Reform of Legal Education in the Age of Globalization

Abstract

The Korean Government is now considering the introduction of an merican-stylelaw school system. It was in the late 19th century that Korean society embarked on the reception of the modern legal system in great earnest. Since that time, Korea has had a European style system of legal education. Therefore, the government policy of reforming Korean legal education on the American model is almost revolutionary. It is no wonder that this plan has set off a heated controversy among Korean legal scholars and practitioners alike.

This article conducts a critical overview of the government plan. First, it will sketch out the background to the current debate. This will be followed by the examination of the activities of the Judicial Reform Committee and the Presidential Committee for the Implementation of Judicial Reform.

This paper will go on to discuss major issues of the debate such as the objective of legal education, how to regulate entry into the new law school system, the quota for entrants to the law schools and the cost of legal education.