ABSTRACT
The legal curriculum is staggering under the weight of increasing and arguably impossible expectations. There is a sense it must teach more detail and more skills in less time and with an increasing burden of assessment. The impact of COVID-19 sees the curriculum and the assessment of student learning at a tipping point. This chapter outlines the challenges and then critically analyses the contours of assessment in law. It identifies the various dimensions, environments, formats and approaches to grading typically used. For each aspect, the chapter considers alternative approaches that might better aid student learning and reduce academic workloads. One significant issue post-COVID-19 is the question of integrity in assessment, particularly if taken remotely. Students are motivated to cheat if the outcome of an assessment is a mark contributing to their final degree or a hurdle they need to overcome to proceed. The chapter concludes with a suggestion for a radically different approach to assessment in legal education.
