On September the 10th the Law Society of British Columbia elected to make changes suggested by a task force on modernisation established this January. The task force cited ongoing changes in the legal market, which have been accelerated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the pace of change in other jurisdictions, as to…
Legal Education in the Era of COVID-19: Putting Health, Safety and Equity First
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the traditional academic model of gathering people into physical classes into a high-risk activity. Legal education is a Critical Infrastructure sector that supports democratic access to the legal system and trains students to become ethical members of the legal profession and society. Debates about whether legal education should be…
SRA: Solicitors Qualifying Examination updates
The SRA have confirmed that the candidate fee for the new Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) will be £3,980. The costs are in line with £3,000-£4,500 figure set out in the SRA’s original 2018 fee range estimates. The fees do not include training costs, which will vary depending on a candidate’s choices. They also confirmed that they…
Law Society of Saskatchewan podcast on the future of legal education with Dr. Kara Mitchelmore
The Law Society of Saskatchewan has released a new episode of its Legal Skies podcast, outlining the ongoing changes to legal education in Canada, as well as the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had and will have on education and training. The podcast features Dr. Kara Mitchelmore of the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal…
Reform of Legal Education in Belarus and the United Kingdom
Abstract Reforms in legal education are taking place in almost all countries. Each system has its own reasons for improving the quality of legal education, though the employment of young lawyers after graduation proves a common problem. The Concept for the Development of Legal Education in the Republic of Belarus through to 2025, adopted by…
Learning from Law Professors: An Analysis of What the Best Law Teachers Do
Abstract This is a review of the book What the Best Law Teachers Do. While it focuses on law school teachers, nearly all of the book is applicable to teaching undergraduate business law classes. The book is the result of extensive interviews with teachers and students that identify the top traits and practices of twenty-six…
BSB to use AI to carry out online testing
The Bar Standards Board has announced on the 12th May 2020, that the Bar Professional Training Course and Bar Transfer Test assessments, that were delayed from April to August, will be carried out online with the assistance of Pearson’s OnVUE secure global online proctoring solution, which will allow for remote invigilation. Allowing the exams to…
LSB podcast on how education might adapt to technology
In its latest episode of the ‘Talking Tech’ podcast, the LSB interviews Dr Adam Wyner, Associate Professor of Law and Computer Science at Swansea University. The podcast focuses on how education and regulation might change to ensure legal professionals are better equipped to deal with and meet the challenges posed by a new tech-focused environment,…
Program to offer Georgia Law students virtual internships with judges
Ana Maria Martinez, the head of the Georgia Latino Law Foundation, is organising a virtual judicial internship program for second-year law students who have had their summer associate internships cancelled. The virtual internships with Georgia judges are open to all second-year students, at the state’s ABA-accredited law schools; and the deadline to apply is May…
Philippines Supreme Court lowers passing grade to include more “techy lawyers”
The Supreme Court of the Philippines has passed a resolution lowering the passing grade for the bar examination from 75% to 74%. The adjustment was made in light of ongoing difficulty caused to students by the COVID-19 crisis, as well as a desire to introduce younger lawyers with more technology skills into the profession. The…