Law schools strive to build and maintain comprehensive curricula that meet the needs of all students and that reflect the realities of the legal profession. Turmoil in law firms and the profession, reports such as the MacCrate Report and studies like the recent Carnegie Foundation effort have motivated law school deans and faculty members to examine how law schools can better prepare graduates for today’s global market. What should the law school’s role be within the educational continuum? Should traditional pedagogical approaches to legal education be modified to respond to the realities of today’s legal world? Should law schools be balancing the various pressures to provide a combination of legal reasoning, substantive law and preparation for practice?
The “Critical Issues Summit” sponsored by The Association for Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) and the American Law Institute/American Bar Association (ALI-ABA), involving law schools, judges, practitioners, CLE providers and regulators focused on these and other issues. The discussion begun at that Summit will continue at this session, giving members of the academy an opportunity to contribute to the dialogue and exchange ideas about the future of legal education and the appropriate role of law schools. Some law schools have already begun implementing innovative changes to their curricula. This panel provides a forum to discuss these developments and competing visions.
Topics include:
- Are there innovations in teaching practical skills in law school?
- Should law schools help with graduates’ transition to practice?
- What can law schools learn from other professions about preparing their graduates for practice?
- Should law schools be embracing opportunities to cooperate with the Bar?
- What role should law schools play in preparing graduates for an increasingly global environment with an expanding diverse client base?
- How can law school pro bono requirements contribute to access to justice?
Business Meeting at Program Conclusion.