October 4, 2013

Draft Task Force Report on Future of Legal Education

In September, the American Bar Association’s Task Force on the Future of Legal Education released its draft report and recommendations.   Following are examples of the draft report’s principal conclusions:
  • The current law school pricing and funding mechanism needs to be re-examined.  For example, many of the students incurring large student loan debt are those whose incoming credentials are the weakest (and thus, they may have a lower potential return on their investment).
  • The ABA’s system of accrediting law schools is too standardized, and should better facilitate innovation in schools and programs.
  • While many schools have begun to offer more practical training, there needs to be even more emphasis on skills training, experiential learning, and practice-related competencies.
  • To improve access to legal services among those who cannot afford lawyers, state entities that regulate the legal profession should consider (1) licensing non-lawyers to provide certain legal services and (2) authorizing non-traditional routes to bar admission.    
The task force was created in 2012, and is charged with making recommendations concerning the economics and delivery of legal education. The task force is accepting comments on the draft report until October 28.