Contemplating the Future of Clinical Legal Education

Abstract

This article considers the factors that are likely to continue to shape the future of clinical legal education. Drawing on the history of clinical legal education, both in Australia and more broadly, the article considers how those involved in clinical programs might best promote program sustainability. The article examines the continuing creative tension between goals related to student learning and those related to community service as well as considering the emergence of new forms of clinical lawyering. It recognises the importance of utilising clinical insights across the broader law program and advocates for an emphasis on the natural strengths of clinic-based learning, in terms of students developing effective frameworks for addressing ethical issues and developing strong links with the practising profession. The article also calls for close attention to be paid to developing effective practices in student supervision. Such endeavours can be advanced through developing the awareness of supervisors as to the range of matters that can impact on their work with students, including a better understanding of the supervision practices used in other disciplines. The article also addresses the prospect of an increasing focus on graduate clinical programs, designed to prepare law graduates for their entry to the legal profession.