Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T20:07:39.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

13 - ‘Complicitous and Contestatory’

A Critical Genre Theory Approach to Reviewing Legal Education in the Global, Digital Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 December 2019

Catrina Denvir
Affiliation:
Monash University, Victoria
Get access

Summary

In this chapter we describe a discourse framework for understanding the historical development of modern reports into legal education in England and Wales by analysing the textual features of genre markers. We then apply this framework to a specific subset of topoi within such reports, namely the coverage given to digital technologies within legal education. We make three related claims. First, the discourse and rhetorics of reports on legal education has scarcely been analysed in the research literature, and we begin that process here. Second, the culture and context within which digital innovation is reported, analysed and recommended upon in regulatory reports is relatively shallow and ‘theory-lite’. We need to draw sophisticated insights into our understanding of digital in a variety of disciplines and discourses (e.g. media, education and discourse analysis generally), and apply those to legal education. Third, the genre-form of reports on innovation inhibit or constrain our ability to develop imaginative, theory-rich and persuasive accounts of digital cultures for legal education. Our case study has implications not just for law schools, but also and more significantly, for regulators and accreditors.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Task Force, ABA, ‘Report and Recommendations American Bar Association Task Force on the Future of Legal Education’ (American Bar Association 2014) www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/report_and_recommendations_of_aba_task_force.authcheckdam.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Abel, R, The Legal Profession in England and Wales (Blackwell, 1988)Google Scholar
Bhatia, VK, Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings (1st edn, Routledge 1993)Google Scholar
Bloom, H, Yeats (Oxford University Press 1970)Google Scholar
Bloom, H, Kabbalah and Criticism (Seabury Press 1975)Google Scholar
Bloom, H, Wallace Stevens: The Poems of Our Climate (Cornell University Press 1980)Google Scholar
Borges, JL, ‘Kafka and His Precursors’ in Yates, Donald A and East Irby, James (eds.), Maurois, André and Mangan, Sherry (trs.), Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings (New Directions 1964)Google Scholar
British and Irish Legal Education Technology Association, ‘Report of BILETA Inquiry into the Provision of Information Technology in UK Law Schools’ (British and Irish Legal Education Technology Association 1991)Google Scholar
British and Irish Legal Education Technology Association, ‘Information Technology for UK Law Schools: The Second BILETA Report into Information Technology and Legal Education’ (British and Irish Legal Education Technology Association 1996)Google Scholar
Chandler, D, ‘An Introduction to Genre Theory’ (Visual Memory, 1997) 5 http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/documents/intgenre/chandler_genre_theory.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Ching, J, ‘The Challenges Facing Legal Services Education in the 21st Century: A Case for Collaboration and Conversation?’ in Nuhoğlu, A and others (eds.), Legal Education in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the International Conference, Bahçeşehir University and The Union of Turkish Bar Associations (Türkiye Barolar Birliği 2015) www.lawsociety.org.uk/representation/articles/lpc-aptitude-test-report-published/ accessed 7 September 2018Google Scholar
Ching, J, ‘Greener Grass and Re-Invented Wheels: Researching Together’ (Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Oxford, September 2016) http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28622/ accessed 20 May 2019Google Scholar
Ching, J, ‘“Riding Madly Off in All Directions”: Consistency and Convergence in Professional Legal Education’ (Directions in Legal Education Conference, Hong Kong, June 2016) http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/28240/ accessed 20 May 2019Google Scholar
Ching, J, ‘Reform of the Education Structure for the Professional Law Courses in Mauritius’ (Tertiary Education Commission of Mauritius 2012)Google Scholar
Ching, J, ‘Consultation on the Feasibility of Implementing a Common Entrance Examination in Hong Kong: Literature Review’ (Law Society of Hong Kong 2014)Google Scholar
