An Undergraduate Option for Legal Education

Abstract

Prospective lawyers should have the option of taking the bar exam upon completing an undergraduate major in law and serving a year's apprenticeship. This undergraduate option would substantially decrease the cost of legal education and thus in the long run reduce the costs of legal services, particularly to poor and middle class. It would also decrease the deadweight loss from unnecessarily prolonged education and reduce the number of lawyers made unhappy by debt. Experience abroad suggests that this option would not unduly diminish the quality of lawyers. The undergraduate option would also provide other substantial benefits. For instance, it would increase the diversity in the legal profession and offer a greater variety of career choices for lawyers.

Keywords: Legal Education, Graduate education, Undegraduate Education, Legal Services

JEL Classification: K10, K19, K30, K39