| 1. Title | Concept of development of legal education in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2025-2030
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| 2. Reason for development | Laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan On Education, On Science and On Advocacy and Legal Assistance;
The message of the Head of State to the people of Kazakhstan dated September 1, 2020: “Kazakhstan in a new reality: time for action”;
The message of the Head of State to the people of Kazakhstan dated September 1, 2021: “Unity of the people and systemic reforms are a solid basis for the prosperity of the country”;
The message of the Head of State to the people of Kazakhstan dated September 1, 2022 “A fair state. United nation. A prosperous society”;
The message of the Head of State to the people of Kazakhstan dated September 1, 2023 “The Economic Course of Fair Kazakhstan”;
The message of the Head of State to the people of Kazakhstan dated September 2, 2024 “Fair Kazakhstan: Law and Order, Economic Growth, Public Optimism”;
Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 2 dated November 26, 2022 “On measures to implement the election program of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Fair Kazakhstan – for everyone. Now and Forever”;
Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 15, 2018 No. 636 “On approval of the National Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2025 and invalidation of some decrees of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan”; Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 29, 2017 No. 790 “On approval of the State Planning System in the Republic of Kazakhstan”;
Protocol instructions of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, paragraphs No. 45 (clause 1.2) dated December 14, 2022, No. 07-1213 dated January 9, 2023 (clause 2.1) and No. 07-1230 dated February 20, 2023 (clause 3.2).
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| 3. State bodies responsible for the development and implementation of the policy document | Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Ministry of Justice of The Republic of Kazakhstan;
Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Local Executive Bodies.
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| 4. Time frame | for 2025-2030 |
Legal education plays a key role in the formation of the rule of law and ensuring justice in society. In the context of globalization and the rapid development of technologies, Kazakhstan faces the need to modernize the legal education system to ensure high-quality training of highly qualified specialists who are able to effectively solve modern legal problems and meet international standards.
In his speech at the meeting of the National Research Council, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted that “around the world, artificial intelligence is increasingly replacing human labour, even in such complex areas as medical diagnostics and legal advice. We need the younger generation to be able to freely navigate all new digital technologies. To do this, it is necessary to revise the content of educational programs of secondary schools and universities with an emphasis on an in-depth study of the possibilities of artificial intelligence”.
The role of lawyers in the development, implementation, and monitoring of compliance with legislation aimed at achieving sustainable development goals is also quite high, especially in such areas as achieving social justice and economic stability. Lawyers are involved in the creation of legal mechanisms for the sustainable management of natural resources, including the development of normative legal acts regulating the use and protection of these resources.
Qualified legal personnel ensure the protection of human rights, including of those in socially vulnerable groups. That is why the legal assistance should not only be of high quality, but also accessible, which is the basis for sustainable development.
In the context of technological progress, it is important that lawyers are trained to create a legal basis for the safe application of new technologies, as well as successful legal support for such applications, including those involving proper legal protection and protection of intellectual property. This will contribute to the further development of Kazakhstan’s economy and innovation.
In recent decades, many countries have already implemented successful reforms in the field of legal education, aimed at improving the quality of training of lawyers, increasing the practical component of training and integrating international experience. Kazakhstan, striving to improve the quality of legal education, can use these examples as a guide for its own reforms.
The Concept for the Development of Legal Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2025-2030 is aimed at creating an education system that meets modern requirements and is able to provide training for qualified legal personnel with the necessary competencies to support the legal, economic and social development of the country, as well as ensure the protection of human rights and the rule of law.
The main directions of development of legal education in Kazakhstan, defined in this Concept, are designed to achieve this goal and include a number of measures aimed at transforming approaches to state regulation of legal education and expanding academic freedom; improving the content of educational programs; improving the quality of personnel and educational and methodological support for the process of training lawyers; strengthening integration of the academic environment with the professional community; development of an anti-corruption culture and academic integrity among future lawyers; internationalization of legal education; stimulation of science and continuity of scientific personnel.
Thus, the Concept for the Development of Legal Education in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2025-2030 establishes a program framework for ensuring the training of legal personnel of a new format, ready for effective and responsible service to society, active participation in the development of modern legal science and practice in Kazakhstan and abroad, capable of using modern information solutions to improve the quality of legal services and ready to participate in the implementation of legal reforms.
