New England Law Boston publishes the learning goals for each of its programs below. Requirements for each program are published on the school’s Degree Program Details pages. Faculty state course-level learning outcomes in every course syllabus.
Learning Outcomes for Degree Programs
These outcomes apply to all J.D. programs.
Upon graduation, a student will:
1. Demonstrate core knowledge sufficient for entry into the legal profession.
- Possess knowledge of the doctrine covered in required courses
- Know the sources of law (e.g. constitutions, cases, statutes, regulations)
- Be familiar with the historical development of important legal doctrines and their connections to social and economic policy and theory
- Understand the basic underlying concepts that structure the U.S. legal system, including the separation of powers, differing roles and competencies of the judiciary, legislature, and executive, and the ways in which law is used to create private rights and obligations among individuals and entities
2. Be able to engage in legal analysis, research law, apply law to resolve problems, and effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
- Demonstrate facility with reading and using cases, constitutions, statutes and regulations, including spotting and analyzing issues, identifying rules and holdings, synthesizing and distinguishing lines of cases, and recognizing hierarchies and jurisdictional differences
- Construct effective legal arguments and problem-solve
- Conduct legal research
- Display legal writing skills for multiple settings and audiences, including office, trial and appellate work
- Exhibit persuasive oral argument skills at the trial and appellate court level
3. Understand professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system, including an appreciation for the power of the law and legal professionals to affect the lives and well-being of individuals and communities.
- Know the ethical rules governing lawyers
- Behave with awareness and respect for the ethical and professional responsibilities of the legal profession, including the pro bono obligation of attorneys
- Progress toward developing a professional identity
- Engage in professional conduct and work to promote good means and ends within the practice of law
- Have awareness of the intersection of law and social values, including race, ethnicity, class, and gender
4. Demonstrate other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession.
- Understand the roles of the lawyer in various contexts, such as dispute resolution, litigation, planning, and transactional work
- Have the capacity to communicate effectively with a diverse range of clients
- Possess foundational lawyering skills, related to each student’s professional goals and interests
- Be able to engage in self-regulated learning as a member of the legal profession
Upon completion of the LL.M. program, a graduate will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the foundational doctrines, sources, and institutions of United States law
- Engage in legal analysis and research, apply U.S. law to resolve problems, and communicate effectively orally and in writing
- Understand the professional and ethical responsibilities of lawyers in the United States
- Possess the knowledge and skills needed to pursue their professional goals, including, where eligible, preparation to sit for a U.S. bar examination
The Foreign Lawyers Program is a non-degree offering. Participants complete the courses prescribed for them individually by the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners, taught in the J.D. curriculum, and course-level learning outcomes appear in each course syllabus.
How Outcomes Are Assessed
The faculty Curriculum Committee reviews learning outcomes and assessment methods as part of its annual charge, and the Program Evaluation Committee assesses program effectiveness using measures that include bar examination and employment outcomes.