Since the implementation of the 2007 Act calling for reform in legal education, law schools in Korea became graduate schools (similar to the US system) and require a bachelor's degree, a satisfactory undergraduate grade point average, foreign language proficiency, and a satisfactory score on the Legal Education Eligibility Test (LEET) to be considered for admission (the LEET is modelled after Law School Admission Test (LSAT) in the US).
Under the present judiciary exam (as of 2008), the number of new lawyers admitted each year was limited to 1,000.
However, as a result of a bill passed in July 2007, the education system for legal studies will soon undergo significant changes.
In February 2008, the Education Ministry released a final selection of 25 universities approved for the new graduate-level law schools (15 in the Seoul metropolitan area and 10 in the provinces).
Under the new system, those who have bachelor's degrees can apply for law schools which have three-year programs and the graduates can then take the bar exam; those who achieve a certain score (or above) will be licensed.
In addition, based on an October 2007 revised plan submitted by Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, the law school admission is limited to 2,000 candidates.
Handong Global University offers a three-year postgraduate degree that parallels an A.B.A.-style J.D.