Breaking News: Law School to Teach Practice of Law

[WSJ Law Blog]

The Washington and Lee School of Law is poised to turn the world of legal education on its head. The deans are announcing a plan to overhaul its 3L curriculum by replacing all academic classes — that’s right, all academic classes — with “experiential” learning, reports the NLJ. This might include “actual interactions with clients,” and teaching students to “keep track of their billing hours,” says the article.

Robert Danforth, the school’s associate dean of academic affairs, said the reforms could serve as a model for other schools. “It’s the best and most interesting thing to happen to legal education in many years,” he said. “To me, the most important element of the proposal is that it creates a year of transition where the student is moving from simply being a student to being a practicing professional.”

Recent reports have pointed out the challenges law schools face in preparing students to become lawyers, including a 2007 report by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Also, last year a network of 10 law schools launched a project that aims to improve how law schools operate.

OK, LB’ers, we don’t know about you, but, while we enjoyed some interesting electives in our third year, we also enjoyed a little extra chill time. Billing hours? What say you on W&L’s new program?

Some practical training might actually be a good idea at many of these law schools!!

A network of 10 law schools has launched an ambitious project aimed at improving how law schools operate, ranging from changes in curricula to providing more practical, real-world training for law students.

Several reports and discussions this year have pointed out the challenges law schools face in educating and preparing students to become lawyers, including a report issued earlier this year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The California-based organization and Stanford Law School have taken the lead by forming a network of 10 law schools to tackle these issues. "We're hoping to create a significant catalyst for rethinking the idea of legal education for this millennium," said Lawrence Marshall, associate dean for public service and clinical education at Stanford Law School, who is spearheading the project.