Legal education reformed but diligence demand, is unchanged: Story of 2 UGSoL students

By Tommy Emmanuel O’Dell & Wendy Akua Aboagyewaa Sasu

This week has been special for every Law Student and even for those who would dare to undertake the Law Journey; one that definitely enlightens the students to think deeply, be analytical and ever conscious of upholding justice, thanks to the fact that, the President, H.E John Dramani Mahama having signed the Legal Education Reform Bill (2025) into law. This new law opens the door for accredited universities to offer professional law programmes, as the existing system created unnecessary barriers to the legal profession.

Whereas many law students celebrate the seeming dismantling of a 66-year monopoly held by the Ghana School of Law over professional legal education in the country, what clearly lies beneath is the fact that, the same old Makola-demands for diligence, may well never change technically.

In fact, the words of President John Mahama, when signing the bill into law on Monday, was affirmative of this our assertion we make, as the President said the legislation was designed to do two things at once: maintain quality and expand access.

Per the structuring of the legal education in Ghana, there are two strands that feeds the law schools system in the country; the undergraduate route and the post-graduate route and from a cursory observation of statistics of the various Law Schools, the latter is the core source of recruiting law school students and the reason is because, it offers an added advantage of helping fund the law education provision.

Interestingly, per the experiences of these authors, whether it’s the transition from secondary education or for those with either a first degree or Maters degree, the journey into the study of law presents one of the complex shifts in academia and the demands of exceptional diligence remains the same, that aims at producing top notch quality lawyers.

At the University of Ghana School of Law, we are constantly made aware of the phrase “the law is a jealous mistress,” which is attributed to US Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story and it’s a constant reminder of the fact that, whatever we are involved in, once we have chosen the path of studying Law, our all is indeed, and it is no longer a luxury, we can afford, not to dedicate to the law journey.

Indeed, the “jealous mistress,” quote is deeply reflective of the demanding nature of the legal profession, as it suggests that the law requires constant dedication and devotion, akin to a relationship where one must give “lavish homage” to gain its favor and this metaphor, even still holds true, when one has being called to the Bar and practicing Law, as it serves as a reminder to consistently prioritize law studies and commitment to the law, as it is not easily won by mere favors.

In the preface to the best-selling book titled “Tomorrow’s Lawyers,” its author, Richard Susskind in October 2016, made the following epic remarks, “the legal world would change more in the next 20 years than it has in the past two centuries,” and it is plausible to assert that, the rigorous demands in raising the next generation of lawyers, may well, to help prepare them, to meet the increasing demands of the noble profession.

The mere fact that, fresh law students are thrown into unfamiliar learning environments, where there is a disconnect from their prior learning styles, coupled with the demands of legal education, indeed makes the law journey, one that demands the pursuit of the core ideals of diligence and continually appreciating the studies of law, such a daunting task, except that, it is not new and it is not stopping, with the passage of the new legal education reform, in other words, it’s a necessary evil, if the next generation of lawyers, will not be weak at the law.

In fact, I dare say that, all other law schools in the country, other law faculties attest of the fact that, especially at the University of Ghana School of Law, the students are strategically aware by way of weekly assignments, tutorial studies, interim assessments and end of semester and even participation in extra-curricular activities such as moot competitions that, so much is required of them and in our candid opinion, the intent is to forever prepare the law student, for the rigorous profession that lies ahead, even when eventually called as a Lawyer.

Therefore, the struggle of time management in the face of potentially overwhelming workload, whiles coping with emotional and psychological pressure, is immense and the availability of institutional support in mitigating these hurdles, is a necessity. I always recall how one day, a post graduate student came to class in tears, perhaps, pressure from work or life, may have come hitting that hard and she had to give in emotionally, but thanks to a member of faculty, she was able to wipe tears and probably to dream about the future at the law school again, as perhaps, this lecturer must have shared her own tough experiences, of somewhat a similar pressure that, law school comes with it, from her experience.

As a Law student, critical observation of analytical frameworks naturally require students to technically evaluate compelling arguments and this is accomplished traditionally by the adoption of the Area of law, Issue, Rule, Application and Conclusion (AIRAC) method, as students utilize this technical format to extract principles from specific facts and apply them to scenarios, coupled with a deep appreciation of what the law says.

This requires a transformative change from quantitative thinking, to qualitative analysis, where the logic of an argument is often more important than the final conclusion, hence the ability to identify a precise legal issue from a set of facts, state the applicable rule correctly, apply it to the facts with nuance, and provide a reasoned conclusion is a skill that requires time and practice and the earlier one appreciates this routine, the better his/her law journey becomes.

