The Push for Practical Legal Skills Education in Qatar: Results from an Externship Program

Abstract

For decades, educators across the world have been advocating for educational reform that would increase the number of practical skills courses included in traditional legal education. In 2011, Qatar University College of Law established a practical skills class, the Externship Program, designed to teach students real life lawyering skills, encourage graduates to pursue legal careers, and overcome existing administrative, cultural, and social barriers while preserving Qatari identity and customs. This article will first briefly present some existing scholarship regarding the global push for practical skills legal education and then explain results achieved by Qatar University and make the argument that more practical skills education can and should be implemented in the MENA region.