An interview with Andrew Guzman, Dean at the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California
Premium

“There is a need to democratise law schools and make legal education outcome-based,” says Andrew Guzman, Dean at the Gould School of Law in University of Southern California

April 01, 2023 03:09 pm | Updated 05:54 pm IST

Legal education has become tech-enabled and scalable...

Legal education has become tech-enabled and scalable... | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Law schools — the key to becoming a lawyer — are adapting to changes driven by increased digitisation and the pandemic.  Today, seeing the world and legal issues through an international lens is essential, says Andrew Guzman, Dean at the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California. And law schools have to equip students with the skills necessary to navigate the rapidly changing landscape.

Andrew Guzman, Dean at the Gould School of Law in University of Southern California

Andrew Guzman, Dean at the Gould School of Law in University of Southern California | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

During an interview while on a visit to Delhi, Guzman spoke about the pivotal changes required in the syllabus of law courses to enable students to rise to the challenges. Edited excerpts:  

What have been the main changes in legal education over the years? 

An increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion; and the emerging challenges from the advance of technology.  

How do law schools keep their curriculum relevant? 

Legal education is no longer limited to traditional doctrinal teaching. It encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary approaches, including Business, Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities. It has become important for law schools and legal educators to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students. The legal academia works closely with the judiciary and members of the fraternity and tweaks the pedagogy techniques associated with teaching.  

After an American law firm hired the world’s first Artificial Intelligence lawyer in 2016, do you think lawyers are hostage to the power of AI?  

Law is not different from other professions. Until AI Chatbox (that can write codes) came into effect, there was no worry.  Legal education has become tech-enabled and scalable and recognises that lawyers will increasingly be required to attain a broad liberal education enabling interdisciplinary insights and social intelligence. 

How has the use of technology impacted legal education? 

What is going to allow students to adapt to anything are the basic skills that have been taught for a long time, such as the ability to engage in analytical and axiomatic thinking and reasoning systematically. While retaining these core skills, the tech tools available have to be used effectively because students need to be up-to-date with the most current ways in which legal practice happens.  

Therefore, we now have more classes on cyber security, cryptocurrency, smart contracting, artificial intelligence and law, data privacy and so on. Our job may have got a little bit harder but we have to add this additional dimension without giving up our existing skills. We will continue to evolve as technology is going to continue to impact us. There is a need to adapt to the realities as quickly as possible, pay attention to what is happening in the world and make adjustments to keep up.  

How can law schools make the students future-ready professionals?  

There is a need to democratise law schools and make legal education outcome-based. Institutions have changed to different patterns. During COVID, law firms did not work from offices and courts adopted different work styles as petitions were filed and heard virtually. Earlier trials took place in person; now some elements of trials take place virtually. 

Our coursework is based on these different activities and with more virtual interactions. Students operate in different modalities in different contexts. We train them to be flexible and realise that you can’t succeed if you perform only in one system. It is important to transit from one to the other, see the landscape in totality and operate while understanding the implications and efficacy of multiple modes.   

What is the way forward for legal education?  

An enriched curriculum, enhanced alumni and mentorship helps future graduates take on the challenges that await them in the courtroom or the boardroom, and beyond. One needs to understand that all streams in legal education bring good opportunities. Some grow in importance from time to time. For instance, privacy laws did not exist as a field 15 years ago and the tech space has now snowballed. Traditional fields like criminal or corporate law still exist the way they did. 

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.