Revolutionary change in Law Curriculum

2015, the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and the University of Baltimore School of Law partnered to launch the “Legal Entrepreneurs for Access Program” (LEAP). This is a start-up incubator scheme aimed at recent law school graduates who want to start their own firms.

Participants receive a year’s degree offering. worth of advanced l egal and Amid dropping law student entrepreneurial training through admissions rates since 2010 and mentorship with established intense competition among law lawyers. They’re also provided an school graduates for entry- level office space, internet connectivity, jobs, US law schools are innovating free malpractice insurance and towards better preparing their bar association membership. In students for the world of work — exchange, the participants are and doing so, in shorter time. required to devote some of their For example, the joint JD- MBA billable hours to providing program between the Northwestern or low-cost legal services for School of Law and the Kellogg

pro indigent clients in the Baltimore School of Management confers two bono area. degrees in three years, instead of

LEAP was among the programs five if pursued separately. cited in a recent The Master of Legal Studies article on how law schools in the ( MLS) program of Cleveland-

Financial Times United States are modernizing their Marshall College of Law is another curriculums to remain attractive example. The MLS program enables and competitive. JD students to add a few courses

Other laws in the US in fact have to their law curriculum so that long been offering courses beyond they will receive upon graduation the basic or traditional Juris Doctor their diploma and a certification ( JD) curriculum. For instance, in a chosen field of application, the Leonard N. Stern School of such as healthcare regulation, law Business of New York University enforcement, or global compliance ( NYU) has been running a joint and contracts as well. JD-MBA program since the 1970s, Another article, while the joint degree program in by columnist Andrew Hill, argues

Financial Times law and business of Harvard is the that even deeper changes to the law IT ivy league school’s oldest double profession are necessary. Mr. Hill

that while “problem-solving, creativity, intellectual curiosity, energy, and passion” are among the qualities sought by prestigious law firms, an unspoken truth is “insecure overachievement” is another. One head of a prestigious consultancy firm interviewed for the column said, “The best client relationship builders in our firm are insecure. They are so hell-bent on making their clients feel good about them that they work overtime.”

There are reform proposals pending motion in the Supreme Court initiated by the Legal Education Council and the Bar. The time for action is now.

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