Legal Education Reform: An Analysis of the Current State of the American Legal Education System Post MacCrate

Kiefer, Matthew Todd (2014) Legal Education Reform: An Analysis of the Current State of the American Legal Education System Post MacCrate. Undergraduate thesis, under the direction of John M. Czarnetzky from Law, University of Mississippi.

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Abstract

The legal education continuum in the United States is under scrutiny from external and internal forces. This thesis examines a wide range of legal reports that focus on the current state of the most important part of the continuum, law schools. It specifically asks the question whether there is need for significant and possibly comprehensive change in law schools and if so what those changes would need to be. The thesis first explores the history and formation of legal education in America and its regulatory associations. Then it focuses on the MacCrate Report as comprehensive tool for understanding the legal profession and its legal education system. Afterward, current legal reports in support of change or against change to law schools are reviewed, analyzed, and presented. The case for significant change to the system far outweighs the cries to keep law schools the same. In summation, law schools need to more appropriately balance theory, practice, skills, and value elements throughout law school teaching. Right now, theory is too heavily pushed within the classroom at the cost of developing the other elements. Newer instruction methods and education policies should be put in place to better the system. A myriad of recommendations are promulgated including implementing a different model for legal education and fostering more genuine student mentoring programs.

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