Learning in Law Annual Conference 2009: Concepts of culture in legal education

23-24 January 2009, University of Warwick

[the conference was] bigger and with more ‘buzz’ than ever before!

Learning in Law Annual Conference 2009 was the largest event yet organised by UKCLE. Just over 200 participants from 13 countries attended, with representatives from law schools and vocational training providers, from the professional bodies and the world of legal publishing. A number of delegates from other disciplines also joined us.

The programme included topics ranging from Confucius to Second Life, and featured presentations delivered al fresco, through film and using interactive technology. The conference, blogged on Digital Directions, hEaD space and Zeugma, was itself more hi-tech this year, with the introduction of a conference wiki and the use of SlideShare to share and store presentations.

The keynote address was given by Ian Ward (Newcastle University), and there were panel discussions on a collaborative system of external examining and on pupillages – read Jess Guth’s conference reflections.

The five parallel sessions, including a total of 42 papers, were based around the following themes:

• the culture of legal education – organising principles, values, attitudes and beliefs
• cultivating humanity in legal education – interdisciplinary approaches; the role of the affective domain in learning; ethics and morality
• cultivating legal education – reflection on and renewal of approaches and generation of new ideas; managing resources and people; ensuring the discipline and the law school are ‘fit for purpose’
• cultivation of staff and students – student support; admissions procedures; retention issues; staff development; skills development
• multiculturalism – implications for teaching and learning in law

The social programme on Friday evening kicked off with a drinks reception with entertainment courtesy of The Thirty Nine Steps. The announcement of the Law Teacher of the Year 2009 was made in a short award ceremony during the conference dinner.

Last Modified: 9 July 2010