Freedom and self-government of legal education institutions is an integral part of civil society being now under development in the Ukrainian state. As of today, the current reform of legal higher education, scientific activities and the legal profession apparently does not build upon the extensive national experience of self-organization and self-government accumulated by educators and legal scholars over years 2000–2010. This results in certain drawbacks of conceptual planning and draft legislation from the perspective of legal (law) education and science in Ukraine. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate to the legal community the main aspects of the experience accumulated by the Council of Higher Legal Education Establishments and Scientific Institutions of Ukraine, and their interaction with the All-Ukrainian Congress of representatives of higher legal education establishments and scientific institutions and the executive and judicial authorities. The article also aims at justifying the benefits and expediency of the said Council’s experience if it is taken into account for ensuring the efficiency of the legal (law) education and science reform in Ukraine. The main results of the study are recommendations to be used in the course of the reform of legal higher education and scientific activities in Ukraine: for improvement of the draft law on the legal (law) education and public access to the legal profession, and the draft concept of improvement of legal (law) education for the purpose of training of legal professionals in compliance with the European standards of higher education and the legal profession. For the purpose of the reform it is recommended to take as the basis the draft Law No. 7147-1, with due regard for the draft law No. 7147 on ensuring, through the Standard of legal (law) education, of relevant general competences and establishing of a mandatory minimum according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System of educational degrees, and also the mandatory nature of courses of the legal clinic, the legal research laboratory and judicial process simulation, and the mechanism of initial and periodic assessment of legal schools etc. The future law and the governmental concept should stipulate that the Council should also include, as its members, the deans and rectors of law schools with the licensed capacity for training of bachelors of law and heads of legal academic institutions; and the Council should be appointed the permanent working body of the All-Ukrainian Congress; the principles of the Council’s operation should be outlined; territorial rotation of places for the Council’s meetings should be provided for; private law schools should be allowed to train lawyers; the Council should be granted the additional functions of exchanging and generalizing of experience, studying and popularizing the best practices, adapting international standards and documents, exploring and maintaining the legal heritage of Ukraine, facilitating the development of national scientific schools, approving the recommendations to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine with regard to the entire spectrum of legal education and science, and not just their funding, as well as other functions specified by the Congress; it should also be stipulated that the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine shall convene the All-Ukrainian Congress if the Council fails to do so according to law, and not the other way around.

List of legal documents 
 

Legislation 
1. Pro Vyshhu radu justyciji [On the High Council of Justice]: Zakon Ukrajiny [Law of Ukraine] vid 15 sichnis 1998 r. № 22/98-VR, Vidomosti Verkhovnoji Rady Ukrajiny, 1998, no. 25, Article 146 (in Ukrainian). 
2. Pro ghromadsjki objednannja [On the Non-Governmental Organizations]: Zakon Ukrajiny [Law of Ukraine] vid 22 bereznia 2012 r. № 2572, Vidomosti Verkhovnoji Rady Ukrajiny, 2012, no. 1, Article 1 (in Ukrainian). 
3. Pro osvitu [On Education]: Zakon Ukrajiny [Law of Ukraine] vid 5 veresnia 2017 r. № 2145-VIII, Vidomosti Verkhovnoji Rady Ukrajiny, 2017, no. 38–39, Article 380 (in Ukrainian). 
4. Proekt Koncepciji vdoskonalennja pravnychoji (jurydychnoji) osvity dlja fakhovoji pidghotovky pravnyka vidpovidno do jevropejsjkykh standartiv vyshhoji osvity ta pravnychoji profesiji [Draft Concept of Advancement of Legal Education for Professional Training of Law Practicioner in Accordance with European Standards on Higher Education and Legal Profession]. URL: https://mon.gov.ua/ua/osvita/vishaosvita/ koncepciya-vdoskonalennya-pravnichoyi-yuridichnoyi-osviti-dlya-fahovoyipidgotovki- pravnika (accessed: 05.01.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
5. Pro jurydychnu (pravnychu) osvitu i zaghaljnyj dostup do pravnychoji profesiji [On Legal Education and Public Access to Legal Profession]: proekt Zakonu Ukrajiny [Draft Law of Ukraine] vid 28 veresnia 2017 r. № 7147. URL: http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/ pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=62613 (accessed: 05.01.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
6. Pro jurydychnu osvitu ta jurydychnu (pravnychu) profesiju [On Legal Education and Legal Profession]: proekt Zakonu Ukrajiny [Draft Law of Ukraine] vid 17 zhovtnya 2017 r. 
№ 7147-1. URL: http://w1.c1.rada.gov.ua/pls/zweb2/webproc4_1?pf3511=62728 (accessed: 
05.01.2018) (in Ukrainian). 

