This literature review article aims to make a theoretical approximation of the state of the art for the study entitled «Analysis of the curricular foundation of law programs in Latin America». This, with the aim of identifying the philosophical tendencies that underlie the curricular studies of university academic programs and in thecontext of the curricular studies that are carried out in law programs. The methodology used in this research is developed through a qualitative approach that seeks to understand the reality expressed by human acts, through a hermeneutic method that seeks to understand said acts expressed as texts as an integrated whole. As a result, it was possible to show that curricular studies related to the philosophical foundation in curricular design are not common, since these studies focus mainly on the search for relevance and curricular coherence. Most studies of curricular design in legal pedagogy focus on training by competencies that respond to social, market and self-realization demands of individuals.