Scientific Journal of the National Academy of Internal Affairs

The article is devoted to specification of world modern social transformations occurring in all areas of social life. Legal education is not an exception as it shall meet high standards of modern social dynamics. The article examines trends in the legal system of national education – massification and commodification as a product and result of globalization. Globalization processes transform education into one of the most important elements of social infrastructure in developed countries. Socio-economic and technological transformations in the modern world impose tough tasks inevitably linked to the functioning of the institute of education, in particular higher school. Globalization and the formation of a knowledge society have led to a sharp transformation of the role of higher education in the socio-economic development, making them one of the most important elements of social infrastructure in developed countries. There is a globally growing importance of knowledge and not only material resources and assets. In this context the role of higher education institutions as major manufacturers and distributors of knowledge is significantly increasing. Nowadays a large-scale transformation of higher education in most countries is a kind of response to the new demands of social and economic development which developed the change from elite to mass education. Today domestic legal education is also massificated and commodified. The author argues that one of the consequences of commodification and massification of legal education in Ukraine is the decrease of average level of competence. Recently, the audience of students has changed. Nowadays paid enrollment often dominates over state budget students selected on a rigorous competitive basis. This is a new market segment with somewhat different interests, needs and motivations, almost every graduate is focused on entering the university, regardless of his abilities and knowledge. This problem invokes a mixed assessment in contemporary educational practice.