schools 2015-2016

• Author: Rebecca Purdom - Greg Brandes - Karen Westwood
• Pages: 99-105

99

Appendix D

Selected ABA Standards for theApproval

of Law Schools 2015-2016

Each year, the ABA updates its standards book to include new or revised standards and interpretations.

The version that is current as of this publication is the standards book for 2015–2016. In 2014, the ABA

concluded a six-year (2008-2014) comprehensive review of the Standards, and it was “concurred in” by

the ABA House of Delegates in August 2014. These Standards revisions and new standard became

effective on August 12, 2014, at the conclusion of the ABA Annual Meeting. Sweeping changes,

particularly to chapter 3 related to the core of the educational programming of law schools, will become

effective over the next three years. Publishing outcomes, standards for granting credit, and use of

assessment data in both longitudinal institutional assessment and continuous improvement, were all

outgrowths of these changes.

Below, simply for ease of location and reference, are some of the most important curricular standards and

some others that specifically relate to distance learning. ABA Standards adopted in 2014 are must be

implemented by 2017 per the ABA’s phased implementation plan. Please note the rolling implementation

schedule described in the memo posted on the ABA website from the Managing Director of

Accreditation, Barry Currier. A redlined copy of the standards showing the changes made in 2014 is

available on the ABA Section’s website at

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/standards.html. The Standards Review

Committee page

(http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/committees/standards_review.html) includes some

of the history of the standards review process.

As noted in Chapter 4 of the main text, the new and revised ABA Standards, together, require law schools

to complete extensive work on learning outcomes, data collection and analysis, reporting, and data-driven

decision making. None of these standards uniquely apply to distance learning programs. To maintain

institutional compliance, data on the JD program at any school will , at a minimum, be required. It is

recommended that institutions collect and analyze data on all programs with significant enrollment within

the law school to comply with Standard 315.

However, distance learning programs will often provide a model for other programs on how to collect and

use data in program evaluation and improvement. By the very nature of well-designed distance learning

curriculums, significant data will be available to the school from formative and summative assessments,

student activity tracking, and overall progress toward objectives. Resources for assessment and analysis

of distance learning program data will still be required, but the availability of rich data on student

achievement –characteristic of properly designed online programs―will often provide a model for

compliance in other areas of the school.

Learning outcomes for the program of legal education must be published:

Standard 301. OBJECTIVES OF PROGRAM OF LEGAL EDUCATION