The mission of Trinity Law school focuses on “forming virtuous attorneys in the Christian legal tradition for the common good and love of neighbor.” This mission means far more than simply producing technically competent lawyers. In fact, a dangerous trend exists in legal education — an emphasis on “practice ready” lawyers. Let’s consider this seemingly innocuous goal.

As law practice requires greater technical expertise, legal education often responds by seeking to produce “practice ready” “plug and play” fungible technicians. Everyone is happy. But should they be? What sort of advocates and counselors are truly needed for this technical and AI-boosted environment? Does practicing law consist simply of executing “means/end” “get-it-done” techniques? Can a good lawyer be satisfied by being competent yet soulless? Can such a lawyer adequately and fully represent his client as he ought?

If the answer is “no,” then what is missing so that legal education can be more than technical and transactional? Here’s a hint: At Trinity, we understand that we do not principally teach doctrinal subjects like contracts or torts, but rather, we primarily teach persons, human persons. This reality means understanding the nature of the human person, the impact of the fall upon the educational enterprise and the role of reason in pedagogy. In short, it means understanding what has been outlined in the following pages — a Christian view of education writ large.