EXCELLENCE IN LAWYERING THE CALGARY CURRICULUM Calgary [‘kalg( )ri] n. a youthful, vibrant, and entrepreneurial city. e The Calgary Curriculum places University of Calgary’s Faculty of Law at the forefront of innovation in North American legal education. Built with input from students, alumni and industry, our new curriculum is rigorous, it is relevant, and it will more realistically connect how we teach with how students learn. It will equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need for future professional success. The Calgary Curriculum will: • Give our students a deep understanding of the law and legal principles, along with the ability to apply their learning to real-world situations. • Embrace the concept of performance-based learning, using real-life situations (actual or simulated) to deepen students’ learning of legal principles and to translate that learning into practical concepts and applications. • Prepare our students to join a constantly changing and challenging legal services market, and for professional opportunities that extend beyond traditional legal practice. OVERVIEW OF CHANGES Second and Third Years • First-year • Intensive courses at the beginning of the fall and o winter semesters will give students an understanding of the foundations of law and justice, and will include an introduction to core legal, theoretical and practice concepts, such as: • Optional performance-oriented courses will be added, such as: legal practice and technology o legal process engineering o legal project management o globalization and the practice of law o leadership o entrepreneurship o the role and function of law in a democratic society o the structure and processes of the legal system o reading and briefing cases o interpreting statutes o the role of the lawyer o legal research and Ethical Lawyering, will be taught through o legal writing and communication performance-based evaluation. o advocacy A new Legislation course focuses on drafting and interpreting legislation. This course will be hands-on, and will involve multiple forms of assessment. The focus in 1L will continue to be on substantive competence, but a shorter term with longer class times will encourage innovation and engagement in the classroom. • Students will choose from a basket of courses focusing on legal theory or other perspectives on the law. • Core required courses, specifically Civil Procedure Student Portfolio Students will have the opportunity to create a portfolio to track their accomplishments over the JD program, including course work, and extra-curricular and work-based activities. The portfolio will allow students to communicate their accomplishments to others, including potential employers, and to participate in mentorship opportunities. All curriculum changes will come into effect in September 2015. The student portfolio option will be launched at a later date. For more information, visit law.ucalgary.ca Faculty of Law Murray Fraser Hall University Of Calgary 2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 CANADA 403.220.7115 [email protected] law.ucalgary.ca Twitter: @UCalgaryLaw Facebook: facebook.com/UCalgaryLaw