Chow, WWS and Tiba, F, ‘Professional Legal Education Reviews: Too Many “What’s”, Too Few “How”s” (2013) 4(1) European Journal of Law and Technology http://ejlt.org/article/view/183 accessed 17 May 2019.Google Scholar
Clark, DS, ‘Legal Education’ in Clark, David S (ed.), Comparative Law and Society (Edward Elgar Publishing 2012)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clinch, P, ‘Practical Legal Research the Cardiff Way’ (1994) 28(3) The Law Teacher 270Google Scholar
Committee on the Future of the Legal Profession, ‘A Time for Change: Report of the Committee on the Future of the Legal Profession (Marre Report)’ (General Council of the Bar and the Law Society 1988)Google Scholar
Conseil des Barreaux Européens – Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, ‘Continuous Training in the CCBE Member Countries: Summary’ (Conseil des Barreaux Européens – Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe 2016) www.ccbe.eu/document/national_training_regime/1_-_summary_of_national_continuing_training_regimes.pdf.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Conseil National des Barreaux, ‘Réforme de La Formation Initiale Dans Les Écoles d’avocats’ (Conseil National des Barreaux 2014) http://cnb.avocat.fr/reforme-de-la-formation-initiale-dans-les-ecoles-d-avocats_a2071.html accessed 13 February 2019Google Scholar
Conseil National des Barreaux, ‘Le Conseil National Des Barreaux s’inquiète de La Qualité de La Formation Des Étudiants, Futurs Avocats, à La Suite de l’avis Du Conseil d’Etat Du 10 Février 2016’ (Conseil National des Barreaux 2016) http://cnb.avocat.fr/le-conseil-national-des-barreaux-s-inquiete-de-la-qualite-de-la-formation-des-etudiants-futurs-avocats-a-la-suite-de-l_a2592.html accessed 13 February 2019Google Scholar
Council of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, ‘Common Law Degree Implementation Committee: Final Report’ (Federation of Law Societies of Canada 2011) http://docs.flsc.ca/implementation-report-ecc-aug-2011-r.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Eliot, TS, ‘Tradition and the Individual Talent’, Selected Essays (3rd edn, Faber & Faber 1951)Google Scholar
European Commission, ‘Lawyers’ Training Systems in the Member States’ (European e-Justice Portal, 2018) https://e-justice.europa.eu/content_lawyers__training_systems_in_the_member_states-407-en.do accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Federation of Law Societies Canada, ‘National Entry to Practice Competency Profile Validation Survey Report’ (Federation of Law Societies Canada 2012) http://flsc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/admission4.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Fowler, A, ‘Genre and the Literary Canon’ (1979) 11(1) New Literary History: A Journal of Theory and Interpretation 97Google Scholar
Garth, BG and others, ‘After the JD’ (American Bar Foundation, 2019) www.americanbarfoundation.org/research/project/118 accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Gerkman, A and Harman, E, ‘Ahead of the Curve: Turning Law Students into Lawyers’ (Institute for the Advancement of American Legal Systems 2015) http://iaals.du.edu/sites/default/files/documents/publications/ahead_of_the_curve_turning_law_students_into_lawyers.pdfhttp://iaals.du.edu/sites/default/files/documents/publications/ahead_of_the_curve_turning_law_students_into_lawyers.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Giddens, A, Central Problems in Social Theory: Action, Structure and Contradiction in Social Analysis (MacMillan 1979)Google Scholar
Greimas, AJ and Courtés, J, ‘Intertextuality’ in Christ, Larry and others (trs), Semiotics and Language: An Analytical Dictionary (Indiana University Press 1982)Google Scholar
Hall, E, ‘Notes on the SRA Report of the Consultation on the Solicitors Qualifying Exam: “Comment Is Free, but Facts Are Sacred” (2017) 51(3) Law Teacher 364Google Scholar
Hardee, M and Consulting, Hardee, ‘Career Expectations of Students on Qualifying Law Degrees in England and Wales: A Legal Education and Training Survey’ (Higher Education Academy 2012) www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/resources/hardee-report-2012.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Harris, P, Bellerby, S and Leighton, P, A Survey of Law Teaching (Sweet & Maxwell 1993)Google Scholar
Harris, P and Jones, M, ‘A Survey of Law Schools in the United Kingdom, 1996’ (1997) 31(1) The Law Teacher 38Google Scholar
