Renowned legal educator and former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, has issued a strong call for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s legal education structure, describing it as outdated, fragmented, and a colonial relic.
Ansa-Asare warned that the current system risks producing law graduates who are “book-smart but courtroom-illiterate” unless urgent and comprehensive reforms are implemented.
Speaking on a sister station, Joy News on Monday, June 2, he argued that the proposed Legal Education Bill fails to address the full spectrum of legal training needed to prepare competent legal practitioners.
Mr. Ansa-Asare criticized Ghana’s dual-route model—comprising a three-year academic law degree followed by professional training at the Ghana School of Law—as inadequate for the demands of modern legal practice.
Drawing comparisons with integrated systems like the U.S. JD program, he highlighted the absence of practical skills training such as negotiation, drafting, and advocacy within Ghana’s academic law curriculum.
He pointed out that many young lawyers struggle in court due to this disconnect, with some unable to perform basic courtroom procedures upon graduation.
Calling for a holistic review of the system, Ansa-Asare emphasized the need to bridge the gap between academic theory and professional application.
“We’re training lawyers in silos,” he said, stressing that unless the government and legal stakeholders confront the flaws at every stage of legal training—academic, professional, and practical—the country risks undermining the future of legal practice.
