Implementing a Value-Oriented Approach to Training Law Students

This paper explores the potential for implementing a value-oriented approach in legal education. The authors share their findings from a pedagogical study conducted at Sumy State University, which was designed to test a set of learning methodologies aimed at cultivating in law students a set of skills of critical, value-oriented thinking and legal reasoning, with a focus on the ability to weigh values and balance interests. In addition, there was an objective to assess the effect of these methodologies on the development of a set of personal value-based guideposts for students that are crucial to the successful effectuation of the actual mission of the legal profession. Among the most efficient methods for achieving the above objectives were case study analysis and business simulation games (mock legal debates), as well as value-based analysis of regulatory and administrative documents. The authors draw the conclusion that the use of a value-oriented approach in modeling particular legal cases can be effective for fostering a lawyer's ethical culture, help facilitate boosts in the significance of key values in legal practice, and help develop proper ethical mindsets, while also helping one acquire relevant knowledge, with a focus on cultivating appropriate professional competencies.