Legal Education in Taiwan: Evolution and Innovation

Taiwanese legal education is undergoing transformation and diversification. While the traditional approach to legal education has produced legal professionals who have led civil rights movements and contributed to the democratization of Taiwan, it has failed to meet the challenges of today's world. Under globalization, Taiwanese industries and society now require lawyers capable of solving transnational legal disputes and legal issues regarding developments in technology and changes in society. However, these new challenges also provide law schools in Taiwan with an opportunity to apply experimental approaches, to innovate legal education. This essay describes the past and present state of legal education in Taiwan, especially its development since the government's failed attempt at reform. Furthermore, it introduces the successful example of National Chiao Tung University's Law School - a new law school that has developed a creative model of innovation hub and social enterprise that is transforming Taiwan's legal education.