Legal Education & Licensure

Preparing lawyers to better serve the public

When lawyers are better trained, and more representative of the people they will serve, they can better meet the needs of their clients. Yet, legal education and licensing systems have fallen out of sync with the realities of modern practice and the challenges people face when seeking legal help.

Gaps between how lawyers are trained, how they are licensed, and how legal services are delivered make everyday civil justice issues more daunting than they should be. To build a justice system that works for everyone, we must rethink how lawyers enter the profession.

Transforming legal education and licensure

When education and licensure systems focus on minimum competence, professional skills, and public protection, the legal profession becomes more effective, accessible, and responsive. Reform creates pathways that better support new lawyers, expand access to legal services, and ensure the public receives competent representation.

IAALS is advancing evidence-based reforms that realign legal education and licensure with modern practice, and building systems that prepare lawyers for the work they will actually do—and the people they are meant to serve.

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Foundations for Practice 2.0

IAALS is identifying the competencies new lawyers need to succeed in practice and aligns legal education and hiring expectations around those skills. Foundations 2.0 reflects updated research from lawyers nationwide, and our work has become a cornerstone for hiring reform, curricular design, and professional development across the legal ecosystem.

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Pathways to Legal Licensure

Traditional licensure systems do not fully reflect how lawyers develop competence or how legal services are delivered today. IAALS is exploring alternative approaches beyond a bar exam, with an emphasis on supervised practice, skill development, public protection, and meaningful assessments of readiness to serve clients.

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Building a Better Bar: Capturing Minimum Competence

Protecting the public requires a clear understanding of what minimum competence to practice law actually means. IAALS developed the first-ever definition of minimum competence, including how to measure and reinforce it throughout a lawyer’s early professional development. Our work informs policymakers nationwide with the tools they need to ensure a capable and ethical bar.

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More legal education and licensure resources

  • Think Like a Client

    IAALS explored how integrating client-centered perspectives into legal education can better prepare lawyers to serve real people with real problems.

  • Law Jobs: By the Numbers

    This work examined employment outcomes for law graduates, providing critical data to inform discussions about transparency and empower future lawyers to better understand their career paths.

  • Curricular Innovation

    IAALS has supported efforts to rethink legal curricula so that education better reflects the practice-ready competencies new lawyers need. Our collections of course portfolios and interactive conference materials continue to inspire deans and professors nationwide.

How can we help? IAALS partners with stakeholders nationwide to build, implement, and evaluate legal system innovations. Learn more.

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