Prepared for Practice? Developing a Comprehensive Assessment Plan for a Law School Professional Skills Program

Part I of this Article will outline the accreditation requirements for developing and publishing learning outcomes. Part II will provide an overview of the process of curricular planning in light of the new ABA Standards. Part III will explain the steps schools can take to develop learning outcomes and map those across the curriculum. Part IV will discuss the elements of what makes an assessment plan effective, with a focus on the best ways to use formative assessment to improve the metacognitive skills of the students. Part V will detail the approach The John Marshall Law School took to improve its professional skills curriculum and the assessment of its students. Overall, the Article provides some ideas that law schools can adopt when attempting to comply with the new ABA Standards on outcomes assessment