The Struggle for Legal Philosophy (vis-à-vis Legal Education): Methods and Problems

Abstract

The article challenges the empirical claim that suggests that the legal skills needed to successfully practice law are not -- and cannot be -- learned at law schools, and contrasts it with the conceptual claim that indicates that the legal tasks needed for practicing law presuppose a legal theory -- or at least requires a link between theory and practice. Hence, the dual claim -- empirical and conceptual -- is that legal philosophy is an important part of a legal curriculum and necessary to bridge, rather than to deepen, the existing gap between theory and practice.

Keywords: jurisprudence, legal education, legal philosophy, problematic turn theory and practice

JEL Classification: K00, K10, K19