법률교육의 국제경쟁력 확보

Abstract

The paper attempts a critical assessment of the current legal education system

of Korea and offers broad outlines for possible reform. The national bar

examination of Korea is administered as a public service examination open to

anyone without any requirement for adequate legal education. This means that

law faculties have no officially recognised role to play in the training and

selection of lawyers in Korea. All that matters is passing the exam. Since

everything turns on this high stake national examination (where success rate is

less than 3%), law professors, legal professional bodies such as regional or

national bar associations and the judiciary have no say in how the countrys

lawyers should be educated and selected. The score reigns supreme.

The paper points out the negative aspects of the current system. It is proposed

that instead of relying on a high stake examination where one-time test result

can make or break ones career, there should be a system where adequate

education and continual assessment will gradually select candidates at several

points of education and training process. Moreover, the legal professional bodies

must be allowed to participate in shaping the countrys legal education. Legal

professional education must be understood as a joint effort undertaken by law

professors and the legal profession.

A comprehensive reform of the national bar examination is necessary. Law

faculties must be given an appropriate role to play in the assessment and

selection of future lawyers. A recruitment system which relies solely on the...