CLELP Speaker Series: We might be doing this right, you know!? Thinking about the Why, How and What of Legal Education
In this talk Dr Jess Guth considers contemporary legal education in England and Wales and asks some key questions about the purpose of legal education, what is and should be included and how it should be delivered. While it is easy to get caught up in the challenges posed by the neoliberal context in which we operate and the bleak news about the university sector as well as, for example, the SQE, this talk is one of hope. Jess outlines the positives we can hold on to and the resistance we can offer to ensure that legal education continues to be something that benefits our students, our communities and remains something we can be proud of as legal academics.
About the Centre
The Centre for Legal Education and the Legal Profession (CLELP) is one of the UK’s leading hubs for research and innovation in legal education and the legal profession. We study how the profession and legal services market are changing, and how legal education in law schools is evolving through rigorous empirical, doctrinal and socio-legal research.
Our members research, teach and collaborate across themes that shape modern legal education and practice, including LegalTech and Generative AI, Clinical Legal Education, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in the Legal Sector, Legal Ethics and Professional Regulation, Access to the Profession and Widening Participation, Student Employability and Careers, Curriculum and Assessment Design, and Communities of Practice in Legal Education.
CLELP sits within Westminster Law School, one of the largest and most diverse law schools in the UK. Our members teach across a wide range of subjects and bring current research into the curriculum. We play a central role in the student experience equipping our students with the knowledge, confidence and professional skills to thrive in their future careers. Through our Legal Careers, Employability and Professional Development Hub, led by CLELP’s Student Fellows, students can take part in activities that connect legal education with practice, explore routes into the profession, and build the skills and attributes most valued by employers.
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About the speaker
Dr Jess Guth
Dr Jess Guth is Head of Business and Law at Leeds Trinity University. She is the Vice Chair of the Association of Law Teachers and sits on the Education Sub Committee of the Society of Legal Scholars. She has published extensively on various aspects of legal education.
