NEW CROSSROADS AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A CRISIS

THE STATE OF CANADIAN LEGAL EDUCATION

Abstract

This article considers the challenges facing Canadian law schools and compares the current state of affairs to that analyzed in the 1983 Arthurs Report. The opening sections describe how Canadian legal education is globally unique because of the tacit agreement between law schools and the legal profession that limits the number of law school seats in Canada and helps ensure the success of law schools and law students. On the fortieth anniversary of the Arthurs Report, the article concludes that legal education in Canada is overdue for a new mapping of its strengths, challenges, and future directions that takes the ambition, breadth, and collaborative approach of the Arthurs Report as an inspiration.