Legal Education at a Crossroads
From March 26, 2017
Legal education is facing new challenges. In the United States, applications to law schools have decreased to historically low levels due to changes in the legal profession.
Similar challenges are apparent in Finland, where the current legal education risks becoming outdated and compromises the ability of lawyers to realize their full career potential.
The legal environment is increasingly fragmented and specialized and parts of the legal profession are becoming increasingly compliance-focused. In other respects, legal issues must increasingly be understood and managed in the context of a rapidly developing environment characterized by its political and economic structures. Traditional legal skills are not sufficient to manage this environment. Business and political science skill-sets are necessary for lawyers to be able to understand legal issues in the proper context and to provide relevant advice.
Legal education needs to be reformed to properly prepare young lawyers for their careers. The situation can still be addressed by increasing cooperation between faculties and universities.
An op-ed has been published on the topic in the Finnish legal newsletter Lakimiesuutiset (Finnish only).