Blake D. Morant, Dean and Robert Kramer Research Professor of Law, has been named a member of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Commission on the Future of Legal Education. Hilarie Bass, the ABA's new president, shared the news last month. It was announced that Dean Morant is one of 10 members appointed to the commission.
In a joint statement, Ms. Bass and Maureen O’Rourke, the new chair of the council of the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, said they "look forward to working together to ensure that legal education in this country provides the best possible preparation for the nation's future lawyers."
According to their statement, the 10-member commission will bring the perspectives of various constituencies to the table including, judges, deans, professors, and practitioners. The commission will focus specifically on key issues including the bar exam, alternative teaching methods, length of law school, and other issues identified by the group.
The commission was created in February to anticipate changes in the legal profession and how they might affect the training of future generations of law students. Redesigning legal education is a topic that Dean Morant has openly spoken about. The commission will take a leadership role in anticipating, articulating, and influencing what will be dramatic changes in the legal profession in the next decade and beyond.