The class of 2026 of the University of Ghana School of Law have completed their four-year Bachelor of Laws degree programme, as Ghana’s newly reformed legal education system introduces changes to the pathway from an LLB to professional legal practice.
The graduating students are preparing for their upcoming graduation scheduled to come off on Friday, July 24, 2026, after four years of academic work, examinations, moot court sessions and other aspects of legal training.
But for the class of graduating students, the completion of their LLB comes at a significant time for legal education in Ghana, following the passage of the Legal Education Reform Act, 2026, also known as Act 1170.
The new law ends the long-standing monopoly of the Ghana School of Law and allows accredited universities to offer professional legal training through a one-year Bar Practice Programme.
The reform is expected to change how LLB graduates progress into professional legal education and ultimately qualify to practise law in Ghana.
Speaking to Univers News, some graduating students described their four-year journey as challenging but fulfilling.
“It’s been a long journey filled with stress, reading, and sleepless nights. But seeing the end makes it worth it,” one student said.
Another student said completing the LLB is only the beginning of the journey towards becoming a lawyer.
“Right now, we are just waiting for graduation and our certificates. After that, it’s straight into the professional law course,” the student said.
The University of Ghana School of Law is among the accredited university law faculties that could potentially play a greater role in professional legal training under the new framework.
The reforms are therefore expected to have implications for graduating LLB students, particularly in terms of where and how they pursue their professional training.
However, details on how the new system will be implemented at the University of Ghana and how it will affect the current graduating class will be key as students prepare for the next stage of their legal education.
Management of the School of Law is expected to provide further information on the arrangements for the graduating class and their progression under the new legal education framework.
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Story by Angela Osei Agyeman | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
