THE FUTURE OF LEGAL EDUCATION: DO LAW SCHOOLS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CONSERVATIVE?

Abstract

This article explores how emerging technologies should shape legal studies, recognizing that the new technological era requires a new generation of tech-savvy lawyers who possess specific technology-related skills and knowledge. The article builds on analysis of the future of work through the lens of the International Labor Organization Centenary Declaration, followed by an analysis of the right to education, leading to the formation of a theoretical justification of the legal duty to adapt the legal education curriculum to a technology-driven future. This article exposes the existing state of the legal education curriculum with a systematic analysis of the existing Law & Tech master’s programs at leading universities worldwide. This research demonstrates that relatively few (9.8%) leading world universities offer specialized Law & Tech master’s programs. This clear underdevelopment of the Law & Tech curriculum suggests that deeply embedded conservatism in legal education might be violating the rights of future lawyers – the right to work and the right to education, in particular.