The International Association of Law Schools forges ahead. Where are the UK law schools?

In this article from the Autumn 2009 issue of Directions Roger Burridge argues the case for greater UK involvement in the International Association of Law Schools.

Roger is a professor in Warwick School of Law and a former UKCLE Director.

In an era where so much emphasis is placed upon international reputation and global engagement UK law schools have proved reluctant to sign up to the International Association of Law Schools (IALS).

The IALS, founded in 2005, is a collective of law schools whose mission aspires “to the furtherance of understanding and respect for diverse legal systems and cultures” and to fostering “mutual understanding of and respect for the world’s varied and changing legal systems and cultures as a contribution to justice and a peaceful world”. Add to this the intention of serving as an independent forum for discussion about legal education, the development and improvement of law schools and conditions of legal education throughout the world and the better preparation of lawyers and sharing legal education experiences and practices.

It is difficult to see what is deterring UK law schools from joining in. IALS is a unique organisation which deserves more engagement from UK law schools, which are missing important opportunities to learn from an invaluable breadth of global experiences.

Since its inauguration the IALS has grown rapidly and now has 192 member law schools from 49 countries. Strong contingents come from Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and the USA. UK law schools have only two representatives, Warwick and Bradford. The absence of more delegates from the UK is particularly surprising given the wealth of legal education scholars and the strength of its professional associations, the Society of Legal Scholars and the Association of Law Teachers, which have both been at the forefront of national and international debates on legal education. The experiences from law schools in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are seriously lacking in IALS. Whilst individual UK academics have made important contributions in papers and keynote addresses at its conferences, institutional affiliation is much needed.

IALS is an organisation which has already established a truly global network. It has been careful to ensure that global inequalities are addressed in the regional balance on its board and committees, and in the availability of subsidised fees for participation in its events. There is a differential tariff of annual subscription rates, designed to support the membership of law schools that would otherwise be unable to join such an international forum. The annual cost for European law schools (along with others from the ‘developed’ world) is currently US $1,000.

Principal activities to date have been the convening of a series of conferences. Two conferences are organised annually focusing on a generic law school issue and a substantive legal topic. The most recent held in May 2009 at the Australian National University in Canberra was The role of law schools and law school leadership in a changing world, with 82 papers available. Together with papers from conferences on enriching the law school curriculum, global approaches to international business transactions and teaching techniques in different cultures and legal systems, the website provides an important source for understanding approaches to legal education elsewhere – as well as illuminating our own.

The next conference, on constitutional law, will be hosted jointly by the University of Georgetown and American University in Washington DC on 11-12 September. The cast of speakers is an impressive assembly of international constitutional law scholars. The association’s other immediate plans include expanding its learning and teaching resources, wider publication of papers and a regular newsletter.

IALS is not the only international organisation for law schools and legal academics. The Law and Society Association, the Global Alliance for Justice Education and the European Law Faculties Association are all leading organisations promoting legal scholarship and providing important opportunities for sharing international perspectives. There are many international subject organisations – UK professional associations and UKCLE have significant international affiliations. IALS however has a distinctive profile of bringing together a collective of law schools to exchange their local experiences in a global forum. It deserves to be included on your next law school meeting agenda.

Last Modified: 9 July 2010