Legal Thinking, Legal Education and Research
Legal thinking implies having specialized knowledge of the law and legal concepts, and being able to approach legal problems using a variety of analytical methods. Throughout the ages, the law and legal culture have hugely benefited the development of individuals, organizations and democratic societies.
Although one can, even in the most advanced legal cultures, be critical of many aspects of the law, an advanced and balanced legal system raises the overall standards of justice and fairness in society. Studies also show that the efficacy and independence of a country's legal system contribute significantly to a country's economic prosperity (cf. Veld and Voigt 2003). With regard to businesses, the common law and civil law traditions are converging under the influence of globalization. Although important differences remain, the laws and regulations that apply to businesses in Western countries therefore share many similarities.A legal system needs legal professionals. Legal education has a long history, starting before Roman times. Law was among the first studies taught at modern universities. Legal education thus has a long tradition. In the Western world, despite differences in legal systems, it has remarkably similar features and is strongly connected to the admission to classical legal professions. There have been several studies on the strengths and weaknesses of legal education and law schools. An influential study is the 2007 report by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching on Legal education in North America (Sullivan et al. 2012). Some of its most important conclusions will hold true for legal education in almost all Western countries. Because education strongly influences professional culture, we analyze some of these in the light of the topic of this book: legal professionals working at an in-house legal department.
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