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The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has come out with guns blazing against alleged attempts to lower the current entry qualifications for one to study a law degree.

LSK President Faith Odhiambo said the legal fraternity would not give in to  attempts to lower the entry qualifications for one  to study a law degree and  insisted that the legal profession should be made to grow and remain competitive in the ever-evolving world.

“We have seen attempts to water down the entry qualification for pursuing a law degree and we firmly stand against any amendments to the act that would dilute the quality of legal education in our country. We are guardians of the profession and it is our solemn duty to uphold its integrity and excellence,” she affirmed.

She made the remarks during the launch of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) 2023-2027 Strategic Plan in Nairobi, which was attended by senior stakeholders in the legal profession.

Standadise quality

With increased number of institutions offering law degree, Odhiambo said a major concern is how to standardize the quality of teaching to ensure uniformity in the output of law graduates.

“This strategic plan must provide a framework that guarantees every law student receive an education that meets established high standards,” Odhiambo said.

Similarly, Chief Justice Martha Koome said, in a speech presented on her behalf by Supreme Court Judge, Isaac Lenaola, that the current curricula in legal education must evolve to meet the demands of contemporary practice, even as she urged CLE to further address how this can contribute to broader goals enshrined in Constitution 2010.

“We must equip the next generation of lawyers with the tools to advance and champion the imperatives of the Constitution. They must be thinkers, innovators and leaders who can interpret the law within its broader social, economic, political, cultural and technological concepts,” said Koome.

“The CLE strategic plan is geared towards evolution, ensuring that our legal education is relevant, practical and in tune with the realities of today’s world. Our approach to legal education and training must be forward thinking, versatile and deeply integrated with ethical and technological adeptness,” she added.

Strengthen innovation approaches

CLE Chairman, Prof Collins Odote said there is need to transform how students learn, noting that the five-year strategic plan seeks to strengthen innovative approaches to legal education and training that responds to dynamism in the practice of law today.

“The strategic plan recognizes that the education landscape is fast changing as evidenced by the adoption of Competency Based Curriculum a few years back. There, is therefore need for transformational learning to respond to this dynamism,” said Odote.

He said it is critical that CLE influences the quality of professionals that enter and occupy the legal profession by ensuring students are trained all round to cover the changing education landscape.

Attorney General, Justin Muturi acknowledged that the strategic plan recognizes the importance of developing an innovative legal curriculum that meets the evolving needs of the society and prepares future legal practitioners to navigate complexities of modern world.

Traditionally, he stated that legal education focused on imparting knowledge of statutes, case law, precedents and legal principles.

“While this foundation remains essential, it is no longer sufficient in today’ dynamic environment. In order to prepare students adequately for challenges they will face as legal professionals, we must embrace innovation in our curriculum development process,” Muturi said.

According to CLE, many stakeholders have called for revisiting of legal curricula and called for changes in the number of mandatory and elective units, approaches to teaching, legal analysis and critical thinking, stronger linkages to the legal practice industry as well as develop an Advocates Training Program (ATP) curriculum to harmonize teaching and assessment.