LexPostBacc Direct Curricular Framework 2026-27

Below are the structural characteristics of the LexPostBacc curriculum:

• Spans roughly 10 months, July 2026 – May 2027 (see calendar)
• Launches with a 6-week Law Skills Intro period and continues with six Assessment Periods, each lasting about 4 weeks.
  • Each period is akin to a micro-curriculum requiring Scholars to demonstrate specified levels of engagement and proficiency. One doctrinal law topic is covered over two Assessment Periods.
  • At the conclusion of each doctrinal law topic, Scholars are required to complete legal analysis and drafting tasks.
• Delivered principally via virtual asynchronous format, with periodic synchronous class sessions facilitated by Law School Prep Coaches.
• Requires an estimated 15 hours per week on curricular activities.
  • Actual time spent will vary by module and by Scholar and may exceed the estimate. Scholars should seek to spend as much time as necessary to do their best work.

The LexPostBacc curriculum will utilize the following materials, assignments and activities:

1. Materials
   • Expert Learning for Law Students by Michael Hunter Schwartz
      
   • The following CALI Law Books, accessible with provided CALI account:
     • Tort Law – A 21st Century Approach, Zahr K. Said
     • Criminal Law – An Integrated Approach, Alice Ristroph
     • Contract Doctrine – Theory and Practice, J.H. Verkerke
        
   • CALI Lessons: interactive assignments that center on doctrinal legal concepts and introduce Scholars to important aspects of the law school experience. 
      
   • Core Grammar for Lawyers: self-paced writing style and grammar lessons with pre- and post-test assessments to measure progress; designed to develop writing skills. 
      
2. Assignments
   • Assessment Questions: open-response questions designed to test student ability to understand, interpret, and apply assigned readings and CALI lessons. 
      
   • Case Briefs and Case Briefing Exercises: summaries and exercises engaging case law that categorize components of judicial opinions; analyze the court’s legal reasoning; and contextualize why the reviewed cases were selected to illustrate the legal concepts. 
      
   • Memorandum of Law: drafted responses to tasks typically assigned to law clerks and new attorneys (ex. hypothetical questions), often including novel fact patterns that require the application of law (Rules) to facts (Analysis) to posit a defensible legal outcome (Conclusion) in response to a client or supervising attorney’s needs.
      
   • Analysis and Drafting Tasks: exercises utilizing a “closed universe” of provided materials that center on modeling the real-world application of law. 
      
3. Activities
   • Content Introduction Sessions: Synchronous class sessions at the beginning of each Assessment Period. Led by Law School Prep Coaches, the sessions preview the legal concepts of the forthcoming modules and provide opportunities to exercise relevant skills and learn firsthand about the law student experience. Scholar attendance is mandatory. 
      
   • Coaching meetings: Scholar meetings with assigned Law School Prep Coach, either individually or during weekly group office hours. Meetings are typically optional, but individual Scholars may be required to meet with their coach as a performance improvement measure.
      
   • Peer Review: Draft versions of Memoranda of Law, structured interactions reviewing, providing, and responding to feedback on peer or sample assignments.

Successful completion of the LexPostBacc curriculum requires: 1) demonstrated ongoing engagement with the program’s materials, assignments, and activities and 2) increasing levels of skills proficiency.

1. Program Engagement
   Scholars are required to complete all assignments and participate in all mandatory activities. Scholars will receive an Engagement Report shortly after the conclusion of each Assessment Period. This report will list all mandatory assignments and activities for the period and will indicate whether the Scholar completed each. 
   
   Below are the hallmarks of sufficient engagement by specific activity or assignment. Scholars who fail to demonstrate sufficient engagement as described below face possible dismissal from LexPostBacc Direct.
    
   • Content Introduction Sessions 
     Sufficient engagement during each synchronous Content Introduction Session requires Scholars to do three things: 1) attend the session; 2) keep camera on during the session; and 3) participate in the discussion by making at least two responsive contributions. 
      
   • Core Grammar for Lawyers 
     Sufficient engagement with Core Grammar for Lawyers (CGL) requires Scholars to complete the CGL pre-test during the first week of the LexPostBacc Direct program. Scholars are later required to attain certain post-test scores. See the Skills Proficiency section below for more information. 
      
   • CALI Lessons 
     Sufficient engagement with CALI Lessons requires Scholars to complete each assigned lesson. 
      
   • Memoranda of Law
     SDraft versions of Memoranda of Law are reviewed and assessed for demonstration of intellectual and diligence on par with a final draft suitable for review and feedback.
      
