VOICEOVER:
LawHub.
Hi and welcome to the LSAC’s Modern Law Practice Certification. My name is James Leipold, and I’m pleased you’ve decided to embark on this journey with us. I’m a lawyer myself, and I’ve spent my entire career helping law school graduates get the jobs they want. As one of the leading experts on the legal employment market, I’ve seen the profession and the industry change dramatically in the last 30 years. You are entering the profession at a very exciting time, at a moment when technology and particularly AI tools are rapidly changing the way lawyers practice law and the ways that law firms and other legal services organizations serve clients and operate their businesses. The law school curriculum has not changed at nearly the same pace, and it hasn’t really needed to. Law schools in North American do the best job of any graduate or professional discipline in teaching critical thinking skills, as the Carnegie Foundation has recognized. Critical thinking skills have always been the foundation for the practice of law and critical thinking is still the strongest tool in any lawyer’s toolbox. But there are a whole set of other skills that are necessary for the modern practice of law, a set of skills that almost every legal employer looks for when they are recruiting and hiring, even though that skillset is not formally taught in law schools.
This Modern Law Practice Certification program is taught by experienced professors, lawyers, and thought leaders from across the legal profession — experts who will help you develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities that give you what you need to succeed in today’s complex legal landscape. It will fill the gaps in both legal education and professional development so that you can improve your employment outcomes and acquire expertise in business functions, including how the business of law operates in the twenty-first century.
We know you are busy and that you already have a lot on your plate, so we have tried to make this learning experience as easy to move through as possible. The curriculum is presented in a series of short and engaging lessons that are designed to make the material easy to retain and implement. There will be periodic assessments to confirm that you are learning the skills being taught. After completing the exams in all six courses, you will earn a certification which can easily be incorporated on your résumé and social media profiles.
VOICEOVER:
LawHub.