Today’s global society – with its fast technological developments, unlimited choice, uncertainty and complexity – requires new knowledge, dispositions and abilities from academically educated legal professionals. This challenges academic legal education to reconsider its theoretical foundations, aims, curriculum and pedagogy. This research explores how educators in legal education can contribute to the academic development of law students in contemporary times. A reinterpretation of the 19th century educational ideal of Bildung – which entails critical thinking, creative thinking, ACT responsibility and play and playfulness – is proposed as central to legal education’s academic core. This book offers teachers, course and curriculum designers, and policy makers in academic legal education a theoretical foundation as a basis for their educational efforts. Furthermore, it proposes practical models and appropriate instructional interventions for the integration of critical thinking, creative thinking, ACT responsibility and play and playfulness in the everyday practice of legal education. Introduction – Into the Unknown; 1 Battle of the Tower. Safeguarding the Academic Core of Legal Education; 2 Something There. Exploring Bildung to Re-build Balance in Academic Legal Education; 3 The Bare Necessity. Infusing Critical Thinking into Academic Legal Education; 4 The Spark of Creation. Teaching Creative Thinking in Academic Legal Education; 5 History Has Its Eyes on You. Introducing ACT Responsibility in Academic Legal Education; 6 Anyone Can Whistle. Integrating Play and Playfulness into Academic Legal Education; Appendix to Chapter 6 – The Playful Approach to Academic Legal Education: 19 examples of instructional interventions; Concluding Remarks – Go the Distance; Visual of Teaching for Impact in Academic Legal Education