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57 U. Tol. L. Rev. 229 (2025-2026)
Reimagining Legal Education: The Role and Purpose of Law Schools in Modern Society - A Values-Driven Approach to Modern Legal Education

handle is hein.journals/utol57 and id is 248 raw text is: REIMAGINING LEGAL EDUCATION: THE ROLE AND PURPOSE OF LAW SCHOOLS IN MODERN SOCIETY A VALUES-DRIVEN APPROACH TO MODERN LEGAL EDUCATION Joshua Fershee* ABSTRACT Our great nation, despite its flaws, was founded on the idea that the rule of law applies to everyone. The United States Constitution tells us that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.' This principle, though not always embraced in the way it should be, remains the found- ation for a just (or more just) society.2 That principle predated our Constitution. In 1770, when John Adams and other attorneys represented British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, they took clients who were reviled because they believed that everyone should be provided a proper defense.3 They took those cases despite great potential risk to their careers and reputations because they were convinced it was the right thing to do. As John Adams famously warned: Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.4 This remains true today, and it is the role of lawyers to protect the rights of all people and ensure that due process of law means something. Legal education is in a profound transformation, shaped by evolving societal needs and expectations, technological advancements, and shifting student demo- graphics.5 This Article explores the contemporary role and purpose of law schools * Dean and Professor of Law, Creighton University School of Law. Portions of this Article, particularly Section II, were developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Microsoft Copilot, powered by the GPT-4 architecture, was used to aid in the organization and summarization of content derived from the author's original written drafts and transcribed oral remarks. 1. U.S. CONST. amend. V; U.S. CONST. amend. XIV, § 1. 2. See Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356, 369 (1886); Terrace v. Thompson, 263 U.S. 197, 216 (1923). 3. John Adams, Adams' Argument for the Defense: 3-4 December 1770, NAT'L ARCHIVE: FOUNDERS ONLINE, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/05-03-02-0001-0004-0016 (last visited Dec. 18, 2025). 4. Top John Adams Quotes, U.S. CONSTITUTION.NET (Apr. 30, 2024), https://www.usconstituti on.net/top-john-adams-quotes/. 5. See generally WILLIAM M. SULLIVAN ET AL., EDUCATING LAWYERS: PREPARATION FOR THE PROFESSION OF LAW (2007) (stating that the book centers on the formation of legal professionals, with particular emphasis on the need for law school education that develops an understanding of legal theory, practical skills, and professional identity). 229