Henderson, P and others, ‘Solicitors Regulation Authority: CPD Review’ (Solicitors Regulation Authority 2012) www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/wbl-cpd-publication.page accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Hughes, M and others, ‘SIMulated Professional Learning Environment (SIMPLE): Programme Final Report’ (Jisc & Higher Education Authority 2008)Google Scholar
International Bar Association, ‘IBA Global Regulation and Trade in Legal Services Report 2014’ (International Bar Association 2014) https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2530064 accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Jones, R, ‘Second International Conference on Substantive Technology in the Law School’ (1993) 7(1) International Review of Law Computers & Technology 237Google Scholar
Kristeva, J, Desire in Language: A Semiotic Approach to Literature (Roudiez, Leon ed., Thomas Gora and Alice Jardine trs., Revised, Columbia University Press 1980)Google Scholar
Law Admissions Consultative Committee, ‘Rethinking Academic Requirements for Admission’ (Law Council of Australia 2010) www.lawcouncil.asn.au/resources/law-admissions-consultative-committee/discussion-papers accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Law Admissions Consultative Committee, ‘Review of Academic Requirements for Admission to the Legal Profession’ (Law Council of Australia 2014) www.lawcouncil.asn.au/files/web-pdf/lacc docs/01.12.14_-_review_of_academic_requirements_for_admission.pdf accessed 20 May 2019Google Scholar
Law Society of England and Wales, ‘Report into the Global Competitiveness of the England and Wales Solicitor Qualification: An Investigation into the Potential Impact of the SRA’s Training for Tomorrow Proposals on the Global Reputation of Solicitors of England and Wales’ (Law Society of England and Wales 2015) www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/research-trends/global-competitiveness-of-the-england-and-wales-solicitor-qualification/ accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Law Society of Upper Canada, ‘Pathways to the Profession: A Roadmap for the Reform of Lawyer Licensing in Ontario’ (Law Society of Upper Canada 2012) www.lsuc.on.ca/workarea/downloadasset.aspx?id=2147489848 accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Law Society of Upper Canada, ‘Report to Convocation’ (The Law Society of Upper Canada 2016) https://lawsocietyontario.azureedge.net/media/lso/media/legacy/pdf/p/pdc-pathways-pilot-project-evaluation-and-enhancements-to-licensing-report-sept-2016.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
LawyerEdu.org, ‘Steps to Become a Lawyer/ Attorney in Canadian Provinces/ Territories’ (2015) www.lawyeredu.org/canada.html accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Legal Futures, ‘Reports’ (2019) www.legalfutures.co.uk/reports accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Jr DW, Linna, ‘Legal Services Innovation Index’ (Legal Tech Innovation, 2019) www.legaltechinnovation.com/ accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct, ‘First Report on Legal Education and Training (ACLEC Report)’ (Lord Chancellor’s Department 1996)Google Scholar
Maharg, P, ‘The Identity of Scots Law: Redeeming the Past’ in Mulhern, Mark (ed.), Scottish Life and Society (A Compendium of Scottish Ethnology): The Law (Volume 13) (Birlinn Press & The European Ethnological Research Centre 2011)Google Scholar
Maharg, P, ‘Shared Space: Regulation, Technology and Legal Education in a Global Context’ (2015) 6(1) European Journal of Law and Technology 1 http://ejlt.org/article/view/425/541 accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Mai, H-P, ‘Bypassing Intertextuality: Hermeneutics, Textual Practice, Hypertext’ in Plett, Heinrich F (ed.), Intertextuality (De Gruyter 1991)Google Scholar
Michaels, R, ‘The Functional Method of Comparative Law’ in Reimann, Mathias and Zimmermann, Reinhard (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law (Oxford University Press 2006)Google Scholar
Miller, CR, ‘Genre as Social Action’ (1984) 70(2) Quarterly Journal of Speech 151Google Scholar
National Admission Standards Project Steering Committee, ‘National Law Practice Qualifying Assessment Business and Implementation Plan’ (Federation of Law Societies of Canada 2015)Google Scholar
National Conference of Bar Examiners, ‘A Study of the Newly Licensed Lawyer’ (National Conference of Bar Examiners 2012) http://flsc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/admission4.pdf accessed 5 June 2014Google Scholar
National Conference of Bar Examiners, ‘Bar Admission Guide’ (2019) www.ncbex.org/publications/bar-admissions-guide/ accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Nederlandse orde van advocaten, ‘Consultatie Toekomstbestendige Beroepsopleiding Advocaten van Start’ (2017) www.advocatenorde.nl/nieuws/consultatie-toekomstbestendige-beroepsopleiding-advocaten-van-start accessed 24 July 2017Google Scholar