Since Kazakhstan gained independence, the profession of a lawyer has become fundamental for the formation and strengthening of the country’s legal system. In the first years of independence, the most important task was to create a solid legal framework that could ensure the stable development of the state. Today, in the period of “New Kazakhstan”, the role of lawyers is even more significant, since they are key figures in the process of strengthening the rule of law, respect for human rights and freedoms, as well as the implementation of international legal standards.
At the same time, the quality of legal education at the present stage is critically assessed by society. Employers and members of the professional legal community often note the low level of training of graduates, their lack of competencies necessary for the successful implementation of practical activities.
Another significant problem is the need for high-quality teaching staff in the regions, while most of the highly qualified specialists are concentrated in Astana and Almaty.
To date, 59 universities in Kazakhstan implement educational programs in the field of Law, including universities of agricultural, technical and pedagogical profile.
In general, the number of law faculties in Kazakhstan exceeds that in countries with comparable populations. For example, in Romania, with a population of about 20 million people, there are 66 universities, and less than 10 of them have law faculties. In the Netherlands, with a population of about 18 million people, there are 21 universities and only a few of them offer educational programs on law.
Presence of numerous universities that train lawyers in Kazakhstan, makes it difficult to monitor their compliance with the necessary standards of academic quality, and in the case of graduating insufficiently qualified specialists, it devalues the profession, forming an ever-increasing demand from society and the state for high-quality lawyers capable of providing an appropriate level of legal protection to the population.
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education, being aware of the existing problem, conducts systematic work on the timely identification and elimination of problems and assessment of risk criteria. Thus, since 2019, the number of universities that train lawyers has decreased from 71 to 59.
Another important state measure aimed at improving the quality of legal education was the increase in the minimum passing score of the Unified National Test (UNT) required for admission to legal specialities: if previously 50 points were enough, now the score has been raised to 75 points. This decision is aimed at attracting more prepared and motivated students, similar to the measures taken in relation to medical and pedagogical specialities.
Analysis of the current state of legal education in Kazakhstan includes consideration of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified as a result of the SWOT-analysis of legal education:
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| 1. State support for reforms
2. Integration with the international community 3. The desire of the professional community to participate in the process of training legal personnel 4. Interest in the development of law in the Kazakh language 5. Development of self-regulatory organizations of lawyers |
1. The gap between theory and practice
2. Problems of staffing 3. Insufficient understanding of the role of the legal profession, lack of a systematic approach 4. Excessive number of law faculties and poor quality of education 5. Problems of legal education in the state language 6. Lack of professional standard for Lawyers |
| Opportunities | Threats |
| 1. International cooperation
2. Training in new technologies 3. Expansion of the labour market 4. Stimulation of scientific activities 5. Development of Soft Skills, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral competencies 6. Creation of an independent rating of the group of educational programs in Law |
1. Economic factors and economic instability
2. Social and cultural factors 3. Replacing routine tasks with artificial intelligence 4. Over-reliance on Russian and post-Soviet legal doctrine 5. Problems of succession of scientific personnel |
Strengths
The state pays special attention to improving the quality of higher and postgraduate education. The concept of development of higher education and science in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2029 provides for further expansion of academic freedom of higher education, updating the content of educational programs and improving the University Graduate Model taking into account key competencies and new challenges of the labour market, increasing funding for science to 1% of GDP from all sources, etc.
In its turn, the relevant Ministry actively participates in promoting the reform of the academic sector, contributes to the development of inter-university communications within the country and the expansion of internationalization, stimulates the activities of educational and methodological councils and associations, providing them with comprehensive support designed to ensure the effective exchange of experience and the development of solutions based on best practices.
Legal education has a significant potential for international integration, both in terms of disciplines and programs of the international legal cycle, and from the standpoint of fundamental legal institutions, comparative studies, doctrinal interpenetration and implementation.
To date, many Kazakhstani universities implementing educational programs in the field of Law have already established strong partnerships with foreign universities, successfully implement joint and double-diploma educational programs, academic mobility programs, as well as other international academic projects.
Over the past decade, foreign and international academic organizations and programs (DAAD, Erasmus+, Fulbright, etc.) have been steadily represented in the educational market of Kazakhstan. The development of international academic exchanges is carried out with financial support from the state, as part of the allocation of additional funding to universities to attract foreign professors and organize academic mobility.
A number of educational programs in the field of Law have prestigious international accreditations and have been successfully integrated into the international educational space.
One of the key trends in the field of legal education in the last 5 years is the exponential increase in the quality of involvement of the professional community in the process of training legal personnel.
