When most students imagine the process of becoming a lawyer, images of long hours in the library soon spring to mind. The legal profession is mostly book-based, drawing heavily on past legal cases and the current law as it stands.
The way universities are educating young lawyers, however, is changing fast. Gone are the days when students spent all their time poring over reports and textbooks. Now the approach is much more flexible and hands-on. No longer does studying consist of flipping open a book and reading it through until you go cross eyed. In the case of law, that’s a lot of reading – plenty of students feel like they need a hit of something like SporesMD’s spore syringes to get through!
Practical experience is one of the most innovative new features of law degrees. If you take one of these courses, you now have the opportunity to work in a real company, helping to resolve genuine legal issues. Furthermore, as the following infographic shows, you get choices over where you work.
The idea is to give students some appreciation of the real-world problems they will face if a professional law firm decides to take them on. Early training provides some useful experience, increasing the immediate value and prospects of graduates just entering the market.
Technology is playing a role too. These days, you don’t have to attend a physical institution to get your law degree – at least not every day. Many universities now offer digital training and course materials, limiting the amount that you need to travel.
Are you interested in becoming a lawyer? Are you thinking about studying law at college? If so, then check out the following infographic for more information. It charts some of the changes that have been made already and the rewards you can receive if you go into law full-time.
Infographic by University of Southern California
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