During the past several months, I was assisted by two volunteer law students attending Dhaka University, on my research on the labour conditions in the garment industry in Bangladesh.

As I approached the end of my field research, the students realised the enormous educational value field research provided them and could provide other law students.

We wanted to share our reflections so as to encourage law schools to evaluate their curriculum to provide legal experiences outside of the classroom with the supervision of a lawyer or law faculty.

Undoubtedly, in any field of advanced study, academic discourse plays a significant role.  Law is an intellectually intensive and enriching field requiring voluminous and precise reading, sharp analysis, and strong writing.

Additionally, in the field of law, which touches on human behavior and society, it is important to step outside the classroom for one’s legal education.  Law requires mastery of communication with the public.

You may be the smartest person in class, but without practical knowledge of communication, you cannot apply your knowledge outside the classroom. The chemistry between practical as well as theoretical education gives students an accurate understanding of the practice of law.

From the student’s perspective, research typically involves collecting information from reference books, articles, and the internet and analysing laws.

However, an important part of the research is to conduct field interviews and to interact with people who may eventually become one’s clients. In my case, students had to conduct interviews with garment workers as well as other stakeholders, which included garment owners.

They had to learn to shift their interaction based on the person being interviewed, and build trust and a rapport so that they could obtain the necessary information.

But, do law schools in Bangladesh teach students how they can communicate using simple words and a welcoming tone or show empathy to the vulnerable groups so that they would want to share their legal problems?  How should male lawyers interact with a predominantly female workforce addressing sensitive topics or vice versa?

Generally, an interviewer has a prescribed questionnaire, but a formalistic and strict set of questions creates a problem for those who have never before been interviewed.  It is important to conduct the interview more in the style of a conversation while ensuring that all the essential information is obtained; this is often difficult to balance.  It requires skills, practice, and training.

Students shared with me one example.  During an interview session of a group of garment workers, students had a set of questions in hand and were in a hurry to finish the interview.  They told the interviewees to respond quickly.  The interviewees became scared because they were rushing them for answers.

On my advice, the students slowed down the questions, explained each point, and the workers then responded positively.  Drafting questions and devising questionnaires does not assure that you will create a comfortable, safe environment for the interviewees.  This is a valuable example to demonstrate how applying skills is very important.

In addition, while interviewing, one needs to understand the body language of the interviewees.  In one case, students found that the workers were feeling uneasy in answering some questions.  Students shifted their tone and approach, and the workers’ demeanors changed. It is important to know how to deal with different sections of people.

In working with law student volunteers, and interacting with law students, I observed that students lack opportunities to gain practical skills that are essential to the practice of law.  They graduate without much of an idea as to how to be a lawyer.

In part, this is because my students explain that the legal curriculum in Bangladesh is mostly theory and focused on book knowledge. Students also state that faculty often does not spend time to explain the actual practice of law.

Of course, students need to obtain mastery of the laws, but to apply their knowledge, the legal curriculum should be based on hands-on experience.

Law Clinics should be installed at every law school where students can work on short-term field research or client-related projects. Externships can be created under the supervision of faculty where students work with non-profits that can often benefit from law student volunteers.

Non Government Organizations can work with law school students to create Know Your Legal Rights programs where students can begin to lean how to communicate complicated legal information to a wide population.

Incorporating even a small practical component can bring a positive shift to their education and to the legal profession in that it will connect law students early on to their professional obligation to serve society.  While I have benefitted from their assistance, I did not realise how much they appreciated the availability to experience law outside of the classroom.