The Canadian Model of Legal Education: A Positive Experience for Russia

Abstract

This article discusses organization of legal education in Canada, identifies its peculiarities. Among them: lack of uniform standards of legal education; a multilevel system of conditions and tests required for admission to law schools as learning experiences, attainment in previous university, logical thinking, etc.; the system of "credits" for each academic subject allowing students to choose them independently; ban on entering the Master's program without basic legal education; a system of students' performance evaluating keeping a record of their performance during the entire period of training; the combination of theoretical and practical training, priority of constitutional law among other subjects, the focus on studying examples of genuine protection of the rights of citizens; an interactive training system where the professor primarily stimulates interest in knowledge, the work of thought and the formation of arguments; the introduction of a system of admission to the profession where skills of practical work are acquired; certification of legal qualification. These features, according to the author, have a positive impact on the quality of legal education in Canada; therefore, it is advisable to consider the possibility of their application in Russia.