Developing a curriculum-wide assessment strategy

This paper presents a future-oriented vision for legal education, with a focus on what assessment practices can and should be. It aims to stimulate dialogue by proposing a curriculum-wide strategy anchored in three key principles. The first principle involves harnessing the potential of generative AI to transform teaching and assessment methodologies by teaching students to use it responsibly and integrating it into assessment strategies. The second principle advocates an increase in the opportunities for, and scope of, oral assessments. Oral assessments, read broadly, can support our students in becoming confident communicators and advocates, developing practical lawyering skills while assessing them in ways that represent a range of real-world scenarios. The third principle offers students curated choices in assessments across the curriculum. This approach empowers students to take ownership of their learning and development, while supporting their diverse needs and preferences. These three principles are designed to be a realistic and achievable means of taking forward assessment in legal education in the new higher education environment, creating an integrated framework that supports staff experience as educators and equips students with the skills and confidence to excel in a rapidly evolving landscape.