Clinical Conference a great success

SCALES and the School of Law successfully hosted the 7th International Journal on Clinical Legal Education and the 10th Australian Clinical Education Conference last week. The conference attracted 67 delegates from 13 different countries, including countries from Asia, Africa, Europe, the US and Australia. The delegates were warmly welcomed to Murdoch by our Executive Dean; Mr Chris Doepel.

Taking place in the Law School it opened with a plenary from Franck Bloch examining the Global Clinical Movement and opportunities for growth. Delegates were then treated to a range of presentations from diverse clinical programs which touched on the processes pedagogy and principles of Clinical Legal Education. One of the highlights was a session from David McQuoid Mason from the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. David’s session demonstrated some clinical method by using Kafka’s ‘the Trial’ to teach due process and criminal procedure.

On the final day Anna Cody, Director of Kingsford Legal Centre, UNSW’s clinical program ran a very thought provoking session on the role of clinical legal education in teaching social justice. This was followed by a panel of speakers (including SCALES’s own Anna Copeland) which was able to inspire an animated and informative discussion.