Indiana Tech Law School’s curriculum strives to develop in each student the core competencies to successfully and ethically practice law. The Law School’s seven learning outcomes reflect the Law School’s mission to merge doctrine, skills, and clinical training into a cohesive education that trains students to think, write, and practice like lawyers - from day one:
1. Knowledge of Major Content Areas of Substantive Law: Graduates will understand the fundamental legal principles from all first-year and upper-level doctrinal courses (required and elective), including courses on bar-tested subjects.
2. Critical and Context-Based Analytical Skills: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to think critically, which will include proficiency in, among other things, making logically valid arguments, synthesizing facts and legal principles, applying the law to the facts, distinguishing unfavorable facts and law, gathering and identifying facts, drafting persuasive factual and legal narratives, and analyzing legal issues in a variety of litigation and transactional contexts.
3. Legal Research Skills: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to comprehensively, effectively and efficiently conduct legal research using digital and other media. This will include, but not be limited to, formulating a research plan, understanding the difference between binding and persuasive authority, locating primary and secondary sources, and efficiently researching case law, statutes, and administrative regulations.
4. Persuasive Writing and Oral Communication Skills: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to communicate persuasively in oral and written form, which will include proficiency in, among other things, drafting a persuasive factual narrative and legal analysis, rewriting and revision, distinguishing unfavorable facts and law, addressing counterarguments, making strategic concessions, making policy arguments, writing clearly and concisely, applying persuasive writing techniques to a variety of litigation and transactional documents, advocating before trial and appellate courts, and resolving disputes in alternative dispute resolution forums.
5. Professional and Soft Skills: Graduates will demonstrate proficiency in professional skills including, but not limited to, client interviewing, advising, and counseling, interpersonal communication, negotiation, strategic decision-making, organization and time management, creativity, listening skills, “outside the box” thinking, problem-solving, working collaboratively and efficiently, and interacting with individuals from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
6. Professional Responsibility and Appreciation of Diversity: Graduates will demonstrate cultural competencies, respect for diversity, and respect for the ethical requirements of the profession. Furthermore, graduates will gain an understanding of and incorporate into their practice the values, attitudes, and behaviors as reflected in the relevant rules of professional conduct, the policies of the American Bar Association, and the expectations of the profession.
7. Self-Sufficiency and Entrepreneurship: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to be self-sufficient and entrepreneurial, and possess the business, financial, and technological skills to establish a solo practice, attract and retain clients, manage and record costs, and practice competently, efficiently, and ethically.
Based on these outcomes, the Law School has designed an innovative and assessment-driven program of legal education in which students acquire the skills they need to effectively serve their clients and the community. This includes:
• A truly integrated curriculum: The Law School’s cross-curricular model collapses the distinction between analytical, legal writing, and professional skills training to provide a rigorous legal education that maximizes student achievement of core legal competencies, emphasizes professionalism and diversity, and develops metacognitive thinkers.
• More required legal writing credits than any ABA-approved law school in the country: The Law School devotes thirteen credits to required legal writing credits over six semesters - more than any school in the country. The national average at ABA-approved law schools is 5.71.
• More required academic support credits than any ABA-approved law school in the country: The Law School devotes nine credits to academic support and bar preparation courses over six semesters and its small size enables the Law School to invest in the outcomes of every student.
• A Mentoring Program: Every first-year student receives a faculty mentor who provides support and career guidance for all three years of law school.
The Law School’s innovative curriculum is made possible by the experience, dedication, and collegiality of the faculty, and reflects its commitment to providing students with an educational experience that combines the best practices of traditional approaches with competency-based pedagogies that meet the needs of the students and the demands of a changing legal profession.
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