Anne Hewitt is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Focusing on the intersections of law and education, her publications cover topics such as legal education pedagogy, the regulation of education, and the rights of students undertaking work in their formal education. Her research has been funded by various national grants in Australia and she has completed research for the International Labour Organization on the international regulation of internships.
Managing the Risks of Discrimination and Harassment for Legal Interns
Abstract:
Employers increasingly expect that graduates, including legal graduates, will have practical workplace experience. At the same time, we are recognising that bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment are endemic in our society, including in the law. Students undertaking work integrated learning are particularly vulnerable, as they are often inexperienced, desperate to develop the employability skills and industry contacts, and needing to complete the placement to obtain course credit. Given this, Law Schools have a social, moral, and legal obligation to support and protect our students’ learning in the workplace. This presentation will explain the nature of this problem, explore existing resources to educate students about their workplace rights, and introduce a project conducted at Adelaide Law School to create resources which are specific to legal workplaces which can inform students of their rights, assist them to recognize and respond to inappropriate workplace behaviours, and for workplaces, and those in them, to engage in positive change.