Best Practices for Legal Education

Late last week, the New York State Bar Association presented a proposed resolution to the ABA House of Delegates at their Annual Meeting in Toronto and the need for law schools to create more practice ready lawyers. Portions of the proposal were taken from the “Report on the Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession”  The story was reported by John Caher in his article N.Y. State Bar Asks ABA to Support ‘Practice Ready’ Law School Education.

Here is a small piece of the article:

“We used to think that being a good lawyer simply meant knowing the law,” Doyle and Younger said in a report submitted to the ABA. “Today, we are more likely to think that good lawyers know how to do useful things with the law to help solve client problems. … Accreditation rules should emphasize how to apply theory and doctrine to actual practice, as well as encourage the process of developing professional judgment. These are critical skills that all newly admitted lawyers should have as they embark on their legal careers.”

The State Bar’s resolution does not suggest specific changes to the law school curriculum. Rather, it is a general call to revisit the issues raised by the MacCrate commission to ensure that the expectations of law clients are addressed in legal education and training.

“Too many law students and recent graduates are not as well prepared for the profession as they might be,” the State Bar said in a summary of its one-page resolution. “Law schools, bar examiners, the judiciary and the bar owe more to our young colleagues in these difficult times. This resolution is intended to cause those involved in legal education to address these issues, find solutions and revise legal education to meet these needs.”

Yesterday, the resolution was passed by the House of Delegates. The full resolution can be read here.

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