Recently, the Department of Theory and History of State and Law of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Law hosted a guest lecture dedicated to legal education and the profession in England and Wales.
The guest lecturer was Doctor of Laws, Professor Valeria Antoshkina, who since January 2023 has been a participant of the Researchers at Risk Fellowship program, initiated by the British Academy and Cara (the Council for At-Risk Academics), which involves conducting research activities at the School of Law of the University of Manchester (England).
The lecturer told the students about the key aspects of the organization of legal training in the UK, its structure and the challenges faced by lawyers in the modern professional environment.
The lecture examined in detail the features of the British system: the differences between the jurisdictions of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as the different paths to obtaining professional status - barrister, solicitor or chartered legal practitioner (CILEX). Particular attention was paid to the content of the curricula, which emphasize practical skills, critical thinking, legal writing and advocacy.
Separately, the issue of regulation of professional activity and key problems, such as the high cost of education, inequality of access to the legal professions, the need for digitalization of the legal sphere, were raised. Also discussed were those aspects of the British system that could be useful for improving Ukrainian legal education. In particular, the role of professional organizations, the organization of practical training for students and the integration of universities as powerful research centers.
This lecture allowed students to better understand the British model of legal education, its challenges and advantages, as well as assess the opportunities for borrowing best practices in the training of Ukrainian lawyers.
We sincerely thank Valeria Antoshkina for taking the time to visit our institute and deliver her lecture to our students.
