AALS President Danielle Conway recently gave remarks at an international conference hosted by the Association of Korean Law Schools (AKLS) and others in Seoul Korea. The remarks focused on the future of legal education, bar exam licensing, and the rule of law.

When we look at the rule of law through the lens of legal education, we must realize that our work is never finished. Within the legal profession, we constantly witness the tension between justice and injustice, fairness and unfairness, inclusion, and exclusion.

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I argue today that a strong rule of law only has genuine meaning when those who are most vulnerable in society can see themselves within that rule of law. They must have access to justice, and they must be active participants in the exercise of governance. If our legal education systems and our licensing mechanisms do not reflect this ethos of inclusion, then we are not building a rule of law; we are simply managing a rigid “system of laws” that protects the status quo.

This brings us directly to the core dilemma of today’s symposium: the bar exam and the institutional restrictions imposed on its candidates.

You can read Dean Conway’s complete remarks on AALS Lens. James Greif, President’s Message – Shared Responsibility for the Future of Legal Education, AALS Lens, July 14, 2026.