As part of the high demand for diligence from Law Students, the significant obstacle fresh Law students face is the sheer volume of reading required and it is a proven fact according to the Law School Survey of Student Engagement that, the average law students, spend substantial amounts of time in academic work compared to their peers in other disciplines, as Law students report spending an average of 25 to 30 hours per week on class preparation alone, a figure that outpaces their peers in other disciplines.

Even before semester one ends, a freshman/woman at the University of Ghana School of Law, reads as per introduction to the curriculum, hundreds of pages of notes and cases (that must be briefed) across subjects such as Criminal Law, Law of Contract, Ghana Legal System, Constitutional Law and Immovable Property Law, does paint a picture of the enormity of the work, the fresh law student goes through.

The challenge resides not only in the volume of the texts, but the density, as legal texts cannot be skimmed or scanned and also, by virtue of the fact that, reading legal texts entails close reading as overlooking a single word can alter the entire meaning of a principle or holding.

So whereas students are largely accustomed to shorter, structured textbooks chapters, the Law journey changes all that and rather presents to us, the sacred opportunity to transition to reading daunting legal documents. I recall my longest weekend ever, when Dr. Kennedy Ghartey, as led us to brief 17 cases and some of these cases had over 40 pages. I recall some of the students coming over to me, to speak to the lecturer as the Class President that, this was too much and he needed to reduce the reading list.

I could not follow up on this demand by a few section of the class because, he had given us such a perfect anecdote when he shared how during their time, he briefed even more cases and from our interaction with those ahead, they all seemed to have similar experience of diligence. So I must confess, I failed to brief it all, but the lessons from this exercise is forever stuck with me, that, Law School is indeed, a call to diligence and exceptional clarion call, to show up, when work of studying the Law comes up.

Hence, to be able to juggle through the exceptionally demanding law school journey, one’s ability to strategically grapple with how to effectively manage their time, may be the best winning factor, for those who excel in their studies and eventually law practice. In fact, whiles interviewing Her Ladyship, Justice Sedinam Kwadam, as part of the “Law and Leadership Colloquium 2026,” she reiterated that, her law school plan that made her an award winning student and now an excelling Judge at the High Court, has been time management skills that have been developed, to strategically position her, to be able to achieve all that.

The workload is indeed daunting, independent learning can sometimes not be enough and they need to compliment it with group studies, research on relevant topics, exam preparation, multiple deadlines to meet, can be overwhelming sometimes, raising the much talked about psychological and emotional toll, which some law students experience eventually.

There are several research and even anecdotal examples of people who have committed suicide, which therefore easily demonstrates that law students often experience heightened levels of anxiety, stress and depression, especially during their first year at the Law School.

In Ghana, where admission to accredited law programs is highly competitive, students often arrive with inflated expectations. For instance, out of the 1,700 individuals who were selected to come and write the UGSoL entrance exams, only just over 600 people were qualified afterwards to be selected for the in-person interviews, with just around 200 students eventually admitted in our batch last year.

Once admitted too, the pressure doesn’t end there, as first-year students frequently experience “imposter syndrome “, compounded by the fact that some of their peers “actually give off the impression of understanding it” and so when confronted with the harsh of the rigorous demands of legal education, many experience anxiety, depression and in some cases withdrawal.

For some students, the shift from being the “top -of-the- class” to being subjected to a mere participant is humbling and negatively impacts their mental health, as these feelings are exacerbated by structural factors including but not limited to the seemingly large class sizes, making many students are left feeling unsupported, highlighting the need for institutional interventions, something the University of Ghana School of Law, has shown exceptional commitment to, by providing mentorship and tutorial programs, representing another valuable form of institutional support, as this approach involves pairing first-year students with senior students and faculty members, thereby providing academic guidance, encouragement and practical advice.

In conclusion, the Law journey is one, where the students are faced with a myriad of challenges, ranging from difficulties in adapting to legal reasoning, understanding complex materials, managing heavy workloads and coping with its attendant psychological pressures, but a strategic reorientation aided by an effective institutional support system, plays a pivotal role in Law students, successfully navigating law education with ease, not only to survive the initial formative years of law school, but even more importantly, lay the foundation for a successful legal career.

Pastor Tommy is a UGSoL LLB Student, Ordained Pastor and Certified Counsellor. ([email protected])

Wendy is a  UGSoL LLB Student, an avid reader and a Fmr. Protocol Prefect, East Airport International School.

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