2. Skills Proficiency
   Scholars must meet ongoing and intensifying skills proficiency benchmarks across the following three assignment types: 1) Assessment Questions; 2) Case Briefs and Case Briefing Exercises; and 3) Memoranda of Law. 
   
   The assignment types are progressively challenging, requiring the demonstration of increasingly sophisticated skills. Assessment questions require the ability to accurately understand assigned readings and CALI lessons. Case briefs and Case Briefing Exercises require close reading, document review, and the interpretation of a court’s reasoning. Memoranda of Law test the ability to build on these foundational skills by applying relevant legal principles to a set of novel facts. 
    

   • Proficiency Benchmarks 
     Skills proficiency is demonstrated by meeting stipulated numerical benchmarks during each of three program reporting periods: 1) Early-Program (Assessment Periods 1/2), Mid-Program (Assessment Periods 3/4), and Final-Program (Assessment Periods 5/6). 
     
     Scholars are expected to earn a minimum benchmark percentage of points out of total possible points for each assignment type. The following table displays the minimum benchmark percentage of points to be earned: 
     
     Skills Proficiency Benchmark Performance

     1. Early-Program: Torts Modules
        • Assignment Type
          • Assessment Questions: 70%
          • Case Briefs: 60%
          • Memoranda of Law: 50%
     2. Mid-Program: Criminal Law Modules
        • Assignment Type
          • Assessment Questions: 80%
          • Case Briefs: 70%
          • Memoranda of Law: 60%
     3. Final Program: Contracts Modules
        • Assignment Type
          • Assessment Questions: 90%
          • Case Briefs: 80%
          • Memoranda of Law: 70%

     
     At the start of each Assessment Period, Scholars will be informed of the estimated number of possible points for each assignment type. The actual number of possible points may vary from the estimate. 
     
     Scoring rubrics for assignments are provided to Scholars. Rubrics describe the characteristics that typify various levels of performance. Scholars should review rubrics closely as they complete assignments. 
     
     In addition, Scholars are required to attain the following two benchmark scores on the Core Grammar for Lawyers assessment:

     • 80% by November 17, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET
     • 90% by February 23, 2027 at 5:00 pm ET 
        

• Proficiency Reporting 
  Scholars will receive the following three skills proficiency reports: 1) Early-Program (Assessment Periods 1/2), Mid-Program (Assessment Periods 3/4), and Final-Program (Assessment Periods 5/6). These reports will list Scholar performance on scored assignments. Scholars who are actively seeking law school admission will be able to share these reports with law schools, if they deem doing so beneficial.

Scholars who fail to demonstrate sufficient engagement or meet skills proficiency benchmarks face possible dismissal from LexPostBacc Direct. Continued eligibility will be determined by AccessLex staff, in the context of the Scholar’s overall program engagement and performance. Scholars who repeatedly fail to meet benchmarks or whose degree of non-compliance is significant are likely to be dismissed from the program. Scholars who are allowed to continue in the program may be required to adhere to enhanced requirements, such as meeting with their Law School Prep Coach at specified frequencies.

Responses to assignments must be submitted in a timely manner. With the exception of Performance Weeks and Core Grammar for Lawyer post-tests, assignments become available on the Canvas learning management platform on Fridays around 9:00 am ET each week. Responses are due nine days (two Sundays) later by 11:59 pm ET, with submission via Canvas.

Any responses submitted after the due date are categorized as late. Late assignments may be submitted until 11:59 pm ET on Tuesday following the Sunday due date. Late submissions will incur a 15% score deduction for each day beyond the Sunday due date. Late submission deductions could impact program eligibility. Late submissions will not receive grader feedback. No submissions will be accepted after the late submission period.

Performance Weeks: Performance Week A assignments become available on the Canvas learning management platform on Friday with draft Memoranda of Law due nine days (two Sundays) later at 11:59 pm ET, with submission via Canvas. The Sunday deadline is a hard deadline. There is no late submission period for draft Memoranda. Performance Week B assignments (Peer/Sample Review assignments and Final Drafts) do not launch until Monday mornings following the Performance Week A submission deadline. Performance Week B assignments are due the following Sunday, seven days later, at 11:59 ET.

Core Grammar for Lawyers Post-Tests: The deadlines for achieving benchmark scores on Core Grammar for Lawyer post-tests are final. Attainment of benchmark scores after the deadlines is not honored. Scholars who fail to achieve benchmark scores by stipulated deadlines face possible dismissal from LexPostBacc Direct.