Brief diagnosis of the academic offerings in professional legal training in Mexico

Author: Pedro Hernández Santiago
Abstract: In recent months, the training of lawyers in Mexico has become particularly relevant for various reasons: a) increasing evidence surrounding the weaknesses of the Mexican justice system; b) new constitutional reforms were enacted between 2008 and 2011 in the areas of criminal justice, public security and human rights; c) the country´s legislative branch has imposed new regulations on professions such as lawyers; and d) the federal government recently published the results of a diagnosis of the criminal justice system and presented proposals designed to strengthen its daily operations. In light of these reforms, some initiatives and projects have questioned the role of higher education institutions. However, there appears to be little systematic information regarding educational provision for the training of legal professionals. This paper aims to provide an analytic overview of the following issues: where legal professionals are studying; in which institutions and programs; and what, if any, quality assurance mechanisms are in place.