The field of legal education is evolving, and a significant shift has taken place towards more experiential and practical learning approaches. Situated learning, a powerful pedagogical framework, emphasizes the importance of context and authentic experiences in fostering deep understanding and skill development. It is critical for legal educators and researchers to explore the theory, practice, and implications of situated learning in legal education to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning methods.

Did the above paragraph read uncannily and banally at the same time? Like something was simultaneously strictly accurate and somewhat lacking? That is because it was provided to us by none other than ChatGPT, the bane of old fashioned legal educators the world over and the siren for pedagogical innovators and tech evangelists with core competencies in their sights. Hold that thought for a while…

This year we want to address the theme of situated learning. (This is really us, the conference collective, speaking now – can you tell?) But we want to do so in two senses. First, we invite individual papers, organised panels and roundtables on the theme of situated learning in legal education along the lines so helpfully laid out by our digital amanuensis, above.

  • PLENARY PANEL #1 | First Nations Recognition

    • Associate Professor Marcelle Burns, Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership & Engagement), Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
    • Dr Eddie Cubillo, Director, Indigenous Law and Justice Hub, University of Melbourne
    • Professor Asmi Wood, Sub-Dean (Indigenous) ANU College of Law, Australian National University
    • Jason O’Neil (Chair), Director of Indigenous Legal Education, Faculty of Law & Justice, University of New South Wales

    PLENARY PANEL #2 | Looking into the Black Mirror: AI and the Future of Legal Education

    • Associate Professor Kate Galloway, Griffith Law School, Griffith University
    • Professor Sally Kift, Higher Education Consultant; President, Australian Learning & Teaching Fellows
    • Professor Alex Steel, UNSW Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience
    • Scientia Professor Toby Walsh, AI Institute and Engineering, UNSW
    • Nicola Kozlina (Chair), UNSW Faculty of Law & Justice

    PLENARY PANEL #3 | Climate Change & Legal Education

    • Professor Nicole Graham (Chair), Associate Dean (Education), Sydney Law School, University of Sydney
    • Dr Julia Dehm, La Trobe Law School, La Trobe University
    • Associate Professor Kate Galloway, Griffith Law School, Griffith University
    • Professor Vivien Holmes, ANU College of Law, Australian National University
    • Professor Amanda Kennedy, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology
    • Professor Nicole Rogers, Faculty of Law, Bond University

20 - 21 November 2023

In-Person Event

Contact us

E: leconf@unsw.edu.au