Hugh M. McDonald is Principal Researcher at the Victoria Law Foundation. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with legal aid commissions, community legal centres, state and federal governments, giving him a deep understanding of legal institutions and access to justice issues throughout Australia.
Law Degrees and Community Lawyering: Does Law School Adequately Prepare Graduates for Work in Community Legal Centres?
Abstract:
Community lawyering – does it get the attention it needs in Australian legal education? This paper draws on findings from a recent survey of the Victorian community legal sector workforce to investigate the following: (1) Do law degrees prepare graduates for work in community legal centres? (2) If so, what components are most useful? (3) If not, how might legal education better prepare graduates for community lawyering?
Less than half (45%) of the law graduates surveyed said their law degree had prepared them to work in community legal centres. They highlighted the legal knowledge and skills gained, clinical placements and volunteering opportunities, and particular academics who had inspired an interest in social justice and community legal work as being particularly beneficial.
However, respondents most frequently (55%) felt their law degree had not prepared them. Many of these respondents thought law degrees needed to better cover legal and practical issues relevant to community legal work, including working with disadvantaged and vulnerable clients with complex legal and related needs. Some called for better understanding of community legal and social services and integrated and multi-disciplinary forms of practice. Working with limited resources and other professionals, managing vicarious trauma and practitioner self-care, and reflective practice were other issues said to be insufficiently addressed at law school.
Implications for legal education and community lawyering are discussed, including the role and responsibility of Australian law schools and legal professional regulatory bodies to prepare the next generation of legal graduates to ork in a changing community legal sector.