This is an interesting speech by the Chief Justice of Victoria http://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/scv/resources/f9fe4d8e-660b-4bae-982b-ffc9220075e8/fiat_justitia2014speech_of_the_hon_marilynwarrenac.pdf
"The Access to Justice Imperative: Rights, Rationalisation or Resolution?"
The CJ explores how the legal field and market has changed and the diverse, and often contradictory, demands that are placed on legal education.
So the question is how should a small law school in Tasmania respond to these changes? How does it if the " the focus of a university course is on content delivery only and to a maximised audience" within the context of an university environment also responding to massive changes and a transformation into a more aggressive corporate and bureaucratic culture?
The CJ largely focuses on supplying a narrow legal market place (traditionally known as legal practice) should (as UTAS is) focus on a wider set of career paths and capacities?
In 1893 UTAS started providing a small % (<10%) of people into a local professional market place. It now provides 95%+ of that local 'predominately' business market place as well as people able (and wanting) to work at the UN, in Singapore, for governments (a significant proportion of the current Tas Parliament) and others who still want their options left open at the end of a 5 year degree?
Where should UTAS Law be aiming towards or does it really have a choice?
I will be holding a staff conversation about this in a couple of weeks but would love insights and feedback from people (not just law students and alumni but others in the community as well - because the type(s) of law graduates we produce impact upon you as well.
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