The Development of the Legal Profession and Legal Education
Nick James · Bond University Research Portal (Bond University) · 2016
In this presentation, Professor Nick James of Bond University examines the role of Australian law schools in preparing law students to become legal professionals, and the important relationship between legal education and the legal profession. After presenting the historical context of that relationship, and tracing the changing nature of the relationship over time, Professor James examines the practical implications of the biggest challenge presently confronting both legal education and the legal profession: digital disruption. He explains the nature of digital disruption, focusing upon technological innovation in the areas of communication, data analysis and artificial intelligence. He describes how digital disruption is transforming what lawyers do, how lawyers work and who lawyers serve. He then considers the digital disruption of legal education, and the changes that are occurring now or will be occurring soon to how law schools teach, what law schools teach, and who law schools teach.