NCJ Number
74373
Date Published
1980
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper outlines the position of the Australian Legal Education Council (ALEC) in relation to legal education unrelated to the professional practice of law.
Abstract
ALEC's general approach to legal education for nonlawyers distinguishes between legal studies for school children (adequately taught in some schools and being planned for inclusion in the curriculums of many others) and adult community legal education. In order to discover whether this issue is adequately addressed, ALEC solicited the opinions of 33 organizations, including law societies, bar associations, law schools, and television stations. A great deal of sporadic activity was revealed in the form of lectures or occasional papers delivered by legal practitioners or academics, as were more regular activities for particular professional or other interest groups. However, the dissemination of legal education among adult members of the public was made difficult by the absence of a captive audience. In addition to having lawyers discuss current legal issues and answer viewers' questions on television, this paper suggests the involvement of a larger number of law practitioners in the task of improving adult community legal education.