Law Learning Outcomes

Champlain's Law program is one of the most focused and practical majors in the country. It will give you the foundation of knowledge and skills you need to immediately be a valued legal professional or to prepare you to go on to a top-tier law school.

By the time you complete the academic and internship requirements for your Law degree, you will be able to:

THINK CRITICALLY & ANALYTICALLY

  • Interpret and explain the elements of a legal argument or question.
  • Analyze the structural connections between the component parts of a legal argument or question to determine which areas of law are relevant.
  • Evaluate the credibility, reliability, or relevance of legal authority to determine if it applies to the legal issues.
  • Synthesize a response based upon interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of legal issues and relevant authority.

COMMUNICATE ORALLY & IN WRITING

  • Effectively interact both orally and in written correspondence with lawyers, other professionals, and laypersons.
  • Analyze communication situations in order to make effective communication choices and achieve desired results.
  • Make educated choices about language, genre, and organization to produce writing that is clear, concise, and reflective of the high standards expected within the legal profession.

UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY

  • Choose appropriate technology tools and use them effectively.
  • Survey both print and electronic sources of law to locate applicable and relevant primary and secondary source materials.
  • Evaluate and analyze those source materials, and apply them to issues requiring legal analysis.
  • Develop an adaptive life-long learning approach to changing technologies that gives proper consideration to the implications associated with their use.

PERFORM LEGAL RESEARCH

  • Prepare and carry out a legal research plan.
  • Survey both print and electronic sources of law to locate applicable primary and secondary source materials.
  • Evaluate and analyze source materials, and apply them to issues requiring legal analysis.
  • Properly cite both print and electronic sources of law.
  • Draft various legal documents using proper format and appropriate content.

INTERVIEW AND INVESTIGATE

  • Locate and prepare documents to obtain information that is commonly maintained by government and private entities.
  • Summarize and analyze information contained in such documents and apply it to a given situation.

WORK PROFESSIONALLY & ETHICALLY

  • Cite, state, and act in accordance with the rules of professional conduct that govern those working in the legal field.
  • Describe the evolving role of non-lawyers in the delivery of legal services and in increasing access to legal services.
  • Identify the ethical implications inherent in a particular situation, and evaluate the particular course of action to be taken in the face of countervailing pressures.