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The Fully Formed Lawyer: Why Law Schools Should Require Public Service To Better Prepare Students For Private Practice, Sara Rankin

Faculty Articles

It is now commonly accepted that law schools are graduating students who are under-prepared for practice in the real world. In other words, students that perform adequately in the classroom seem to struggle or suffer — to an unnecessary degree — when they enter practice. It is as though law schools are graduating inchoate or “partially-formed” lawyers, who demonstrate classroom fluency but lack meaningful ability to grapple with the wrinkles and complexity of real-world practice. This article argues that to create practice-ready or “fully formed” lawyers, law schools should reform to prioritize hands-on training in public service. It may seem …