The Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) has announced that, starting in July 2025, it will launch a newly revised curriculum for the Professional Diploma in Legal Practice. This curriculum is designed for individuals seeking to enter the justice sector, including prosecutors, judges, and lawyers.

ILPD validated its Diploma in Legal Practice program on February 7, 2025, during a meeting that brought together its lecturers and other stakeholders from various judicial institutions.

According to the Higher Education Council (HEC), higher education institutions are required to review their programs at least every five years to align academic offerings with the demands of the job market.

Dr. Yves Sezirahiga, ILPD's Vice Rector in Charge of Academics and Research, stated that legal professionals were invited to provide recommendations and assess whether the curriculum remains up to date and adequately prepares students for the job market.

“We invited legal professionals to review our programs and provide us with recommendations on what should be changed or added. The students we train ultimately join the profession, so it is important to involve industry experts in shaping a curriculum that meets current demands,” he explained.

The Professional Diploma in Legal Practice is the primary qualification required for legal practitioners before entering the profession.

Dr. Sezirahiga noted that while the program already existed, it has been revised to ensure it aligns with modern needs. Previously, the program consisted of eight courses, but it has now been expanded to ten.

“This also means that the duration of the program will change, increasing from six months to ten months, excluding the internship period,” he added.

A unique feature of the revised program is that it will be taught in both English and French instead of English only.

Dr. Sezirahiga further mentioned that ILPD has completed the internal approval process for the program, and the remaining step is approval from HEC before its launch in July 2025.

Additionally, ILPD is exploring ways to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its teaching methods to enhance the quality of education.

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