“Digital” Competencies of Lawyers: Concept, Practice, Problems of Formation

Abstract

The paper attempts to comprehend the competencies of lawyers for the digital economy. The concepts of competencies, their various understandings and interpretations are given. The authors express their reasoned opinion about the significant advantages of the competency-based approach to education over the traditional one. The authors conclude that, among other things based on the results of the original sociological study, the competency-based approach is an objective trend in modern education, mainly supported by students, business and academic community. A review of the main approaches to the classification of competencies is carried out. The results of the authors’ questionnaire are given, indicating poor awareness among undergraduate and graduate students regarding the basic competencies of lawyers for the digital economy, as well as the sources of their regulation. The factors that impede the formation of these competencies among students are identified. The characteristic of the basic provisions of the educational standards of undergraduate and graduate studies is given, containing requirements for the formation of competencies of lawyers in the digital economy. The authors give suggestions on the modernization of these standards, taking into account the need for lawyers to create “digital” competencies. The role of educational literature in the process of their formation and assessment of development is shown.