The article is devoted to the analysis of the current state of legal education reform in Ukraine, the peculiarities of the formation of professional competence of Master of Law in the countries of the European Union, Canada, and the United States.

The purpose of the article was to identify the peculiarities of training master’s degree holders in law in Ukraine, European Union countries, Great Britain, and the United States, and the possibility of borrowing practical experience in the formation of professional competence of future lawyers into domestic pedagogical practice.

Research results. A comparative analysis of educational programs in the European Union, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States was conducted, which revealed different models of master’s program organization: from academic specialization in Germany and France to practice-oriented and flexible programs in Great Britain and a clear distinction between academic and professional training in Canada and the United States. It was shown that foreign experience is characterized by a high level of integration of theory and practice, the use of innovative teaching methods, the development of mentoring institutions, and the creation of conditions for the continuous professional development of lawyers.

Conclusion. It is concluded that there is a need to adapt the best international practices to the domestic legal education system, in particular in the field of practice-oriented training and continuous professional development of lawyers.

Key words: higher education institution, innovative and interactive teaching methods, Master of Law, master’s program, professional competence, professional training, trends in legal education, transformation processes, legal education.

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