GORONTALO — Graduate students of the Master’s Program in English Language Education at Universitas Negeri Gorontalo (UNG) participated in a seminar entitled “The Role of Legal Education in Building a Dignified Legal Culture.” The activity provided an academic space for students to broaden their understanding of law, ethics, integrity, and their role in building a responsible society.

The seminar emphasized that legal education should not merely provide knowledge about laws and regulations. More importantly, it should foster awareness, ethical behavior, and the courage to uphold the law. The central message of the seminar was the progression from “knowing the law” to “being legally aware” and ultimately to “having the courage to uphold the law.”

Participants were encouraged to understand that higher education does not automatically guarantee integrity. Academic degrees may increase knowledge and intellectual capacity, but legal culture determines how that knowledge is applied. Morality, ethics, legal awareness, role models, and social control were highlighted as important elements in developing a dignified legal culture.

The seminar also introduced Lawrence M. Friedman’s concept of law as a system consisting of legal structure, legal substance, and legal culture. Legal culture encompasses people's attitudes, beliefs, values, and expectations toward the law. Therefore, having regulations alone is not sufficient without a culture that encourages people to respect and uphold them.

Another important discussion focused on four forms of legal culture that need to be challenged: permissiveness, transactional attitudes, feudalism, and apathy. Participants were encouraged to recognize how indifference toward violations can weaken social control and create opportunities for abuse of authority.The seminar further explored the concept of Indonesia as a state based on the rule of law, as stated in Article 1 Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. The discussion emphasized the importance of limiting power through law while maintaining justice, transparency, and the protection of human rights.

The participants were also introduced to the ideas of Hans Kelsen, Lon L. Fuller, H.L.A. Hart, and Al-Farabi. The seminar presented a synthesis between legal certainty and limitations on power, alongside ethics, wisdom, and the pursuit of citizens’ well-being, as foundations for building a dignified legal culture.

For the graduate students of the Master’s Program in English Language Education at UNG, the seminar offered a valuable academic perspective that can be applied both inside and outside the classroom. Legal awareness and integrity are relevant not only in society but also in academic life, including honesty in assignments, examinations, research, and organizational activities.

The seminar also encouraged young people to bring legal awareness from the classroom into real-life situations. In the digital environment, students were encouraged to verify information and avoid normalizing violations. In society, they were encouraged to have the courage to reject practices that undermine integrity.

Through their participation in this activity, the UNG graduate students are expected to strengthen not only their academic perspectives but also their commitment to integrity, legal awareness, and social responsibility.

Ultimately, the seminar conveyed a powerful message: building a legal culture begins with the present generation and starts from educational institutions.(RIL)