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Should Lawyers Be Trained Like Doctors?

By George Khoury, Esq. on October 25, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

For law students, the thought of law school being more like med school might be conflicting.

On the one hand, there'd surely be better practical training, which many law students would surely benefit from. But on the other hand, practical training probably won't help when it comes to the bar exam, and would likely just create another barrier to entry into the profession. And that seems to neglect the fact that not all law students actually want to practice law.

Practical Training Is for Practicing Lawyers

Notably, most recent law grads try to get jobs at law firms that will provide mentorship and training. Unfortunately, the reality of the legal job market is that these positions are hard to come by. However, that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities for young lawyers to get practical experience and mentorship. Not to mention the fact that there are more continuing legal education opportunities available now than ever before.

There is training available for any practice area or niche a young lawyer may want to branch out in, and there may even be non-profits or other associations that might be able to help start practitioners out with training, referrals and even mentorship.

More Than Just Practicing

While TV might depict lawyers as these glorified geniuses that work hard and live well, at least when they're not drunk or down on their luck, in the real world, being a lawyer is more than just practicing law.

What law schools strive to do is teach students how to think like a lawyer so that when they prep for the bar exam, or venture off into any practice area, they'll be able to develop the skills necessary to succeed and/or serve their clients.

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