Legal Education, Philosophy and Values Consciousness of the Law Student

• Main Author: TAN, Seow Hon
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2008
• Subjects: Legal philosophy; legal education; legal ethics; Legal Education
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/822; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/1821/viewcontent/Legal_education_IJL_2008_av.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The value of teaching philosophy in law schools has been the subject of considerable debate, with detractors in practice and academia questioning its utility for professional practice. This paper suggests that teaching legal philosophy in law schools is necessary to challenge the law student to develop her own theory about law, its legitimacy, and its relation to justice, morality, power and rationality. Through such theoretical understanding, the law student acquires a sensitivity to, and concern for, the ideals underlying the law. Only when students’ hearts and minds are critically engaged on fundamental questions may they meaningfully understand their role and purpose in the larger legal process. Apart from becoming ethical professionals, morally transformed students with a greater values consciousness make for a more involved citizenry better equipped to harness the potential of law for positive social change.