The Calling of Law: The Pivotal Role of Vocational Legal Education (Emerging Legal Education) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1138247804 ISBN 13: 9781138247802

Publisher: Routledge, 2016

Synopsis

As one of the ’learned’ professions requiring advanced learning and high principles, law enjoys a special standing in society. In return for its status and rank, the legal profession is expected to exhibit the highest levels of honesty, trust and morality, the very values which underpin the legal system itself. This, in turn, entrusts to legal education a particular problem of addressing, not only the substantive elements of the body of law, but a means through which the characteristics of the ’calling’ of law are imparted and instilled. At a time when the very essence of the legal profession is under threat, this book calls for a realignment of the legal curriculum and pedagogies so as to emphasise the development of culture over industry; character over eloquence; and calling over skill. Chapters are grouped around the core content and key themes of Curiosity, Calling, Character and Conscientiousness, Contract, and Culture. The volume includes contributions from leading experts, drawn internationally and from other professional disciplines in order to present alternative approaches aimed at tackling common issues, providing insight, and provoking debate.

About this title

Review:

'At a time of great change within the legal profession and legal education this book provides a valuable resource for all those who wish to navigate those changes. The multidisciplinary and international approach provides a broad spectrum of material to draw upon. I recommend its use to help inform the design of courses.' David Amos, City University London, UK 'By seeking to reinvigorate the notion of law as a calling, this thought-provoking collection of essays, authored by an international group of experts in legal and medical education, takes seriously the complexities of embedding ethics and professionalism in the law curriculum, and offers some important examples of transformative interventions using live clinic, simulation and technology-enhanced learning. Above all, however, it serves as a timely reminder that "vocational" legal education is more than just a discrete phase of "training": it demands a larger commitment by educators to developing a state of mind and set of value commitments in students throughout the educational process.' Julian Webb, University of Warwick, UK 'All the chapters are well put together and persuasive and each provides a comprehensive bibliography at the end... the book is a thought-provoking collection of essays and one which I would recommend to anyone with an interest in legal education, the legal professions and the future of legal services.' The Law Teacher

About the Author:

Fiona Westwood qualified as a solicitor in 1976 and practised for more than 20 years as a commercial lawyer. Since 2000, she has been involved in post-graduate vocational skills development where her particular areas of research, business and academic publications relate to practice leadership and management, professionalism and the development of professional judgement. In addition to running her own management consultancy, Westwood Associates, she is the Director of Continuing Professional Education, the School of Law, the University of Glasgow. Karen Barton has had a long-term interest in teaching and learning; e-learning; professional learning and the use of IT within legal practice, and as a result, has published widely and carried out a number of funded research projects in these areas. She has led a number of innovative teaching and learning projects involving transactional, web-based simulations as well as multimedia and webcast environments and is currently the Head of UH Online, the University of Hertfordshire’s Centre for Online Distance Learning. The editors have collaborated and published successfully together since 2004.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1138247804
• ISBN 13: 9781138247802
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 242
• Editor: Westwood Fiona