Today, the main subjects of the legal market are widely represented in the academic and methodological association in the direction of Law, where they have the opportunity to directly influence the quality of educational programs and academic and methodological support for the process of training lawyers for the New Kazakhstan.
The vast majority of training programs for lawyers participate in an independent rating of employers conducted by the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs at the request of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Professional communities are actively involved in the process of accreditation of existing educational programs, some of them (for example, the Chamber of Legal Consultants “Kazakhstan Bar Association”) perform it on an institutional basis.
Practice-oriented forms of learning are widely being introduced into the educational process, which allows students to acquire the practical skills and experience necessary for a successful career.
Over the past 3 years, there has been a steady trend of increasing demand for legal education in the state language.
In 2024, more than 70% of applicants chose the Kazakh language for passing the Unified National Test (UNT) for admission to universities.
The growing demand of the population for high-quality administration of justice and legal assistance in the state language dictates the need for comprehensive development of the Kazakh-language sector of legal education, including the development of the legal Kazakh language, the creation of high-quality content and academic and methodological support, as well as increasing the availability of legal education in the state language.
The creation and functioning of the chambers of legal consultants, the reformatting of the Republican Bar Association, contributed to the development of self-regulation and independence of the legal profession in Kazakhstan.
It also strengthened the competitive beginnings of the legal market, contributing to the formation of a sustainable demand for the quality of training of personnel with knowledge, skills, and competencies that meet the current needs of legal practice.
Weaknesses
To date, the awareness of the professional legal community of its role in the qualitative training of legal personnel has not been adequately reflected in the content of educational programs in the field of law.
For the most part, the involvement of practitioners in the educational process is fragmented (at the level of guest lectures, one-time field trips, etc.) without any systematization and a serious methodological basis. At the regional level, the involvement of representatives of the professional community is complicated due to the low attractiveness of academic activities.
The involvement of employers in the process of developing and improving educational programs has not yet been institutionalized: most law faculties and schools of law do not have permanent Business Councils or similar collegial bodies consisting of representatives of key employers for the educational programs being implemented and endowed with a clearly regulated role and authority in determining the design of the educational program, its structure, learning outcomes, graduate profile (model), etc.
Most academic disciplines are too theorized, with insufficient emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills, including the skill of law enforcement and rulemaking.
The rigid national orientation of most educational programs, as well as the low attractiveness of academic careers, which does not allow for the effective reproduction of academic legal personnel, have led to a significant shortage of highly qualified faculty in the field of law, especially with international experience.
Young faculty are characterized by low motivation to build an academic career or its complete absence. The most talented and ambitious prefer to build a career in large cities and the capital, which creates a catastrophic shortage of academic personnel in the regions, negatively affecting the quality of legal education.
Not all universities have a clear understanding of the role of the legal profession in modern conditions.
The expansion of academic freedom of universities, along with undoubtedly positive trends, led to the chaotic development of numerous highly specialized programs leading to the assignment of the universal qualification “Bachelor of Law”.
Not all HPEIs understand that narrow specialization and profiling at the undergraduate level contradict the universal nature of this qualification, limiting students in obtaining broad basic knowledge and competencies. This leads to a decrease in flexibility in building their career track and often necessitates further retraining, and also negatively affects the level of perception by employers who expect the “Bachelor of Law” to have basic universal competencies and assess their absence (due to narrow specialization) as insufficient quality of training.
In addition, the limited capabilities of the faculties, their insufficient material and technical support, especially in the regions, force universities to work “in the old way”, which hinders the development of educational programs.
Training of legal personnel in Kazakhstan is carried out by 59 universities, many of which are not specialized or humanitarian. With this approach, there are cases when all disciplines of the educational program are provided by the faculty of one department or department who do not have the necessary specialization in specific disciplines of the program.
For a country with a population of 20 million people, 59 law faculties is a rather impressive figure, complicating strategic management and the process of ensuring uniform quality standards in the legal education system. The lack of qualified professors concentrated in large cities exacerbates the problem.
The developed competitive model of regulation of legal education, as well as the growing awareness of the population about academic standards and advantages in the medium term are able to solve this problem when uncompetitive law schools will gradually, without unnecessary social tension be closed due to the lack of demand from applicants. However, not all universities pay due attention to ensuring the quality of education in the pursuit of the contingent, which leads to the graduation of insufficiently trained specialists.
