Pending Issues and Challenges on Legal Education in Korea after the Introduction of New Law School

Newly launched law school system in Korea takes on a responsibility that it had not faced before. Despite being the only formal higher learning educational institution in the legal education area, Korean universities have not been regarded as a professional school, as they have concentrated on more of a liberal arts legal education catering to the majority of its student population, while attending to a small number of students who actually stood a chance to pass the NJE. Now, graduate level law school education regime demands that Korean law schools reinvent itself. In doing so, they must establish core curriculum focused on systematically inculcating critical legal minds in the law students and transforming the students into professionals, well rounded in key traits and skills. They also have to work with private sector and regulators to bridge the gap and short falls that advancing Korean legal market requires, namely practical training opportunities and capitalizing on globalization opportunities. To successfully establish the law school as the driving force as it is intended, law schools, private sector firms and regulators have to work together to coherently build legal training regime, catering to Korean market and legal consumers, as well as global needs.