The Problems of Legal Education in Pakistan: Teaching and Learning, Curriculum, and Assessment Methods

Abstract

There are very few studies that identify problems with legal education in Pakistan. Almost none compared problems of legal education in Pakistan with that in the developed world to show where Pakistan is standing on the score of the standards of legal education. This study is addressing this important gap by focusing on three important problems of legal education in Pakistan: outdated curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate programs of law in educational institutions of Pakistan; traditional methods of assessment; and inadequate teaching and learning methods. These problems of legal education have serious implications for the justice system of Pakistan. Due to the aforementioned problems, lawyers impart limited knowledge to legal practice. As a result, they cannot contribute to the litigation process adequately. Same lawyers later become judges. Their limited learning affects the decision-making process and the administration of justice. Therefore, it is important to examine and evaluate these problems. Comparing current practices in Pakistan's educational institutions with that in developed countries, this article critically explains the aforementioned problems and recommends how those problems can be addressed. Keywords: Legal Education, Management, Learning, Methods.