The Teaching of Bioethics in Law: A Pillar for the Comprehensive Education of Lawyers

Abstract

in the city of Cúcuta about the teaching of bioethics, identifying barriers, gaps, and opportunities for strengthening the ethical, reflective, and critical training of lawyers, integrating bioethical competencies that respond to the ethical and legal challenges of contemporary society, within the framework of the principles of the Social State of Law. The study is qualitative. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, eight with law students and eight with law professors in two universities of Norte de Santander in Cúcuta, Colombia. The qualitative analysis identifies emerging themes, common patterns, and divergences in students' and professors' perceptions of ethics and bioethics training in law programs. The results reveal a consensus on the insufficient presence of bioethics in law curricula, both from the perspective of students and professors; this can be seen in the statements shared by both teachers and students. On the other hand, both in the Public University and in the Private University to which the key participants in the interviews belonged, there is a practical disconnection between the theoretical-conceptual training and the real needs in relation to local problems and the global context. Therefore, it can be said that the ethical subjects developed in the programs do not sufficiently address contemporary dilemmas from a practical, reflective, analytical, and critical approach, leaving students with limited preparation to face ethical and legal problems that may be present in professional practice.