Why teach legal ethics on undergraduate law degrees?

There is a considerable debate as to whether legal ethics should be taught on undergraduate law degrees in the UK. This is a contribution to that debate which argues for such a development. It presents a series of arguments about the desirability of doing so, both from the perspective of preparing students for entry into the legal profession and from that of ensuring a critical, liberal education in law. It enters into the debate about what it is we might seek to achieve in ethics teaching. The article presents a variety of approaches to how students might learn legal ethics, drawn from a number of countries and giving references to publications which provide more detail and insight. It concludes with a link to a new international database and forum designed to assist colleagues in these developments