There are approximately 90 universities offering Bachelor of Law programs, some of which have hastily opened the major.

According to Associate Professor Bui Anh Thuy, there are currently about 90 universities offering Bachelor of Law programs, but it must be frankly acknowledged that some universities have hastily opened these programs, lacking practical experience and having insufficient faculty, leading to a decline in training quality.

Law Training Hundred Flowers Bloom

The seminar "Current Law Training in Vietnam" held on the morning of December 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, organized by Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper, pointed out the weaknesses and challenges of this industry.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper, said that international integration has caused the demand for high-quality legal human resources to increase sharply, while the training program is still slow to innovate, lacks harmony between theory and practice and does not ensure adequate quality.

Associate Professor Bui Anh Thuy, Head of the Faculty of Law at Van Lang University and a member of the Executive Board of the Network of Law Training Institutions in Vietnam, said that before 2020, there were more than 40 higher education institutions nationwide that enrolled and trained students in law from the bachelor's level, with some institutions also offering master's and doctoral programs.

To date, this number has increased to about 90 establishments. There are currently 4 universities named “Law School” including: Hanoi Law University ( Ministry of Justice ), Law University – Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Law University – Hue University and Ho Chi Minh City Law University (Ministry of Education and Training).

Furthermore, many public and private universities with long-established law faculties implement multi-level admissions, providing human resources for the labor market. Numerous institutions, whether specializing in law or multi-disciplinary, have built a strong reputation and brand, attracting students; their training programs are accredited and meet practical requirements. The employment rate for law graduates and master's degree holders within six months to a year of graduation is quite high, with stable incomes. This is a positive sign reflecting the efforts of training institutions and students in response to the increasingly demanding requirements of the labor market.

"However, it must be frankly acknowledged that not all law training institutions have achieved such results. There are still schools that hastily open new programs, lack practical experience, have a small teaching staff, inadequate facilities, and rudimentary learning assessment processes. This negatively impacts the quality of training, creating mixed reactions and disappointment in society, even among officials, civil servants, leaders, and managers of the state apparatus," Mr. Thuy said.

Associate Professor Bui Anh Thuy, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Van Lang University, is also a member of the Executive Board of the Network of Law Training Institutions in Vietnam.

According to Associate Professor Bui Anh Thuy, Vietnam has a population of more than 104 million, nearly 60 million of whom are of working age, but the proportion of adults with university degrees is still among the lowest in the region. This shows that higher education must make greater efforts to improve quality and expand learning opportunities.

In the legal sector, despite the large number of training schools, the demand for legal human resources is still very large and has not been met. He emphasized that the demand for legal human resources is still very large, spreading from the judicial system to businesses and the public sector.

5 problems facing legal education

According to Mr. Thuy, improving the quality of law training is an inevitable trend and schools fully support this policy. However, quality cannot be improved by just one administrative order, but must be based on many fundamental factors.

Associate Professor Bui Anh Thuy pointed out five major problems in legal education: the curriculum is heavily theoretical; output standards lack practical relevance; the teaching staff lacks professional experience; integrity risks from digital technology ; and limited foreign language skills hinder graduates' integration into the workforce. Furthermore, the gap between training and employment needs remains significant.

Mr. Thuy believes that law training institutions need to strengthen their infrastructure and technology and build a modern learning environment. Along with that, the teaching staff must be developed to be highly qualified and have extensive practical experience in the field of justice and law, helping students not only master knowledge but also acquire professional skills and experience.

He also emphasized that training programs must be regularly updated to keep pace with the rapid changes in society, the integration process, and the new demands of the economy. Investment in learning materials, libraries, legal practice centers, legal clubs, and simulation rooms is necessary to support learners in accessing practical applications.

According to him, currently all schools have built input and output standards, although at different levels, they all aim to meet common quality standards.

Mr. Tran Cao Thanh, Secretary of the Executive Board of the Network of Law Training Institutions in Vietnam.

Mr. Tran Cao Thanh, Secretary of the Executive Board of the Network of Law Training Institutions in Vietnam, proposed eight key solutions to improve the quality of legal training. Among them, he emphasized reviewing the implementation of standards for opening new programs and standards for faculty, ensuring that lecturers listed as instructors directly teach. The training management model needs to be reformed to meet the needs of the labor market; the teaching staff must be standardized, increasing the proportion of PhDs in relevant fields and attracting experts from the judicial system and businesses.

He also suggested promoting scientific research, international publications, and establishing a fund to support legal research; standardizing and unifying the curriculum and supplementing core legal professional skills. Legal facilities and learning materials need to be upgraded, from electronic libraries to practice rooms. In addition, quality assurance and accreditation must be tightened, a professional IQA system must be operated, and quality data must be made public. Finally, legal training needs to be more closely linked to practice through expanded internships, court simulations, and the development of internationally standardized legal clinics.

Lawyer Le Quang Y, Deputy Head of the Dong Nai Province Bar Association, also commented that law training in Vietnam has potential but has not kept up with the pace of change in laws and professional requirements.

He proposed shifting to competency-based training; strengthening case studies, precedents, and simulations; expanding the number of instructors from practical experience such as lawyers, judges, and prosecutors; involving the Bar Association in designing learning outcomes and evaluating internships; and adding modules on integration, arbitration, legal English, and legal technology.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/khoang-90-truong-dao-tao-cu-nhan-luat-co-truong-mo-nganh-voi-vang-2471074.html