Sessions Information

  • January 9, 2026
    8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
    Session Type: AALS Open Source Programs
    Session Capacity: N/A
    Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside
    Room: Jackson
    Floor: Third Floor

Sessions Description

  • The panel explores what it means to be "practice-ready" through the varied perspectives of the bench, practicing bar, legal educators, and accreditors. Timing is strategic, coinciding with the July 2026 launch of the NextGen Bar Exam (emphasizing skills over memorization) and responding to the 2025 CLEAR Committee report indicating judges believe new attorneys lack essential practice skills. The panel examines how these stakeholder perspectives have shifted over time and their implications for contemporary legal education. The purpose is to frame the fundamental question of what practice readiness means so that legal education can engage in effective practice-ready development moving forward.

Session Speakers
New Mexico Supreme Court Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform
Speaker

National Association for Law Placement
Speaker

University of San Francisco School of Law
Speaker

University of Utah, S. J. Quinney College of Law
Moderator

New Hampshire Supreme Court
Speaker

American Bar Association
Speaker

Association of American Law Schools
Speaker

Session Fees
  • AALS Open Source Program: Practice Ready or Practice Myth? Rethinking Legal Education’s Role in Professional Preparation: $0.00