1. Do Med schools do it better? An Argument for a Pre-Law Curriculum Rebecca C Flanagan UMass Law School

2. Introduction 5 years as director of the Pre-Law Program at Uconn.5 years as director of the Pre-Law Program at Uconn. Worked closely with the director of Pre- Med Programs, Dr. Keat Sanford.Worked closely with the director of Pre- Med Programs, Dr. Keat Sanford.

3. Comparing law school and medical school Think for a minute about the criticisms of legal education.Think for a minute about the criticisms of legal education. Now think about medical education. Can you think of criticisms of medical education?Now think about medical education. Can you think of criticisms of medical education? What is the difference?What is the difference?

4. Pre-law and pre-med: A comparison Pre-med and holistic reviewPre-med and holistic review Academic requirementsAcademic requirements Varies by school, but most require:Varies by school, but most require: Biology and BiochemistryBiology and Biochemistry General Chemistry and Organic ChemistryGeneral Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, or Anthropology)Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, or Anthropology) EnglishEnglish Medical School Admissions Test (MCATs)Medical School Admissions Test (MCATs) Closed related to pre-med academic requirementsClosed related to pre-med academic requirements Clinical experience (Letters of Reference, Application)Clinical experience (Letters of Reference, Application) History of service (Volunteer or extracurricular experience)History of service (Volunteer or extracurricular experience) “Distance travelled” and Adversities Overcome (Interview)“Distance travelled” and Adversities Overcome (Interview)

5. Pre-law and pre-med: A comparison Pre-law prerequisites:Pre-law prerequisites: Academic Requirements: NoneAcademic Requirements: None LSATLSAT Helpful (but not required) experiences:Helpful (but not required) experiences: Some idea of what lawyers do ( beyond “Law and Order” )Some idea of what lawyers do ( beyond “Law and Order” ) Some volunteer experiences (do not need to be rigorous or consistent)Some volunteer experiences (do not need to be rigorous or consistent)

6. Why we should adopt a pre-med model Why now?Why now? Declining enrollment and lack of entry level jobs…why now IS the time.Declining enrollment and lack of entry level jobs…why now IS the time. The problem of “practice-ready” graduates and foundational legal educationThe problem of “practice-ready” graduates and foundational legal education It’s not a lack of jobs…it’s the inability of newly-minted lawyers to meet the justice gap.It’s not a lack of jobs…it’s the inability of newly-minted lawyers to meet the justice gap. Practice-ready=more practice in law schoolPractice-ready=more practice in law school Before practice experience, students need to master foundational legal skillsBefore practice experience, students need to master foundational legal skills MORE PRACTICE READY LAWYERS REQUIRES BETTER PREPARED LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS.MORE PRACTICE READY LAWYERS REQUIRES BETTER PREPARED LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS.

7. Mastering skills before professional school Medical schools faced the same challenge law schools are now facing: how to better prepare grads in less time.Medical schools faced the same challenge law schools are now facing: how to better prepare grads in less time. Med students must move to clinical experience by their third year (in some schools, even earlier)Med students must move to clinical experience by their third year (in some schools, even earlier) Med schools, like law schools, face increasing knowledge, skills, and proficiencies, and less teaching time.Med schools, like law schools, face increasing knowledge, skills, and proficiencies, and less teaching time. Requiring competencies before matriculation allows law schools to focus on practice-readiness.Requiring competencies before matriculation allows law schools to focus on practice-readiness. Practice-ready grads will help stem the decline in law school enrollment.Practice-ready grads will help stem the decline in law school enrollment.

8. The Challenge: Skills and competencies ABA pre-law website:ABA pre-law website: “does not recommend any any undergraduate majors or groups of courses” BUT“does not recommend any any undergraduate majors or groups of courses” BUT “applicants should develop…skills such as problem- solving, critical reading, writing, editing, oral communication and listening, research organization…background knowledge and exposure to law.”“applicants should develop…skills such as problem- solving, critical reading, writing, editing, oral communication and listening, research organization…background knowledge and exposure to law.” LSAC pre-law advice:LSAC pre-law advice: “no particular undergraduate education is recommended.”“no particular undergraduate education is recommended.”

9. Linking skills to courses Some basic core skills will be easy to agree on:Some basic core skills will be easy to agree on: Basic writing skills, including grammar and style.Basic writing skills, including grammar and style. Introductory informal and formal logic*Introductory informal and formal logic* Analytical reasoningAnalytical reasoning Macro-and-micro economics/financial literacyMacro-and-micro economics/financial literacy These skills could be matched with specific college courses that teach these skillsThese skills could be matched with specific college courses that teach these skills Schools can augment the core skills with preferred skills, based on their needs and curriculum.

