Jozica has a Masters in Forensic Psychology from Monash University and a PhD from RMIT’s School of Economics, Finance and Marketing. With more than twenty years’ experience in forensic psychology, including research and program work across forensic psychiatry, prisons, drug and alcohol, and epidemiology, Jozica’s recent research has focused on strategies to prevent economic abuse in young adult relationships. She is expert in the development of relationship-based financial capabilities and financial wellbeing and has wide experience developing and evaluating financial abuse and financial capability resources across industry and community organisations.
Since joining Victoria Law Foundation as Senior Researcher in 2020, Jozica has led empirically based research projects investigating the legal sector, including a large survey of the Victoria community legal workforce. Jozica also works on Victoria Law Foundation’s project to map Victoria’s civil justice data and flagship Public Understanding of Law Survey.
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 work in a changing community legal sector.