How to build a legal education system to re-establish the rule of law

Undergraduate legal education is currently facing crises on multiple fronts. The crisis in undergraduate legal education is not limited to that field alone but is also linked to the crisis of the rule of law in Korea. The introduction of the law school system, the closure or restructuring of law departments at universities, the resulting decline in the number of law majors, the decrease in specialized graduate programs, and the emergence of AI as a new social environment are all threatening undergraduate legal education. To strengthen undergraduate legal education, it is essential to first clearly define its objectives by considering the current threats and the new environment created by AI. Based on this, we propose actively participating in legal education for citizens, strengthening liberal arts legal education for students who do not major in law within universities, and implementing a legal proficiency examination. Additionally, to enhance the credibility of undergraduate legal education and strengthen graduate schools, we propose forming an academic division of labor system with law schools, introducing track systems and interdisciplinary courses, and ensuring the quality of legal education nationwide through a legal education certification system. Furthermore, we must strengthen graduate school networks to cultivate future generations. In addition to the methods mentioned here, various other alternatives can be proposed. Furthermore, some of the methods proposed here may be difficult to implement, while others are already being implemented at some universities. The core of this article is to standardize and systematically develop undergraduate legal education at each university, considering the current situation. Therefore, everyone must work together to further develop this discussion so that undergraduate legal education can enhance its competitiveness and credibility. The current crisis in undergraduate legal education cannot be attributed solely to external environmental changes. First, professors responsible for legal education must strive to develop practical solutions and implement them. Additionally, since aspects related to the legal education system are connected to policies of the legislative and executive branches, continuous policy changes must also be demanded. To further develop South Korea's rule of law, the legal education system must be restructured to serve as a solid foundation for legal education.