The situation is complicated by the lack of a universal model of a graduate of a law bachelor’s degree, i.e. the minimum result expected by the market, which should be provided during the development of any educational program of a bachelor’s degree in law, without limiting the academic freedom of the university in choosing the means and ways to achieve this result.
To date, Kazakhstan has not formed a corpus of the legal Kazakh language, there is no unified legal terminology, there is a significant shortage of Kazakh-speaking specialists, as well as educational materials in the Kazakh language.
The consequence of all these factors is the low quality of legislation in the state language, which complicates not only direct law enforcement, but also the training of Kazakh-speaking lawyers.
The content of educational programs differs significantly in the context of individual HPEIs, in which mostly the unit of general education disciplines remains the same. This affects the learning outcomes that form the competencies of the graduate, and, as a result, makes it difficult for employers to predict the qualifications of personnel.
Opportunities
Expansion of partnerships with foreign universities and participation in international programs, as well as the involvement of foreign teachers and specialists, contributes to the exchange of experience, integration into the international educational space and the internationalization of educational programs.
Due to the change in the geopolitical situation, Kazakhstan is now of significant interest to foreign partners from both the West and the East, which opens up additional opportunities for expanding international cooperation, attracting foreign faculty and students.
The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology makes it possible to confidently predict changes in the structure of a lawyer’s professional activity and in the academic process. It is now important to effectively integrate it into legal training programs as a lawyer’s tool that optimizes the process of performing routine tasks, but is not able to completely replace a person.
Programs that include training in artificial intelligence can increase the competitiveness of graduates in the market, and the use of artificial intelligence will allow lawyers to focus on more complex and creative aspects of work.
At the same time, it is necessary to ensure compliance with the standards of academic integrity in the application of AI in the educational process.
The growing need for qualified lawyers in connection with the development of the economy and the legal system provides employment opportunities in international law firms and corporations, as well as in the judicial and law enforcement systems.
The lack of qualified personnel causes a consistently high demand for high-quality training of lawyers.
Direct funding of worthy professors and the introduction of an incentive system for young scientists can increase the attractiveness of academic and research careers.
Expansion of training in innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence and the development of interdisciplinary and linguistic competencies in the format of multilingualism (Kazakh, Russian, English) will increase the competitiveness of graduates in the labour market, provide them with access to the best world literature and research, and contribute to the formation of an independent and critical thinking among future lawyers.
Creation of an independent rating of educational programs by the professional legal community as the main consumer of the product of legal education contributes to fair and honest competition in the market of legal services and legal education,
Threats
Economic instability, which can reduce funding for educational institutions. The high cost of studying at quality universities may limit access to legal education for some students.
The popularization of technical education and IT specialities, the desire of young people to launch their own startups and entrepreneurship, although generally having a positive impact on the development of the economy, reduces interest in the legal profession. Increasingly, students of the new generation have insufficient motivation to continue their education and develop their careers in the legal field. The role of a catalyst in the development of this problem is played by social stereotypes that create a biased attitude towards the legal profession, as well as promote the myth of an overabundance of lawyers in the market and absence of demand for the profession.
With the popularization of non-formal education, the role of universities and the demand for higher education in general is decreasing.
Artificial intelligence is already successfully automating routine legal tasks, which can lead to a reduction in the number of jobs.
Reducing the demand for traditional legal services due to the automation of a number of processes using artificial intelligence requires a young lawyer to have a higher level of qualification already at the starting position.
Kazakhstan’s legal education, doctrine, law enforcement and lawmaking for a long time of their development depended on Russian and post-Soviet standards and practices, which limited the formation of an independent and innovative legal system of Kazakhstan.
The transition to the Bologna process allowed the academic legal community to take a broader look at modern legal doctrine and led to the updating of the design of educational programs taking into account the best international practice.
Insufficient attention to the education of new scientific personnel and the lack of consistency in the activities of scientific schools led to a serious shortage of quality faculty and researchers in the legal education system, which must be filled in the next decade in order to avoid more serious personnel problems in the future.
Legal education around the world has undergone significant changes as a result of various socio-economic, political and technological changes. The evolution of legal education in foreign countries took place taking into account global trends in the development of technologies, which became the basis for the use of unique approaches to solving a number of modern challenges and problems.
USA
The system of legal education in the United States of America (hereinafter referred to as the USA) is radically different. In the United States, legal education is not implemented at the bachelor’s level and begins with the degree of Juris Doctor (hereinafter referred to as J.D.) and applicants must first obtain a bachelor’s degree in another (related) speciality. At the same time, legal education can be provided only by schools of law, both public and private.
