Courses on real estate transactions and related upper level real property courses are taught by one of three kinds of instructors: (i) faculty with teaching experience and experience practicing real estate law; (ii) faculty with teaching experience but no experience practicing real estate law; and (iii) faculty with little teaching experience but deep experience practicing real estate law. The focus of this program is on identifying, understanding, and meeting the needs of the latter two categories of instructors: full time faculty with ready access to academic resources, but little access to professional resources, and adjunct faculty with ready access to professional resources and networks, but little access to academic resources. Although the needs of these two groups are very different, this program will be focused on forging partnerships between the academy and the practicing bar that address both. A number of professional organizations, including the American Bar Association Real Property Trust and Estate Law Section (ABA-RPTE) and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL), are engaged in projects to organize their resources to benefit both full and adjunct faculty. This program will update section members on those efforts and discuss potential strategies for the section to offer resources and expertise to professional and bar associations. The program will also consider how the relatively new ABA Standards for Law Schools will impact the real estate curriculum. For example, ABA Standard 303 requires 6 credit hours of experiential learning, including simulation courses (discussed in ABA Standard 304). Real estate transaction courses offer natural opportunities to teach through simulations, teaching doctrinal law and practical skills in an integrated setting. Real estate courses can also provide opportunities to satisfy ABA Standard 302 (Learning Outcomes) and ABA Standard 314 (Assessment of Student Learning) by providing for both formative and summative assessments focused on problem-solving, written communication, and substantive and procedural law.
Business meeting at program conclusion.