Legal Education Reform in Afghanistan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to discover, describe, and understand the status of legal education reform in Afghanistan. This qualitative study focused on gaps, problems, and challenges impeding Afghanistan’s progress towards having a quality legal education system. Data were collected from discussions with informal focus groups of academics and students, interviews with legal educators and members of the legal community, and relevant documents prepared by organizations tasked with supporting legal education in Afghanistan. A SWOT analysis identified several strengths, as a result of more than a decade of international development efforts, such as the establishment of legal clinics, research centers, language and computer centers, moot court and mock trial competitions, and other programs that support legal education in Afghanistan. Despite these gains, significant weaknesses still exist in the overall curriculum and faculty capacity. The ongoing challenges of reforming legal education in Afghanistan include a lack of resources, poor donor coordination, the independence of universities and lack of coordination between them, and the existence of dual legal education institutions. It is hoped that the results of this study will enable the organizations supporting legal education in Afghanistan and the government of Afghanistan to better target legal education reform efforts and monitor progress towards establishing quality legal education programs.