Legal Education in the Russian Federation

In the past two decades, we observed an enormous increase of law students in the Russian Federation. Together with the radical change of country legislations, it creates an enormous pressure on Russian system of legal education. However only tiny part of graduates of law faculties starts their career as practicing lawyers, court clerks, prosecutors and other traditional legal professionals while many of the law school graduates start working for governmental and business organization, law enforcement agencies. Such situation poses a dilemma before university professorate: how to teach law, whether to focus on doctrinal and theoretical studies or on providing students with practical skills.

This research aims at explaining the role of legal education in formation of legal professional in modern Russia. How university teachers describe their role in building a legal professional. What techniques do they use to fulfill their goal. What is the general role of law faculty: a mere teaching of doctrines and codes or becoming a hub where practice meets theory.

The discussion will be based on the empirical data collected as a part of “Legal profession in Russia” project. The data includes a number of focus group with university lecturers and a survey of teachers of law.