Another important factor when applying to law school is the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The LSAT exam is a standardized test that takes place four times a year and tests students’ analytical and logical reasoning skills.
The J.D. program itself includes three years of study for full-time students and four years for part-time students, after which you can begin legal practice if you successfully pass a single Bar Exam, which is conducted by agencies of individual states and territories. In most states, the exam lasts two days and consists of multiple choice questions, essay questions, and “performance tests” that simulate certain types of legal writing.
Despite the fact that the J.D. degree is identical to the master’s degree, the next step in the legal education system in the United States is the Master of Laws (hereinafter referred to as the LLM), lasting 1 year, which allows you to specialize in a specific field. And if the J.D. allows you to pass the bar exam and practice in the state, then the LLM master’s degree opens the way to career growth.
The third stage in the legal education system in the United States is the Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D) program. Programme duration: 3 years. Upon completion of the program, the graduate gets the opportunity to teach at law schools. Not all law schools implement such a program.
United Kingdom
The British legal education system is multi-stage and begins with basic education at the undergraduate level. At the same time, to continue their studies and in-depth professional training, candidates may have both a Bachelor of Laws (hereinafter referred to as LLB) and any other degree, but with the condition of passing a special one-year program aimed at awarding a Graduate Diploma in Law (hereinafter referred to as GDL), also known as Common Professional Examination (CPE). The bachelor’s program itself lasts 3 years.
At the level of professional training after the bachelor’s degree, students can choose a specialization – a solicitor or a barrister. For the first track, you must complete a one-year Legal Practice Course (hereinafter referred to as LPC) and a two-year internship in a law firm – Training Contract. After that, candidates take a special exam – Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), are registered with the relevant professional organization and then can practice as a solicitor, advise clients and prepare legal documents.
The second track allows you to engage in representation in courts, which requires a one-year Bar Professional Training Course (hereinafter referred to as BPTC) and a one-year internship divided into two six-month periods – Pupillage. During the first half of the internship, barristers observe the work of experienced colleagues, and in the second half they take part in trials independently. To obtain the right to practice as a barrister, you must pass a special exam – Bar Standards Board (BSB) and also register with a professional organization.
Master’s programs are available after the bachelor’s degree. The duration of training on them is 1 year and only after training on them, it is possible to continue training within the doctoral studies and obtain the degree of Juris Doctor. The doctoral program lasts for 3 years.
Canada
Canadian legal education has evolved under the influence of both the UK and the US. It usually includes a four-year bachelor’s degree followed by a three-year law degree. Admission to the profession requires practical training and passing a provincial licensing exam. Recently, Canadian law schools have increasingly recognized JD degrees and established joint programs with American law schools.
Australia
The Australian legal education system combines elements of both British and American models. Law degrees are often combined with other undergraduate degrees, requiring five years of study. Practical legal training is mandatory, and the Law Council of Australia is working to harmonise regulation across states to create a national market for legal services.
India
The legal education system in India has undergone significant reforms thanks to an organization such as the National Law School of India. Legal education in India is regulated by the Bar Council of India (BCI). To practice, you must pass the All India Bar Examination (AIBE), which is conducted by the Bar Council of India. The exam is aimed at testing the knowledge and skills necessary for legal practice.
Master’s (LLM) and doctoral (PhD) programs are available for those wishing to continue their studies and specialization in a certain area of law.
Lawyers in India are required to take regular refresher courses to maintain high standards of professional ethics and competence.
In general, it should be noted that at the present stage of development of legal education, interdisciplinary research is strengthening everywhere. Law now overlaps with various fields, such as technology, business, psychology, etc. Law schools include interdisciplinary courses, preparing students to solve complex problems.
Technology plays an important role in rethinking legal education. The digital age has changed legal practice, and law schools are integrating technology into their curricula. In addition, the traditional model of teaching is also undergoing changes. Active learning methodologies, such as case-based learning and simulation, are becoming popular. These methods allow students to put theoretical knowledge into practice, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
In addition, there is a growing recognition of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Law schools strive to create an inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of society. Diversity hiring initiatives, inclusive curricula, and training in cultural competencies contribute to a more equitable legal education system.
Traineeships, internships, and legal clinics are becoming integral components of legal education, providing students with hands-on experience. This helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Legal education is undergoing a profound transformation to meet the demands of the modern world.
