Wilber G. Katz

A Four-Year Program for Legal Education

T IS hazardous, as well as difficult, to attempt a brief statement of the objectives of the Law School reorganization which has been initiated at the University of Chicago., This is not an official statement. It is not to be expected-nor, indeed, is it to be desired-that members of the faculty should agree as to the significance of the changes being made. In presenting a personal interpretation I must use the familar disclaimer of the investment banker: under no circumstances is this statement to be construed as an offering; the offering is made only in our printed prospectus; no faculty member or other person is authorized to give any information or make any representations not contained in the prospectus. Nor can I present a complete picture. The attempt will be merely to outline three phases of the plan: the introduction of non-legal studies, the emphasis on questions as to what law is and the ends which it promotes, and the administrative and pedagogical changes aimed at more effective instruction. I Perhaps the most striking feature of our plan is in the incorporation of subjects such as economics, political theory, and psychology. These are combined with law courses into a four-year program to which students will be admitted after the completion of two years of general college work. The minimum period of study required for the law degree thus remains six yeaxrs. For students who enter with a bachelors degree and a creditable record, only three years in the Law School are required.3