10. The challenge: Collaboration Law schools need to move from competitors to collaborators.Law schools need to move from competitors to collaborators. Medical schools have done this through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMS).Medical schools have done this through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMS). AAMC, in collaboration with the AMA, acts as a liaison between pre-med advisors, undergraduate institutions, and medical colleges.AAMC, in collaboration with the AMA, acts as a liaison between pre-med advisors, undergraduate institutions, and medical colleges.

11. The challenge: logistics This is more of a perceived challenge than an impediment.This is more of a perceived challenge than an impediment. Most undergraduate universities evaluate the skills associated with their courses to establish distributional and core requirements (sometimes called general education requirements).Most undergraduate universities evaluate the skills associated with their courses to establish distributional and core requirements (sometimes called general education requirements). LSAC already works with undergraduate institutions to evaluate transcripts and provide uniform GPAs to law schools.LSAC already works with undergraduate institutions to evaluate transcripts and provide uniform GPAs to law schools. LSAC and the ABA could operate as liaisons between pre- law advisors, undergraduate institutions, and law schools.LSAC and the ABA could operate as liaisons between pre- law advisors, undergraduate institutions, and law schools.

12. Measuring skills: supplementing the lsat Unlike the LSAT, the MCAT directly tests the skills and competencies taught in academic pre-requisites.Unlike the LSAT, the MCAT directly tests the skills and competencies taught in academic pre-requisites. This process keeps standards high in pre-med courses.This process keeps standards high in pre-med courses. Courses must provide students with knowledge to succeed on MCAT.Courses must provide students with knowledge to succeed on MCAT. Prof.’s Shultz and Zedack from UC-Berkeley have created a test to supplement the LSAT, designed to test basic competencies not measured by the LSAT.Prof.’s Shultz and Zedack from UC-Berkeley have created a test to supplement the LSAT, designed to test basic competencies not measured by the LSAT. Many of these skills are the same that are foundational skills for legal education.Many of these skills are the same that are foundational skills for legal education.

13. Putting it together Laws schools need to:Laws schools need to: Collaborate on skills requirementsCollaborate on skills requirements Work with the ABA and LSAC to classify undergraduate coursesWork with the ABA and LSAC to classify undergraduate courses Require undergraduate courses that teach the required knowledge, skills, and competencies.Require undergraduate courses that teach the required knowledge, skills, and competencies. Explore LSAT alternatives and supplements that provide a better measure of law student preparedness.Explore LSAT alternatives and supplements that provide a better measure of law student preparedness.

14. Additional considerations: personal readiness and potential Holistic review requires medical school admissions to look at more than academic readiness for medical education.Holistic review requires medical school admissions to look at more than academic readiness for medical education. Applicants are required to participate in volunteer and clinical experiences.Applicants are required to participate in volunteer and clinical experiences. Personal readiness and potential is measured by:Personal readiness and potential is measured by: American Medical College Application (AMCAS)American Medical College Application (AMCAS) Letters of ReferenceLetters of Reference EssaysEssays Medical Admissions InterviewsMedical Admissions Interviews

15. Admissions interviews Medical schools conduct interviews of their top candidates.Medical schools conduct interviews of their top candidates. Interview process provides a snapshot of student readiness.Interview process provides a snapshot of student readiness. More difficult to manipulate readiness in an interview by a team of admissions professionals than in an essay.More difficult to manipulate readiness in an interview by a team of admissions professionals than in an essay.

16. What about second- career law students? The rigorous undergraduate pre-med requirements require students to know they are pre-med by their sophomore year of college.The rigorous undergraduate pre-med requirements require students to know they are pre-med by their sophomore year of college. For career changer: post baccalaureate pre-medical programs.For career changer: post baccalaureate pre-medical programs. As of Dec. 2014, 125 medical schools offered post- baccalaurate programs for career-changers.As of Dec. 2014, 125 medical schools offered post- baccalaurate programs for career-changers. Pre-law school programs could offer career changers the opportunity to prepare for law school.Pre-law school programs could offer career changers the opportunity to prepare for law school.

17. Where do we go from here? Law schools are risking a race to the bottom as applications decline.Law schools are risking a race to the bottom as applications decline. The race to the bottom threatens the legal profession.The race to the bottom threatens the legal profession. Rethinking legal education may require uncomfortable changes in law school admissions.Rethinking legal education may require uncomfortable changes in law school admissions. Short-term discomfort could pay long-term dividends are law school graduate better-prepared, practice ready graduates.Short-term discomfort could pay long-term dividends are law school graduate better-prepared, practice ready graduates.