PSYCHOLOGY IN LEGAL EDUCATION: MODERN CHALLENGES AND THE STATE OF PRACTICE

The article discusses the importance of psychology in the training of future specialists in the field of jurisprudence. The content of the discipline “Legal Psychology” is analyzed from the standpoint of theoretical and practical knowledge, the main approaches to the study of the problems of professional formation of personality, stated in the psychology of higher education, are considered. The article is devoted to an urgent topic – the role of psychology in the training of a future specialist in a transforming society. It is noted that the importance of studying the course “Legal Psychology” at universities is primarily due to the fact that psychological science makes a great contribution to solving the multi-profile tasks of strengthening the legal system and implementing the efforts of the state in the fight against offenses, crimes. As is known, the law enforcement activity of most legal professions takes place in the field of public relations and presupposes high emotional tension, self-organization and the development of skills in communication activities. The formation of psychological knowledge among lawyers is the most important task of training a specialist. Being a borderline science between psychology and jurisprudence, legal psychology is designed to provide a future specialist with an understanding of the psychological features of such a socio-cultural phenomenon as law, the socio-psychological essence of legal regulation, psychological features of human behavior in the field of relations regulated by law. It is noted that psychological knowledge will contribute to the development of psychological competence of students on issues most significant in their future professional activities. The author has made an attempt to investigate the mechanisms of organizing the training of students of law schools in psychology. Training is considered as a complex system that affects all key aspects of the educational process of the university. The objectives of the training are outlined, the methodological basis for planning and organizing psychological education of law students under the guidance of a teacher is presented. The principles of teaching in the context of the organization of the educational process are revealed, during the implementation of which the educational context of psychological disciplines is filled with practice-oriented professional content. This is achieved, according to the author of the article, by updating the content of psychological training of future specialists in the field of jurisprudence.