Teaching Law for the Real World:

Abstract

This article looks at changes which need to be made on two levels. First, on the role of law schools: in terms of practitioners, a new thought process should be developed at law schools to bring on board practitioners either as full-time faculty members or sessionals to teach law courses, and this would help bridge the gap between academia and the legal profession. In terms of curriculum, there is a need to update curriculum and course choices to include some necessary courses that should be considered part of any law programme. In terms of global understanding, law schools should not only offer more international law courses, but can simply incorporate comparative law into existing courses, and study abroad programmes would be an asset to form more international legal understanding. In terms of practicums, there should be a practical component added to law courses to allow for the students to learn day-to-day skills one would encounter in practicing law, including the legal implications of running a company, managing a staff and dealing with stakeholders and boards of directors, and a partnership within universities beyond the faculty of law to incorporate other departments would be of benefit to students who would like to use their law degrees in other fields. Second, on the role of the bar associations and the law society: mentoring programmes are essential in the teaching of law and are so often overlooked, and a mentoring partnership should be created between bar associations or law societies and law schools, which would not only allow for an increased learning experience invaluable to the student but it would also allow students to be better prepared for when they graduate, allowing for a better transition from law school to law practice. The ability of an organization, especially a learning organization like a university or a college of law, to learn from its past is the key to growth for its present and survival for its future for a better legal profession.