KUALA LUMPUR: Law students should be trained to act as “ethical filters” and that legal education should include the ability to make reliable and rigorous judgments, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“The lawyer in 2030 will therefore no longer be a search engine in a suit. Nor are they, because far more will be required,” said the Prime Minister at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) Conference 2026 at Universiti Malaya (UM) on Thursday (April 2).
He added that students need to be trained so that their skills are not easily replicated and can work alongside current and emerging AI capabilities.
“The law degree of the future must encompass the ability to make reliable and rigorous judgments in light of the voluminous data available,” said Anwar.
He also said they should possess empathy to understand the person behind legal disputes.
“This will allow lawyering to evolve into a more holistic dispute resolution mode, where forms of dispute resolution like mediation, negotiation and conciliation provide practical solutions, particularly in individual and private law disputes domestically,” he said.
He added that current law practitioners should also adapt to meet contemporary needs.
“It is necessary to comprehend the needs of the public, and not to gate-keep the law in a way that makes it inaccessible to ordinary people.
“Too often, it is those with the least resources who are deprived of meaningful recourse to the law,” he said.
This year, the CLEA Conference 2026, a gathering of legal professionals focused on the future of the profession, is taking place in Malaysia from April 2 to 3 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Themed “Lawyering 2030: Skills, Strategy & Legal Education for a Changing Commonwealth”, it brings together approximately 350 delegates from across the Commonwealth, including judges, legal practitioners, academics, policymakers and law students.
In his welcoming remarks, UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman said legal education continues to play an important role in Malaysia.
“We meet at a time when the global order is under strain, reshaping the foundations of law, sovereignty and justice.
“In such a world, the rule of law cannot be assumed. It must be reviewed, strengthened and renewed,” he said.
Also present at the opening ceremony were Chief Justice of Malaysia Datuk Seri Utama Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh; Law and Institutional Reform Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said; CLEA patron Tan Sri Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan; UM pro-chancellor and CLEA consultant Tan Sri Datuk Zainun Ali; CLEA president Prof Dr S Sivakumar; and Honourable Justice Prashant Kumar Misra, representing The Right Honourable Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India.
