Abstract:
For decades, Law has been perceived as one of the most worthwhile degree programmes for students to undertake. In more recent years, contemporary rhetoric has begun to question the “value” of higher education in the modern world, and forthcoming regulatory changes to the way that lawyers qualify in England and Wales will significantly dilute the concept of a “qualifying law degree”, which in all likelihood has historically played a role in attracting large numbers of students to such programmes. In a preceding article, the author used theory from the marketing discipline to quantify holistically the true “value” of a law degree, with the aim of challenging the overly economic lens through which higher education is increasingly viewed, and constructing a theoretical model designed to help education providers identify, develop and articulate the value of their courses. This follow-up, empirical study builds on that earlier work by exploring the nature and extent of the “value” that is presently articulated by over 50 UK legal education providers on their online prospectus pages. The findings of this study are then used to propose a theory of “value” within the UK legal education sector, which can be used to identify opportunities for innovation and value creation, including internationally and beyond the discipline.
Speaker:
Mr. Alex Nicholson, Principal Lecturer and Deputy Head of Law, Department of Law & Criminology, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Alex Nicholson is a solicitor, academic and educationist.
Before he became a university lecturer, Alex ran his own video production business for seven years and then was a practising solicitor at a global law firm, where he specialised in commercial litigation and acted for a range of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 clients.
Alex joined Sheffield Hallam University as a Senior Lecturer in July 2014, and then became a Principal Lecturer and the Deputy Head of Law in November 2016. He now leads a team of academics and practitioners in the delivery of a uniquely applied and transformative legal education programme in which all students – at all levels – work within a fully regulated, on-campus law firm, throughout their studies.
Alex lectures in contract law, tort law, and civil litigation, and publishes in business law, legal education, and strategic management.