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The pointlessness of a law degree

I also disagree with the reductionist approach taken by the author. Studying law for a degree is not the same as doing a course on car mechanics at the local tech. It isn't designed to train you to draft sales agreements or negotiate personal injury claims. The purpose of studying law at university is to train the mind to deal with abstract concepts and principles, to express these coherently and to apply logic to situations. Unfortunately, it would seem that the concept of studying a subject purely for the sake of it is alien to the author. He also displays a depressing level of ignorance about the practice of law if he thinks that practising lawyers never look at law reports or articles in `learned journals'. Every competent lawyer, whether engaged in contentious or non-contentious work, needs to keep up to date. In any case, many - I would hope most - lawyers are actually interested in the law and legal developments even if they don't directly impact on their own field of practice. This attitude that all academic study must be justifiable by reference to a practical skill attained at the end of it is frankly crass, and exhibits a sad lack of understanding about the basic purpose of education.

20-Feb-2012

11:49 am