Law students raise their hands in taking an oath.

About Standard 303

Standard 303(b)’s requirement that a law school shall foster each student’s development of a professional identity is an opportunity for law schools to benefit students, legal employers, clients, and the law school itself.

A student who grows to a later stage on the two foundational professional identity core values (learning outcomes) – (1) internalizing ownership over the student’s continuing professional development, and (2) internalizing deep responsibility and service to others whom the student will serve as a lawyer including clients, colleagues, and the legal system – is going to benefit the student, the student’s future employers and clients, and the law school itself.

Students at later stages of growth of professional-identity development will achieve better academic performance, better bar outcomes, and better post-graduation employment outcomes.

Changes to Standard 303(b) and (c)

The Standard 303(b) and (c) accreditation changes approved by the ABA House of Delegates on February 14, 2022, are a major step forward for the national social movement.

“Standard 303(b): A law school shall provide substantial opportunities to students for: (1) law clinics or field placement(s); (2) student participation in pro bono legal services, including law-related public service activities; and (3) the development of a professional identity.”

Interpretation 303-5

“Interpretation 303-5: Professional identity focuses on what it means to be a lawyer and the special obligations lawyers have to their clients and society. The development of professional identity should involve an intentional exploration of the values, guiding principles, and well-being practices considered foundational to successful legal practice. Because developing a professional identity requires reflection and growth over time, students should have frequent opportunities for such development during each year of law school and in a variety of courses and co-curricular and professional development activities.”

“Standard 303(c): A law school shall provide training and education to law students on bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism.”

Interpretation 303-6

New Interpretation 303-6 adds that cross-cultural competency and the obligation of lawyers to promote a justice system that provides equal access and eliminates bias, discrimination, and racism in law should be among the values and responsibilities of the legal profession to which students are introduced.

“Interpretation 303-6: … the importance of cross-cultural competency to professionally responsible representation and the obligation of lawyers to promote a justice system that provides equal access and eliminates bias, discrimination, and racism in the law should be among the values and responsibilities of the legal profession to which students are introduced.”

Essentially, a law school that is fostering each student’s growth toward later stages of development on the foundational core value of internalizing deep responsibility and service to others whom the student will serve as a lawyer including clients, colleagues, and the legal system will be adding to that foundational core value attention to cross-cultural competency and a justice system that provides equal access and elimination of bias, discrimination, and racism in law.

How to Get Started

Existing Entry Ramps

Open Access Book

Introductory Articles

Existing Entry Ramps

There are many “entry ramps” into the development of each student’s professional identity involving reflection that each law school is already doing including:

The curriculum in lawyering skills, the clinics, and the other experiential courses,
Counseling in career services and academic support
Initiatives regarding DEI and Belonging, well-being, and leadership
Podium courses with learning outcomes like self-directed learning, internalization of duties to the justice system, and relational competencies like pro bono service, teamwork, cross-cultural competency, and client interviewing and counseling

Faculty and staff can experiment with these professional identity learning outcomes on a limited, step-by-step basis. Improved academic performance, bar passage, and employment outcomes will be visible.

Open Access Book

In May 2022, Cambridge University Press published an open access book that provides an overview of student professional identity development – Neil Hamilton and Louis D. Bilionis, Law Student Professional Development and Formation: Bridging Law School, Student, and Employer Goals.

The book, based on the best empirical data from clients, employers, and educational research on effective curriculum, provides actionable steps to legal educators to foster each student’s professional identity. Readers will understand the opportunity for innovation that will benefit both students and the law school.

Download the Book (PDF)

Introductory Articles

One-Page Definition on Professional Identity Formation

Three short articles by Neil Hamilton and Louis Bilionis also provide an introduction to student professional identity formation.

Revised ABA Standards 303(b) and (c) and the Formation of a Lawyer's Professional Identity, Part 1: Understanding the New Requirements

Revised ABA Standards 303(b) and (c) and the Formation of a Lawyer's Professional Identity, Part 2: Action Steps to Benefit Students, Law Schools, and the Legal Profession

Revised ABA Standards 303(b) and (c) and the Formation of a Lawyer's Professional Identity, Part 3: Cross-Cultural Competency, Equal Access, and the Elimination of Bias, Discrimination, and Racism

Existing Entry Ramps

There are many “entry ramps” into the development of each student’s professional identity involving reflection that each law school is already doing including:

The curriculum in lawyering skills, the clinics, and the other experiential courses,
Counseling in career services and academic support
Initiatives regarding DEI and Belonging, well-being, and leadership
Podium courses with learning outcomes like self-directed learning, internalization of duties to the justice system, and relational competencies like pro bono service, teamwork, cross-cultural competency, and client interviewing and counseling