Harmonising professional legal education and training within the East African community: an examination of the laws at the Kenya school of law and Uganda law development center.

The partner states within the East African Community have different curricula and legal requirements for the training of lawyers to qualify them to practise as advocates within their respective countries. This study proceeded with the assumption that disparities in curricula and laws governing professional legal education and training within the partner states undermine and delay compliance with their obligations under the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community, 1999 of harmonising their systems of legal education and training and promoting free movement of law graduates and legal services. The study was conducted in Kenya and Uganda through field, library and online research with the objective of analysing the effect of similarities and differences in the laws governing professional legal education and training. The study reveals that the similarities promote the realization of the spirit of harmonising professional legal education and training within the region whereas the differences create barriers which discourage the free movement of law graduates and legal services within the East African Community. The study concludes that harmonisation of professional legal education and training within the region is desirable for building a stronger regional union. It then makes recommendations for the realization of such harmonisation including curricular reforms, standardization of practical training, stakeholder partnerships, equal treatment of law graduates and establishment of a central body to offer competence examinations.