His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, highlighted that the ministry is working towards revamping legal programmes in the country’s universities, ensuring they meet the evolving demands of the job market. This is aimed at providing the new generations of lawyers and legal professionals with the knowledge, experience, critical and analytical thinking skills, and understanding of artificial intelligence needed to succeed in the ever-changing world around them.
This came during his participation in a high-level seminar on the future of legal education in the UAE organised by Al Tamimi & Company and its legal partners. This forum was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, as well as leading local and international law firms. The discussions were moderated by Essam Al Tamimi, Chairman of Al Tamimi & Company.
During his opening remarks, His Excellency Dr. Al Falasi highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with local and international law firms and legal consulting companies. This commitment aims to develop practical training programmes bridging the gap between theory and practice, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of new generations of lawyers and legal professionals. This initiative aims to elevate their social awareness, enabling them to make positive contributions across various sectors, while also equipping them with the skills and experiences necessary for easy integration into the job market after graduation.
He emphasised the importance of law for stability and success in life, serving as the cornerstone in regulating the relationship between institutions, individuals, and entities. Therefore, it is important to restructure the legal programmes in the country’s universities to be of higher quality, modernity, and innovation, aligning with governmental targets to make the legal system in the country transparent, efficient, fair and advanced.
Essam Al Tamimi said: “The meeting between law firms and the UAE Ministry of Education is of utmost importance and common interest as it concerns the future of legal education and the role, we, private sector law firms, can play in supporting it. I firmly believe that it is our duty to collaborate with the UAE government and our peers in order to ensure the best possible platform and experience for the next generation of lawyers. This includes providing training opportunities, offering guest lectures, and exposing young lawyers to the best practical experiences with a view to providing the best exposure and legal education.”
During the forum, the Ministry of Education’s team reviewed a project aimed at enhancing the quality of law programmes in the country’s universities. The project focuses on improving the curriculum to include international law, business law, and laws related to financial technology companies. It also aims to develop the capabilities of legal faculty members by providing them with practical experience and offering academic courses in law for graduates from scientific disciplines.
The forum’s participants discussed ways through which private sector law firms can contribute to this project in terms of training law students, contributing international legal expertise by lecturing at law schools and being members of university advisory councils. Discussions also highlighted the significance of experienced lawyers from private firms and legal companies sharing their insights with new law school graduates.
During the forum, it was agreed to form a joint committee that brings together the Ministry of Education’s team and representatives from leading local and international law firms. The joint committee aims to contribute to the advancement of the legal education system by identifying the necessary skills for law students in the job market. Additionally, it seeks to provide students enrolled in law programmes at local universities with practical training opportunities, recommend legal experts for teaching positions at these institutions, and introduce students to the latest developments in the legal field.
The forum’s participants emphasised the need to bridge the gaps in legal education in order to modernise it through practical and applied programmes tailored to various specialisations. These initiatives aim to equip students with relevant knowledge, acknowledging the extensive overlap between the legal sector, the workplace and daily life.