Requiring a law degree for bar admission imposes unfair burdens on new lawyers and blocks innovation in legal education. Here's what we can do instead.
In the CBA Futures Report we recommended graduated licensing years ago. It was a good idea then and remains a good idea for many of the reasons you espouse Jordan. Good work
Interesting. This would make a great debate topic! Yes, law school is expensive and can be stressful. (Two things that could be addressed without turning legal education upside down.) But I think you are selling the law school experience short. Wouldn’t this approach result in three tiered credentials? 1. Lawyers who went to law school for 3 years+ and became truly immersed in legal history, tasted a wide variety of legal subjects, sorted out their own interests while learning, developed new areas of study through their studies, built relationships with future colleagues and emerged well rounded legal thinkers? And 2. Legal mechanics who can help clients because they understand the legal process and know where to look for answers. 3. The possibility that AI makes this debate (ironically)- academic?
Jordan, you raise many valid issues. In the UK, as of 2016 the Law Society of England & Wales has allowed would-be solicitors to enter the legal profession through an apprenticeship program. Going by memory, one of the drivers for this was to open the legal profession to greater diversity. I don't know how many have availed themselves of this option. It might be interesting to investigate how successful it has been. For details see: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/qualifying-without-a-degree/apprenticeships In any event, in England there are many solicitors, even at the top so-called "magic circle" firms, who do not have a law degree. Typically they may have read philosophy, history, etc. at one of the top universities -think Oxford or Cambridge- and then taken a Legal Practice Course, typically from the University of Law or BPP, paid for by their firm as part of their 2-year work training at a firm of solicitors. In short, some of the best law firms in the world hire candidates without a law degree and prepare them for law practice. Accordingly, law schools can't be the only solution in North America for preparing future lawyers.
7 reasons to get rid of the law degree
In the CBA Futures Report we recommended graduated licensing years ago. It was a good idea then and remains a good idea for many of the reasons you espouse Jordan. Good work
Interesting. This would make a great debate topic! Yes, law school is expensive and can be stressful. (Two things that could be addressed without turning legal education upside down.) But I think you are selling the law school experience short. Wouldn’t this approach result in three tiered credentials? 1. Lawyers who went to law school for 3 years+ and became truly immersed in legal history, tasted a wide variety of legal subjects, sorted out their own interests while learning, developed new areas of study through their studies, built relationships with future colleagues and emerged well rounded legal thinkers? And 2. Legal mechanics who can help clients because they understand the legal process and know where to look for answers. 3. The possibility that AI makes this debate (ironically)- academic?
Discuss for 50% of your final mark😉
Jordan, you raise many valid issues. In the UK, as of 2016 the Law Society of England & Wales has allowed would-be solicitors to enter the legal profession through an apprenticeship program. Going by memory, one of the drivers for this was to open the legal profession to greater diversity. I don't know how many have availed themselves of this option. It might be interesting to investigate how successful it has been. For details see: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/becoming-a-solicitor/qualifying-without-a-degree/apprenticeships In any event, in England there are many solicitors, even at the top so-called "magic circle" firms, who do not have a law degree. Typically they may have read philosophy, history, etc. at one of the top universities -think Oxford or Cambridge- and then taken a Legal Practice Course, typically from the University of Law or BPP, paid for by their firm as part of their 2-year work training at a firm of solicitors. In short, some of the best law firms in the world hire candidates without a law degree and prepare them for law practice. Accordingly, law schools can't be the only solution in North America for preparing future lawyers.
Were you a fan of the tv series Suits? Alas in that world apparently all one needed to be a lawyer, was a photographic memory.