By embracing interdisciplinary research, integrating technology, applying proactive teaching methods, prioritizing diversity and inclusion, and focusing on practical experience, law schools are redefining their approaches to training future lawyers. The evolution of legal education is aimed at providing graduates with such qualities as versatility and sustainability necessary for successful work in a complex and dynamic legal field.
The system of legal education is an integral part of the legal system of society. Stimulating its further development is a necessary condition for the approval of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a state governed by the rule of law, as well as increasing public confidence in state institutions.
The key element of stimulating universities to constantly improve the quality of education is the further development of a competitive model of regulation of legal education, through the introduction of additional mechanisms to stimulate fair competition.
One of these mechanisms will be the creation of an independent rating of educational programs in the field of law, the results of which will be taken into account during the personnel selection for the civil service, as well as in the distribution of the state order for the training of legal personnel. At the same time, the involvement of employers and society in conducting such a rating is critically important.
It is also necessary to continue the policy of expanding the academic freedom of universities, not only in the context of the academic process and the content of educational programs, but also in the implementation of organizational and administrative functions, including in terms of independent determination by state universities of the system of remuneration of academic personnel based on the principles of expediency and meritocracy.
Strengthening support from the state will contribute to improving the quality of legal education. To date, the training of lawyers has actually moved beyond the state order and financing, while the development of a market economy and private entrepreneurship provides a constant exponential increase in the need for high-quality legal personnel. This problem can be solved by increasing the volume of the state order and targeted funding for the training of legal personnel, with the simultaneous optimization of the system of distribution of the state order based on indicators of the quality of training in specific HPEIs.
An important element of the system of quality legal education is the constant interaction of universities, the development of self-regulation mechanisms and the exchange of experience. To solve this problem, the activities of the AMA in the field of Law will be optimized, the mandatory membership in which for all HPEIs implementing the group educational programs in Law, will be fixed as one of the conditions for registering such programs in the EHEA.
The content of educational programs differs significantly in the context of individual HPEIs, in which mostly the unit of general education disciplines remains the same. This is reflected in the results of training that form the competencies of the graduate, and at the level of perception of such graduates by employers.
There is a need to develop a unified model (profile) of a graduate of a law bachelor’s degree, reflecting the minimum standard market expectations from a person with the Bachelor of Law qualification.
An important stage on this path will be the development of the professional standard for Lawyers, which will make it possible to universalize the results of training in the educational programs of the legal bachelor’s degree, while preserving the competitive principles and academic freedom of universities in determining the content of educational programs and in choosing ways to achieve the expected result.
The content of educational programs should be focused on the in-depth development of competencies in the field of professional ethics of a lawyer, the development of interdisciplinary competencies, as well as linguistic and philosophical and ideological competencies based on a modern approach to teaching the theory of law, philosophy, and philosophy of law.
To this end, within the undergraduate educational programs in the field of Law, the content of the block of general educational disciplines should be revised, with the approval of separate Standard curricula, including an expanded module of philosophy and philosophy of law, as well as strengthening the block of theory of law and state with an emphasis on the comparative method of teaching in the context of various legal families. This allows students to form an unbiased perception of legal reality, open to understanding, analysis and possible implementation of the best world legal practice.
In addition, taking into account the urgent need in the country for legal personnel capable of carrying out professional activities and participating in the legislative process in the state language, it is necessary to focus on their quality training. Each graduate of undergraduate programs in the field of Law should speak the state language at a level that allows him to successfully practice in the Kazakh language after graduation, as well as participate in normative activities to ensure the transition to the preparation of draft normative legal acts in the state language.
At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the rapid development of integration processes that require a modern lawyer to also speak a foreign language. As such, English, the most common language of interethnic communication in the world, can provide students and graduates with the widest possible access to world legal literature and practice in training programs for lawyers, which guarantees the development of their independent and critical thinking, the ability to produce their own conclusions and judgments.
In this regard, the gradual development of educational trajectories of multilingualism is necessary to ensure the training of a lawyer who speaks Kazakh and English. To do this, it is also necessary to reformat the language component in the structure of the GED to a professionally-oriented one, having developed the corpus of the legal Kazakh language and the parallel development of the Kazakh-Russian corpus of the legal language.
From the standpoint of the development of practice-oriented competencies, legal clinics play an important role, which not only form professional skills in law enforcement and legal advice, but also foster a sense of social responsibility of a lawyer, which allows the younger generation to realize, from the student years, the importance of serving the society by providing affordable legal assistance. It is necessary to develop legal clinical education as part of educational programs for training lawyers, providing for the possibility of crediting the length of service in a legal clinic to the length of service in the profession.
