Reformers or reinforcers: an exploration of how legal educators perceive their role and its relationship with the legal profession

The aim of this study was to explore legal educators’ perceptions of the evolving relationship between legal education and the legal profession. Through their work, do legal educators see themselves as positively influencing the development of the legal profession for the benefit of society (‘reformers’), or as merely supporting and responding to what the profession says it needs (‘reinforcers’)? Using the jurisdiction of England and Wales as a case study, the authors conducted 30 semi-structured interviews and identified common themes using template analysis. The data suggest a crisis of identity, purpose, and empowerment within this legal education community. Few participants felt they had any significant opportunity to influence reform within the legal profession, with some rejecting outright the notion that this might even be an appropriate aspiration for legal education. By contrast, most believed that law firms had a significant and increasing influence on their curricula, though there was no consensus on the legitimacy of this power. The authors argue that – in the case study context and beyond – legal educators, regulators, and policy makers must proactively monitor and respond to the evolving power dynamics within legal education, to ensure that it maximises its value for society.