What Shall a Law Graduate Do in Crisis? FBK Partner Spoke at the Career Day at RSUJ

At the “Law graduates market in the economic crisis” seminar held within the framework of the Career Day at the Russian State University of Justice (RSUJ) Alexander Ermolenko, FBK Grant Thornton Partner, FBK Legal head of Corporate, made a report on “The guidelines for graduates and market expectations”.

According to the experts the higher school is now in the process of adjustment to the new conditions. The amount of teaching in accordance with the previously established University programs is reduced. And the two-stage training system for lawyers – four-years for bachelor’s degree and extra two years for master’s degree – make a significant influence on the level of training. And the market still expects some kind of “universal soldiers” – specialists with vast knowledge in all aspects of law and with a profound theoretical basis that allows mastering the specifics of any business operation. Such a mismatch of the objectives of employers and graduates provides hidden danger for the market of legal services.

“The reform of the higher school has been in progress for several years. Being a practicing lawyer and the head of corporate practice and at the same time the lecturer at the MSLA I can make an objective picture of that process. The employer is expecting graduates of the former “five-year” qualification but he gets a lawyer trained under the reduced four-year programs. So in the result, the expectations of both the employer and the graduate fail to meet,” said Alexander Ermolenko.

At the same time FBK Partner noted that notwithstanding the existing difficulties the higher legal education has the chance to adjust to the new environment provided that the higher schools pay more attention to the quality of their training programs focusing on the practical use of the students’ knowledge.

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