This strand explores the cultural and intellectual foundations of undergraduate law degree design, examining how professional identity, institutional culture, disciplinary traditions, and regulatory frameworks shape the curriculum. At its core is an interest in the narratives that underpin course design, how law schools and academics articulate the purposes and values of their programmes, and how these narratives reflect broader ideas in legal education. Current work asks why degrees are structured as they are, what influences are most powerful, and how competing priorities, professional requirements, institutional expectations, and educational philosophies, come together in shaping programmes and student experiences.
By situating law degree design within a climate of regulatory change and institutional pressures, this research highlights both the constraints and opportunities facing legal education today. It opens up discussion of how curricula can best serve students, not only by preparing them for professional practice, but also by supporting critical, reflective, and holistic learning.
This strand also investigates innovative approaches to learning, teaching, and legal design, with a particular focus on student partnership. Initiatives such as the Law Student Mentors and Student Employability Coordinators have provided a framework for collaboration between staff and students, directly addressing challenges of attendance, engagement, and attainment, while also embedding employability within the curriculum. These partnerships not only foster a sense of belonging and ownership but also generate valuable insights into the student learning experience, feeding into ongoing research on curriculum design, student engagement, and the development of inclusive learning environments in legal education.
A distinctive feature of this strand is the integration of Student as Co-Creator Projects, funded by the Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation. These projects place students at the heart of curriculum development, encouraging collaboration between staff and students in shaping the future of legal education. They have directly informed both the research underpinning this strand and the design of courses within the School, leading to changes in curriculum content, assessment practices, and learning and teaching approaches. Recent projects have included:
- Marloes Spreeuw and Jane Stonestreet - The Feedback Journey: Accessibility and Engagement (2020-2021)
- Pamela Abrams & Avis Whyte - Engaging Your Core: Strategies for Strengthening Students’ Learning (2021-2022)
- Seema Kandelia & Avis Whyte - Future Skills and the Future of Skills: How best to Equip WLS Undergraduates with Legal and Transferable Skills (2021-2022)
Together, these projects and initiatives highlight the value of co-creation in legal education, offering insights into how partnership approaches can enrich student learning while shaping more inclusive and responsive curricula.
For more information, please contact Jane Stonestreet at [email protected], Pamela Abrams at [email protected], Seema Kandelia at [email protected] or Marloes Spreeuw at [email protected].