U.S. Legal Education in the 21st Century
How U.S. Law Schools are Adapting to
the Needs of the Legal Market
May 17, 2024 (Fri)
11 am – 12 pm
Academic Conference Room, 11/F, Cheng Yu Tung Tower, HKU
Professor Kerry Abrams
Dean of the Duke University School of Law and Distinguished Professor of Law
About the Speaker:
Professor Kerry Abrams is the Dean of the Duke University School of Law and Distinguished Professor of Law. Her research focuses on immigration law and family law, with special emphasis on how cultural family values influence immigration law outcomes and the legal history of family-based migration to the United States. She is a member of the American Law Institute and serves on the advisory council of the World Justice Project. Prior to her appointment as Dean of Duke Law School, Professor Abrams served on the faculty of the University of Virginia for thirteen years, where she held the Albert Clark Tate, Jr. Research Professorship at the Law School and served as the University’s Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. She clerked for the Honorable Stanford R. Duval, Jr. of the U.S District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana and practiced commercial litigation with Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, LLP in New York City for several years before entering academia. Professor Abrams is a graduate of Stanford Law School and Swarthmore College.
Abstract:
Over the last few years, legal education has reacted to significant changes in the world, such as the emergence of artificial intelligence and the move toward a hybrid workforce, that open up opportunities while also creating challenges. The globalization of the student body and the expansion of experiential learning and clinical education have continued to shape the landscape of American legal education, too. Dean Abrams will share her assessment of the challenges and opportunities facing legal education from her perspective leading a major U.S.-based law school.
Chair:
Professor Shahla Ali, Faculty of Law, HKU
Enquiries: Candy Ip at