Ormrod, R, ‘Report of the Committee on Legal Education (Ormrod Report) (Cmnd. No. 4595)’ (HM Stationery Office 1971)Google Scholar
Paliwala, A, ‘Co-Operative Development of CAL Materials: A Case Study of IOLIS’ (1998) 3 The Journal of Information, Law and Technology (JILT) https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/1998_3/paliwala/ accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Pickles, C, ‘Research Report on Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Commissioned by the Law Society of South Africa’ (Law Society of South Africa 2010) www.lssa.org.za/upload/documents/research_report_on_mcpd.pdf%3e accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Queen’s University Belfast, ‘Postgraduate Research Course JD Juris Doctor (JD)’ www.qub.ac.uk/schools/schooloflaw/study/jurisdoctor/ accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Robbins, LC, ‘Higher Education Report of the Committee Appointed by the Prime Minister under the Chairmanship of Lord Robbins’ (HM Stationery Office 1963)Google Scholar
Rutherford, BA, ‘A Genre-Theoretic Approach to Financial Reporting Research’ (2013) 45(4) British Accounting Review 297Google Scholar
Shepelva, O and Novikova, A, ‘The Quality of Legal Education in Russia: Stereotypes and Real Problems’ (PILnet, 2014) www.pilnet.org/public-interest-law-resources/73-the-quality-of-legal-education-in-russia-stereotypes-and.html accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Shiner, M, ‘Entry into the Legal Profession: The Law Student Cohort Study Year 4’ (The Law Society 1997)Google Scholar
Shultz, MM and Zedeck, S, ‘Predicting Lawyer Effectiveness: Broadening the Basis for Law School Admission Decisions’ (2011) 36(3) Law & Social Inquiry 620Google Scholar
Solicitors Regulation Authority, ‘Qualification in Other Jurisdictions – International Benchmarking’ (Solicitors Regulation Authority 2016) www.sra.org.uk/sra/policy/sqe/research-reports.page accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Sullivan, WM and others, Educating Lawyers: Preparation for the Profession of Law (1st edn, Jossey-Bass 2007)Google Scholar
Susskind, R, ‘Provocations and Perspectives’ (SRA, BSB and CILEX 2012) https://letr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/susskind-letr-final-oct-2012.pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Swales, J, Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings (Cambridge University Press 1990)Google Scholar
Swales, J, ‘Genre and Engagement’ (1993) 71(33) Revue Belge de Philologie Et D’Histoire 687Google Scholar
Swales, J,“‘The Concept of Discourse Community’ in Wardle, Elizabeth and Downs, Dough (eds.), Writing about Writing: A College Reader (1st edn, Bedford/St Martin’s 2011)Google Scholar
Tessuto, G, ‘Generic Structure and Rhetorical Moves in English-Language Empirical Law Research Articles: Sites of Interdisciplinary and Interdiscursive Cross-Over’ (2015) 37 English for Specific Purposes 13Google Scholar
Tipping, A, ‘Review of the Professional Legal Studies Course’ (New Zealand Council of Legal Education 2013) www.nzcle.org.nz/docs/review of the plsc report .pdf accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Twining, W, ‘Developments in Legal Education: Beyond the Primary School Model’ (1990) 2(1) Legal Education Review 35Google Scholar
Webb, J and others, ‘Research Phase Literature Review (Legal Education and Training Review)’ (SRA, BSB and CILEX 2013) http://letr.org.uk/literature-review/index.html accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Webb, J, ‘Setting Standards: The Future of Legal Services Education and Training Regulation in England and Wales (Legal Education and Training Review)’ (SRA, BSB and CILEX 2013) www.letr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/letr-report.pdf accessed 17 August 2018Google Scholar
Widdowson, H, ‘Discourses of Enquiry and Conditions of Relevance’ in Alatis, James E (ed.), Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics 1990 (Georgetown University Press 1990)Google Scholar
Wilson, RJ, ‘The Role of Practice in Legal Education’ (18th International Congress on Comparative Law, Washington DC, July 2010) https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/fac_works_papers/12/ accessed 17 May 2019Google Scholar
Zweigert, K, Kötz, H and Weir, T, An Introduction to Comparative Law (3rd edn, Clarenden Press 1998)Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×