an overview document of the Calgary Curriculum

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
law@ucalgary.ca
law.ucalgary.ca
Twitter: @UCalgaryLaw
Facebook: facebook.com/UCalgaryLaw