Download This PaperLegal Education in a Digital Age: Why 'Coding for Lawyers' Matters
Lex Research Topics in Corporate Law & Economics Working Paper No, 2018-4
U of St. Thomas (Minnesota) Legal Studies Research Paper No. 18-21
33 Pages Posted: 20 Aug 2018 Last revised: 17 Oct 2018
Date Written: August 7, 2018
Abstract
In this paper, we explain the benefits of introducing a “Coding for Lawyers” course in the legal curriculum and present our initial experiences with the course in Europe and the United States. The paper outlines the broader context of the transformation of education in a digital age; describes the importance of computer code in a legal context, particularly in terms of on-going changes in the legal profession; and, introduces the main features of the course and its initial reception. The main argument is to suggest that the lawyers of the future will be “transaction engineers” and that to perform this function effectively, legal professionals need to be able to understand the basic concepts and power of coding.
Keywords: Algorithms, Bitcoin, Blockchain, Coding, Cryptocurrency, Digital, Digital Transformation, Distributed Ledger Technology, DLT, Ethereum, Legal Education, Legal Tech, Smart Contracts, Software, Transaction Engineers, Tokens, Trust
JEL Classification: A20, C90, D20, D80, G30, I20, I21, I23, I25, K10, K20, K30, K40
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Wulf A. Kaal
University of St. Thomas - School of Law (Minnesota) ( email )
MSL 400, 1000 La Salle Avenue
Minneapolis, MN Minnesota 55403-2005
United States
Erik P.M. Vermeulen (Contact Author)
Tilburg University - Department of Business Law ( email )
European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )
c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium