Legal Definitions - CALI

CALI stands for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction.

CALI is a non-profit organization that serves as a consortium for most law schools across the United States. Its primary mission is to develop and provide innovative educational resources, primarily in a digital format, to help law students learn and understand complex legal concepts. These resources include interactive tutorials, practice exercises, and study aids that are accessible to students registered at member law schools.

Beyond its educational tools, CALI is widely recognized in legal academia for bestowing the "CALI Excellence for the Future Award" (often simply called a "CALI Award") upon the student who achieves the highest grade in a particular course section. This recognition of academic excellence is highly valued, leading to the common informal phrase among law students and faculty: "CALI'd a class," which means to have earned the top grade in that specific course.

Here are some examples illustrating CALI:

• Example 1 (Educational Resources): A first-year law student, struggling to grasp the intricacies of contract formation, logs into the CALI website. They find an interactive module that breaks down offer, acceptance, and consideration with clear explanations and hypothetical scenarios, helping them prepare for their upcoming exam.

  This example demonstrates CALI's role in providing "computer-assisted legal instruction" and "educational resources" to help students understand challenging legal topics.

• Example 2 (Academic Recognition): After final grades are posted, Professor Davies sends an email to Emily, congratulating her on receiving the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for achieving the highest score in her Criminal Law course. Emily proudly adds this accomplishment to her resume, knowing it signifies top academic performance.

  This illustrates CALI's function in recognizing and rewarding exceptional academic achievement, specifically by bestowing awards upon the highest-performing student in a given class.

• Example 3 (Informal Usage): During a casual conversation with a mentor, a law student excitedly shares, "I can't believe it, I CALI'd my Torts class last semester!" The mentor immediately understands that the student achieved the highest grade among all students in their Torts section.

  This example highlights the widespread informal usage of the phrase "CALI'd a class" within the legal community to signify having topped a particular course.