Our goal is to be a national leader in educating law students for successful careers in the practice of law.

Strategy #1: Prepare our students to meet the highest standards of professional practice.

Critical tasks  Indicators of Success

Continuously improve our program of legal education to ensure that students acquire the essential skills and knowledge necessary for success in an evolving legal practice environment and in evolving areas of law.

  • Adopt new courses or course models that expand learning opportunities for students and fill existing curricular gaps. In progress.

  • Adopt creative teaching practices that consistently engage students. In progress.

Leverage our unique opportunities in support of our students, from the UI’s unusual strength as the Writing University to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses and various combined degree and interdisciplinary opportunities.  

  • Increased opportunities and support for education and training through combined degree programs. In progress.

  • Increased number of students engaging in state, local and national opportunities for externships and service opportunities. In progress.

Review College’s learning outcomes to ensure they reflect the College’s strategic initiatives. 
  • Adopt assessment practices that measure student learning outcomes and engage in curricular evaluation and reform to improve outcomes.  In progress.

 

Strategy #2: Enable students to identify and articulate their professional goals and adopt practices to advance their achievement of those goals.

Critical tasks Indicators of success
Foster an environment in which students are encouraged to articulate, evaluate, and re-evaluate their professional goals regularly.

  • Increased student satisfaction with opportunities offered in law school to pursue activities relevant to their career goals as indicated by annual surveys. In progress.

  • Increased success of students who articulate a public service or interest career goal in achieving those placements within five years of graduation.  In progress.
Provide high-quality career advising and support services that maximize student opportunities to obtain work that aligns with their professional goals and ensures that students feel supported in the pursuit of their career aspirations.

  • Increased student satisfaction with support provided by College’s career services professionals in helping students achieve their career goals and interests as indicated by annual surveys. In progress.

  • Increased student satisfaction with career placement options and opportunities as indicated by annual surveys. In progress.

Create meaningful opportunities to engage the time and talents of alumni to support our students with mentorship and networking. 

  • Increase in number of student opportunities to engage meaningfully with law alumni working in areas of student interest. In progress.

  • Increased alumni engagement scores. In progress.

Provide students with information to assist them in planning their education and early professional careers, recognizing that student advising and development includes coursework, co-curricular activities, and jobs/externships/internships. 

  • Develop and implement tools for analyzing effectiveness of programming and curricular options relating to student career objectives.  In progress.

  • Communicate information regarding course options and career paths strategically to students. Complete.

Help students achieve financial literacy and avoid unmanageable debt burdens. 
  • Continue to keep Iowa Law graduating student debt levels low as compared to peers. In progress.

Increase programs that provide advice and mentoring through faculty and student support staff on all areas relevant to support and advance student career goals. 
  • Improve course planning tools available to students and faculty to help students identify pathways. In progress.

 

Strategy #3: Assist and support students who face academic or mental health challenges in meeting and overcoming those challenges. 

Critical tasks Indicators of success
Develop and implement strategies for early identification of students who are at risk academically and provide appropriate assistance.
  • Adopt plan for early intervention with students who are at risk academically. Complete.
Strategically address the mental health needs of our students to produce lawyers who are prepared to cope effectively with the unusual stress of legal practice.
  • Adopt additional practices related to improving student mental health. Complete.
  • Declining number of students reporting significant and unmet mental health challenges. In progress.
  • Implement additional programming relating to maintenance of mental health. In progress.
  • Adopt innovative ways to build connections to improve students’ feeling of belonging at Iowa Law and in the legal profession. In progress.