The quality of educational programs is directly determined by the qualified faculty and the relevant academic and methodological support.
To date, there is a significant shortage of qualified academic personnel in the legal education system.
One of the key measures to stimulate their emergence will be the revision of the rules for awarding doctoral degrees in order to reduce the burden on doctoral students and introduce more flexible criteria for their admission to defence, as well as to ensure an equal approach to the award of doctoral degrees in all universities in the Republic of Kazakhstan. At the same time, the state order for the training of PhD doctors in the field of Law and the cost of the grant will be increased, approaches to the formation of dissertation councils and the body of scientific consultants will be optimized with the consolidation of alternative admission criteria for current scientists.
Another significant element in the development of personnel support for the process of training qualified lawyers is the systematic professional development of the faculty.
Currently, the lack of proper regulation of non-formal and certification education has led to an overabundance of offers in the market that do not meet the necessary quality standards and are not aimed at achieving specific results.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to create an institutional basis for systematic professional development of the faculty in the field of Law, for example, on the basis of the profile AMA.
In addition to the development of staffing, it is necessary to continue work on improving the methodology of teaching legal disciplines.
This part provides for a phased transition from a “law-centered” to a “doctrine-centered” model of teaching, with simultaneous strengthening of the practice-oriented component of the educational process.
From the standpoint of improving the quality of academic and methodological support, the focus will be on the development of relevant educational literature.
To date, the preparation of textbooks and academic and methodological literature in the country is carried out non-systematically and poorly in almost all legal disciplines. It is necessary to develop high-quality and relevant textbooks in all basic fundamental legal disciplines in the Kazakh and Russian languages simultaneously as soon as possible. To this end, universal recommendations on the structure and methodology of writing textbooks on the disciplines of the legal cycle corresponding to the best world practices will be prepared and approved at the level of the profile AMA.
At the same time, in order to stimulate authors’ groups, it will be possible to provide state funding for the preparation of textbooks, while simultaneously stimulating university libraries to increase the number of subscription databases.
The professional legal community is a key consumer of the end result of higher legal education and should be widely integrated into all academic processes.
To do this, it is necessary to strengthen and institutionalize the involvement of employers and their professional associations in the process of developing and improving educational programs, as well as directly in the process of training of legal personnel.
The development of educational programs should be based on the real needs of the market and the possibility of building a flexible career track by a graduate. Accreditation by the professional community serves as confirmation of the compliance of the educational program with the current request of employers. In turn, the compliance of the graduate’s skills and competencies with the expectations of most employers is achieved by refusing to profile educational programs at the undergraduate level and developing students’ specialization within the additional educational trajectories.
It is planned to achieve the involvement of employers in the process of developing educational programs by institutionalizing their involvement through the introduction of models of Business Councils at law faculties, which are composed and headed by employers. Such Business Councils will annually review educational programs in order to update them and ensure that they meet the needs of the market. An additional guarantee of the quality of educational programs will be the institution of their mandatory accreditation by professional legal communities.
In the context of the educational process, the participation of employers in the theoretical and practical training of students will be ensured through the development of dual education programs and the involvement of practitioners in teaching, as well as through the introduction of courses from employers into educational programs and the inclusion of their representatives in the final certification process, up to its full transfer to the professional community.
At the same time, strengthening integration with the professional community will require the creation of effective mechanisms to encourage them to participate in academic activities.
Legal training should be aimed at building graduates’ commitment to anti-corruption behaviour and compliance with academic integrity standards.
Universities should strive to increase students’ ethical awareness, develop future lawyers’ skills of professional behaviour and interaction.
Particular attention will be paid to the effective implementation of standards of academic ethics and academic integrity, ensuring intolerance in the learning process to any manifestations of dishonesty, deception, fraud, and corruption.
Quality training of lawyers requires an effective system of response to academic dishonesty at the university, ensuring the inevitability of punishment and adverse consequences for the offender. Membership in the League of Academic Integrity is encouraged, which should be taken into account when forming the HPEIs rating.
It is necessary to strengthen work on establishing business relations with foreign universities through programs for the exchange of students and faculty, as well as through the implementation of joint scientific research projects and double-diploma programs. The involvement of foreign professors in the field of law will serve as an impetus for domestic personnel to exchange knowledge, experience, and skills.
