Nairobi: The Council of Legal Education (CLE) has handed over two draft regulations to the Attorney-General seeking to widen access to advocates’ professional training, strengthen quality assurance, and establish clearer pathways into the legal profession.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Legal Education (Advocates Training Programme) Regulations, 2026, and the Legal Education (Licensing and Quality Assurance) Regulations, 2026, were handed over to Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor at the Attorney-General’s Office in Nairobi. The proposed regulations aim to establish uniform standards for legal education providers, improve accreditation and licensing, and address longstanding challenges affecting students and institutions offering legal education.
CLE Chairperson, Prof. Collins Odote, stated that the reforms respond to gaps that have affected the legal education sector for years, particularly access to advocates’ training, examination processes, and regulation of legal education providers. He noted that the regulations had also been developed in response to a Court of Appeal decision directing the Council to open post-university advocates’ training to accredited public and private institutions.
The proposed framework provides for a two-year transition period for law graduates who have been unable to proceed to the Advocates Training Programme (ATP) due to existing legal requirements. Under the proposal, eligible graduates would be allowed to undertake a bridging examination before joining the professional training programme. The regulations further seek to recognize alternative pathways into the legal profession by considering relevant diploma and degree qualifications, subject to clear standards designed to safeguard the quality of legal education.
Prof. Odote emphasized that the reforms were partly aimed at restoring confidence in the Council’s processes following concerns raised over examinations, delays, and transparency. The draft regulations were developed through consultations with universities, legal education providers, professional bodies such as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), and members of the public.
Attorney-General Oduor mentioned that the reforms were also informed by concerns raised by young Kenyans during the Gen Z protests over access to legal education and professional training. She called for the regulatory reforms to be incorporated into a broader national legal education policy addressing lawyer training, quality assurance, access to professional education, and financial barriers facing students. She urged the Council of Legal Education, working with the Kenya Law Reform Commission and other stakeholders, to develop a broader policy framework for the sector.
The proposals received support from Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama, who mentioned that Kenya had significant room to increase the number of competent lawyers able to provide legal services. Kanjama noted that despite having about 27,000 advocates admitted to the legal profession, many Kenyans still face challenges accessing legal services. He stressed that legal education should not end with admission to the Bar, highlighting the need for advocates to continually update their skills through continuing professional development.
Kenya School of Law Acting CEO Isaac Kuloba welcomed the proposals, describing the draft reforms as significant milestones in efforts to streamline legal education and advocates’ professional training. The draft regulations will undergo further review before proceeding through the formal approval process. The reforms are expected to provide students and graduates with clearer and more predictable pathways into professional legal training while ensuring institutions offering legal education operate under consistent quality standards.
