Cooley Law School is among seven law schools participating in the research and development of AccessLex Institute’s Building Bar Skills Modules to bridge the gap between standard methods of legal education and future approaches of legal training to prepare law schools for the NextGen bar exam.
Cooley Law School Associate Professor and Director of Academic and Student Services Matthew Marin and Cooley Professor Brad Charles are building the institute’s bar skills modules for contracts and sales.
AccessLex Institute launched its Building Bar Skills Initiative in May 2023 with the sole purpose of preparing its member law schools for the NextGen bar exam. The initiative, led by the institute’s Center for Legal Education Excellence®, represents a research and development investment into future methods of bar preparation.
“We are proud to be part of the AccessLex Module Building Team, which is at the forefront of supporting law school professors in preparing students for the NextGen Bar Exam,” said Charles. “Unlike the traditional bar exam, the NextGen Bar Exam focuses on equipping students with the skills needed for the practice of law.”
Aside from Cooley Law School, module building teams for 2024-2025 consist of doctrinal and skills faculty and staff from seven law schools throughout the nation, including Seattle University School of Law, University of Dayton School of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, University of Richmond School of Law, Wake Forest Law, and Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. These teams are developing and testing innovative curriculum units that expand upon the existing offering of Bar Skills Modules. Complete with student learning outcomes, assessment materials, and professor guides, Bar Skills Modules equip law faculty and instructors with the easily-adopted assignments for use in doctrinal courses that are designed to prepare for the skills tested on the NextGen bar exam.
“The learning modules are designed with this purpose in mind, ensuring students are well-prepared for real-world legal practice,” said Marin. “All in all, because this aligns with Cooley’s goal to empower Future Ready attorneys, this is an exciting project to be a part of.”
Cooley Law School Associate Professor and Director of Academic and Student Services Matthew Marin and Cooley Professor Brad Charles are building the institute’s bar skills modules for contracts and sales.
AccessLex Institute launched its Building Bar Skills Initiative in May 2023 with the sole purpose of preparing its member law schools for the NextGen bar exam. The initiative, led by the institute’s Center for Legal Education Excellence®, represents a research and development investment into future methods of bar preparation.
“We are proud to be part of the AccessLex Module Building Team, which is at the forefront of supporting law school professors in preparing students for the NextGen Bar Exam,” said Charles. “Unlike the traditional bar exam, the NextGen Bar Exam focuses on equipping students with the skills needed for the practice of law.”
Aside from Cooley Law School, module building teams for 2024-2025 consist of doctrinal and skills faculty and staff from seven law schools throughout the nation, including Seattle University School of Law, University of Dayton School of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, University of Richmond School of Law, Wake Forest Law, and Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. These teams are developing and testing innovative curriculum units that expand upon the existing offering of Bar Skills Modules. Complete with student learning outcomes, assessment materials, and professor guides, Bar Skills Modules equip law faculty and instructors with the easily-adopted assignments for use in doctrinal courses that are designed to prepare for the skills tested on the NextGen bar exam.
“The learning modules are designed with this purpose in mind, ensuring students are well-prepared for real-world legal practice,” said Marin. “All in all, because this aligns with Cooley’s goal to empower Future Ready attorneys, this is an exciting project to be a part of.”