The introduction of multilingual education will not only increase the level of language proficiency, which is an important skill for lawyers, but will also facilitate interaction with international partners by creating strong global ties, and will increase the attractiveness of Kazakhstani educational programs for foreign applicants.
Adaptation of educational programs and the educational process to international standards of education quality will unify educational programs, which will enable the development of academic mobility programs. In addition, geographic expansion will reduce dependence on specific countries or regions.
Encouraging accreditation in world-class international accreditation agencies will accelerate the entry of national educational programs into the international academic market. Compliance with international standards will also make the educational process inclusive, providing the opportunity to receive quality higher education to various social groups, regardless of their race, economic status and other factors.
It is necessary to strengthen support for international research projects through priority funding of joint research with foreign universities and research centers.
Today, academic and research careers are not attractive for young lawyers, which contributes to the devaluation of the status of a scientist and leads to the stagnation of legal science.
It is necessary to resume scientific personnel through various mechanisms to stimulate scientists, including increasing the level of remuneration for their work, introducing a system of direct financing of science and scientific activities, mechanisms of social protection of the scientist, as well as creating a favourable climate for a transparent and understandable career track of academic personnel.
The continuity of scientific personnel should also be implemented by ensuring the connection of the professor with the students, the participation of students in the current projects of the scientific school and the subsequent building of the student’s scientific and academic career at the university.
To this end, Kazakhstani HPEIs need to make the transition to a single academic gradation with the definition of two tracks: teaching and scientific, as well as introduce a system for assessing the activities of scientific schools (professors at scientific schools) through personal KPIs that provide for the training of new scientific personnel.
Expanding opportunities for young scientists should be the basis of state policy in the field of science and innovation. To date, the lack of domestic citation databases, the limited list of journals recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Education and Science (hereinafter referred to as CQAES) for the publication of the main results of scientific activity, the lack of Kazakhstan legal journals in the Scopus and Thomson Reuters citation databases significantly reduce the opportunities for young scientists to overcome barriers to access to the defence of dissertations for a doctoral degree and the development of a research career track. In this regard, it is necessary to create a domestic citation database, expand the list of journals recommended by CQAES, as well as promote domestic journals in international citation databases.
1. A developed competitive model of regulation of legal education, based on an effective system of state support for the training of legal personnel.
2. Unified minimum standard requirements for learning outcomes and competencies of graduates of educational programs in the field of law.
3. Compliance of educational programs in the direction of Law with the current needs of the market and the state.
4. Special standard curricula of the cycle of general educational disciplines for educational programs in the direction of Law.
5. Development of academic and methodological support of educational programs in the direction of Law.
6. Increase in the number of academic mobility programs and double-diploma legal training programs with foreign universities.
7. Implementation of a system of direct financing of scientific activities and the National Citation Index.
8. Promotion of principles and standards of academic integrity in legal education.
9. Development of legal clinical education.
THE INDICATORS
1. Increase in the number of places for training legal personnel within the state order:
– for bachelor’s degree programs – to 50 grants annually;
– for the programs of scientific and pedagogical master’s degree – to 50 grants annually;
– for PhD programs – to 10 grants annually.
2. Increase in the cost of the state educational grant for the training of bachelors, masters, and doctors of PhD in the field of law to the average value of the cost of training in educational programs in the direction of Law, occupying the leading position in the rating of educational programs of the NCE Atameken.
3. 100% membership of all universities implementing the training of legal personnel in the academic and methodological association in the field of Law.
4. Development and approval of the professional standard for Lawyers.
5. Development and approval of a graduate model for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in law.
6. Phased introduction of graduation and entrance requirements for the level of proficiency in the state and English languages.
7. 100% accreditation of educational programs in the direction of Law by the professional legal community.
8. Institutionalization of the involvement of employers in the development and implementation of educational programs in the field of Law through the creation of Business Councils at all law faculties
9. 100% provision of fundamental legal disciplines with relevant textbooks in the state and Russian languages.
10. Increase in the number of international students (participants of outgoing and incoming mobility programs, foreign students, students of double-diploma programs with foreign universities, etc.) to 5% of the total number of students in the field of Law.
11. Establishment of a Commission for the selection and evaluation of the effectiveness of candidates for direct funding of scientific activities.
12. Implementation of the National Citation Index.
13. Functioning legal clinics in all HPEIs implementing group of educational programs in Law.
Visually-Impaired Version 