Cases 
7. Rishennja Pechersjkogho rajonnogho sudu mista Kyjeva [Judgment by Pechersk District Court of the City of Kyiv] vid 3 lystopada 2006 r., sudova sprava № 2-А-622-1/06 (in Ukrainian). 
8. Ukhvala Apeljacijnogho sudu mista Kyjeva [Judgment by Court of Appeals of the City of Kyiv] vid 2 liutoho 2007 r., sudova sprava № 22-3798 а/06 (in Ukrainian). 
9. Ukhvala Vyshhogho administratyvnogho sudu Ukrajiny [Judgment by High Administrative Court of Ukraine] vid 23 zhovtnya 2008 r., sudova sprava № 3180511. URL: http://reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/3180511 (accessed: 05.01.2018) (in Ukrainian). 
 

Bibliography 
 

Edited books 
10. Rudych F, ‘Politychna systema ta instytuty ghromadjansjkogho suspiljstva v Ukrajini: teoretychnyj ta prykladnyj kontekst’ [‘Political System and Institutions of Civil Society in Ukraine: Theoretical and Applied Elements’] in Rudych F (ed), Ghromadjansjke suspiljstvo v suchasnij Ukrajini: specyfika stanovlennja, tendenciji rozvytku [Civil Society in Modern Ukraine: Specifics of Establishment, Trends in Development] (Parlamentsjke vydavnyctvo 2006) (in Ukrainian). 
11. Tarakhonych T, ‘Ponjattja, zmist i struktura ghromadjansjkogho suspiljstva’ [‘Concept, Essence and Structure of Civil Society’] in Zajchuk O, Onishhenko N (eds), Teorija derzhavy i prava: Akademichnyj kurs [Theory of State and Law: a Treatise] (Jurinkom Inter 2006) (in Ukrainian). 

Websites 
12. ‘Zvit shhodo proektu Zakonu pro vnesennja zmin do Zakonu Ukrajiny “Pro advokaturu ta advokatsjku dijaljnistj” ta inshykh povjazanykh zakonodavchykh aktiv Ukrajiny’ [‘Report on the Draft Law on Amendment of the Law of Ukraine “On the Bar and Practice of Law” and Other Relevant Legislative Acts of Ukraine’] vid 21 grudnia 2017 r. accessed 16 January 2018 (in Ukrainian). 

Personal communications 
13. Lyst Ministerstva justyciji Ukrajiny narodnomu deputatu Ukrainy Pylypenky V P z pryvodu sytuaciji, povjazanoji z pryznachennjam 30 travnja 2009 roku III Vseukrajinsjkym Zjizdom predstavnykiv jurydychnykh vyshhykh navchaljnykh zakladiv ta naukovykh ustanov chleniv Vyshhoji rady justyciji [Letter from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to Member of Parliament of Ukraine Volodymyr Pylypenko with Regard to the Situation with Convening III Pan-Ukrainian Assembly of Representatives of Law Schools and Legal Research Institutions on 30 May 2009] vid 25 chervnia 2009 r. № 412-0-2-09 (in Ukrainian).