Home
We Are Law School
News
Soledad Atienza Advocates Changing The Teaching Methodology In Lawyer Training

Soledad Atienza advocates changing the teaching methodology in lawyer training

2015/03/21

Professor Soledad Atienza, director of the Bachelor in Law at IE University, presented her book “Teaching law: Can we use the experience of the United States?” in the IE Law School – Aranzadi collection and within the Pérez-Llorca IE Chair. Several personalities attended the act, apart from the author, as IE President, Diego del Alcázar; lawyer José Pedro Pérez – Llorca, Founder and Partner of Pérez-Llorca; and James Moliterno, Professor of Law at Washington & Lee University.

Professor Atienza supports the idea that the European Space for Higher Education and the new ‘Ley de Acceso a la Abogacía’ in Spain favor a change in law teaching in this country. In this new legislation, the author proposes to open new methodologies to law teaching, following the experience in the United States. To reach this conclusion, IE University’s Bachelor of Law director, compares the methodologies used in both countries (Socratic methodology, conferences and clinical programs) and analyzes them within the frame of today’s law market, which is conditioned by different forms to access the practice.

“Introducing this new methodology, more proactive, to Law Schools so they can train lawyers in the Socratic methodology, will uplift the Spanish system; also, it would become a more participative learning that will be on line with what Plan Bolonia promotes” she claims.

In the book presentation, José Pedro Pérez-Llorca, one of the fathers of the current Spanish Constitution, outlined the importance of this work, and was sure that “Law’s life is a jungle in which it is the training what leads us”. Following this idea, he acknowledged the key role of University as a center for guidance and training of future lawyers. In that sense, Pérez-Llorca said that “to the student, we must give the compass and the sextant”.

Soledad Atienza

Soledad Atienza Becerril is PhD in Social Sciences by IE University. She has an Executive MBA from IE Business School and a Master’s Degree in European Law by the Europa Institut of Üniversität des Saarlandes, and she has a degree in Law by University CEU San Pablo. Her interest areas focus on methodologies of Law teaching, lawyer training and the ways to access the practice in different countries.

Currently, she teaches at IE Law School, where she is the director of the Bachelor of Laws. Also, she is co-president of the Academic Committee and co-president of Professional Development in the International Bar Association. Furthermore, she directs the Pérez Llorca / IE Chair for Commercial Law.