What does the digital revolution mean for legal education?

• Main Authors: ZIERCKE, Emma, HARTUNG, Dirk, HOHENSTATT, Klaus-Stefan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: Legal Education; Science and Technology Law
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sol_research/4531; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sol_research/article/6489/viewcontent/Liquid_Legal.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The general consensus amongst legal thought leaders is that legal education needs to be re-designed to, amongst other things, reflect the digital transformation of the legal industry. This opinion exposes the long-standing tension between academic learning and vocational learning in the legal profession. Technology cannot be ignored, but where to begin? What do lawyers actually need to know about technology? To answer this question, we have to understand what it means to “be a lawyer” in the twenty-first century. Technology is multi-dimensional and encompasses lawyers as users of technology, as advisers for new legal issues that stem from the application of technology, as designers of technology, as purchasers of technology, as well as consumers of information created by technology. This article will firstly consider which aspects of legal technology are important for legal education and what the ideal curriculum might look like. Next, we will review the current state of technology-related legal education both at law schools and in practice. Is technology becoming part of the foundation of undergraduate legal education? Has technology become an essential element of continuous professional development? Finally, we will discuss whether legal education should be provided by law schools, professional bodies, the open market, or by a mixture of all three.