The Benefits of Competency-Based Learning in Legal Education

To understand the benefits of competency-based learning, we must first understand what it is. Competency-based learning is like learning to ride a bike. The journey starts with a tricycle, where the rider first learns to pedal. Eventually, they graduate to a bicycle with training wheels. As confidence builds, the training wheels are raised and eventually removed. The novice rider wobbles and falls, scraping a knee. But they learn from each fall, getting back on the bike with increasing confidence and steadiness. Eventually, they can ride smoothly and consistently. Later, the rider may decide to try mountain biking, applying their prior learning to a new bike on different terrain. Though they wobble and fall again, their past experience helps them adapt and become proficient.

In academic terms, competency-based learning focuses on outcomes. It is an individualized journey where students progress at their own pace to master specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes. It also fosters transferable skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking, as students navigate challenges and failures. Continuous feedback helps students identify areas for improvement, and assessments are grounded in real-world scenarios where students apply what they’ve learned.

Returning to the bike analogy, the outcome is being able to ride. Each learner progresses at their own pace—some ride without training wheels in hours, others in days or weeks. Every ride offers feedback on how to improve balance and avoid falling. Though not formally assessed, riding is a real-world skill that many master and enjoy. Riders also develop critical thinking skills, which they transfer to new challenges like mountain biking, building on prior experience to learn a new skill.

Application in Legal Education

Competency-based learning is already used in some areas of legal education. In Canadian bar admissions, the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) uses it in its Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP)—the bar admission course for Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. PREP assesses candidates based on a defined set of competencies.

In Western Canada, the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan have developed a shared competency profile to inform lawyer training and education.

Internationally, the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the UK has created a Statement of Solicitor Competence, outlining what constitutes a competent solicitor. In Canada, internationally trained lawyers are assessed by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), a standing committee of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, using a competency profile developed for that purpose.

In law schools, competency-based learning is found in experiential courses, often graded on a pass/fail basis. These include skills-focused courses such as legal writing, interviewing, and negotiation, as well as clinics, externships, and internships. A broader use is emerging at the University of Saskatchewan’s law school, where a competency profile is being developed to define the expected outcomes for graduates of Canadian law schools.

Benefits in Legal Education

Focus on Mastery

Competency-based learning aligns well with legal education by emphasizing mastery over time. This approach helps educators define necessary outcomes at each stage of a lawyer’s development. It also encourages a growth mindset, fostering a desire for lifelong learning and supporting ongoing professional development.

Practical Development

This model emphasizes applying knowledge to real-world scenarios, allowing legal learners to gain practical experience in a safe, supportive environment. Educators can offer feedback, and learners can reflect on what they’ve gained, how to improve, and how to apply their knowledge again. This iterative process develops both competence and transferable skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. It also moves away from the notion that passing a test equals mastery.

Learning to Fail

Competency-based learning not only allows failure—it expects it. It acknowledges that there is no single path to mastery, and each learner progresses at their own pace. By normalizing failure, learners build resilience, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and learn how to face future challenges—an essential skill for thriving in a high-stress profession.

Culture of Learning

Perhaps the greatest benefit is the potential to foster a culture of learning in the legal profession. By shifting away from competition and toward collaboration, law students and lawyers can support each other in their individual journeys. Even experienced lawyers can continue to grow, gaining deeper insights and mentoring newer colleagues more effectively.

In the end, we all want to be competent lawyers, ready for the path our practice takes us down. Sometimes we may lack confidence or feel a bit wobbly, but with the foundation provided by competency-based learning, we can become resilient, reflective, and adaptable lifelong learners—ready for any terrain.