Analysis of demand for legal education in higher education institutions and prospects for subsequent employment in Ukraine

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to modernise Ukraine’s system of legal education in the context of increasing competition in the labour market and the necessity to align the professional training of lawyers with contemporary international standards. The purpose of the study was to identify the specific features of legal training in Ukraine and to assess its compliance with the requirements of the legal labour market. The methodological framework comprised analysis, synthesis, comparison, deduction, as well as formal-legal and comparative methods. On the basis of reports by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, and the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine, it was established that the practical component of training accounts for only 15-20% of the curriculum, whereas in the United States its share reaches 30-35%. The comparative analysis of educational models demonstrated the higher effectiveness of clinical education, paid internships, and formative assessment of competences, which provide graduates with a broader range of professional skills. An additional analysis of employment trends showed that the proportion of young lawyers who obtain employment in their field within the first year remains below 50%, which correlates with the limited volume of practical modules and underdeveloped mechanisms for assessing professional skills. A conceptual three-level model for evaluating the effectiveness of training future lawyers (content-structural, competence-based, and market-analytical levels) was developed, enabling educational outcomes to be correlated with employment indicators and the structure of demand for legal services. The proposed recommendations may be used to update standards of legal education, develop dual programmes, and strengthen practice-oriented training in Ukrainian law schools