A History of Australian Legal Education

This book is a comprehensive analysis of the historical development of the education and training of law students in Australia. As the author states in chapter 2 “legal education is the most vital component for training future legal practitioners and those who wish to learn about the legal system without necessarily becoming lawyers”. The book considers the role played by legal education in shaping the culture of law. In its introduction the author states “[t]hrough legal education the legal culture is transferred from generation to generation”. But the ambiguity in the core purpose of legal education is the “first and central” theme to the book. Is it just to train future legal practitioners or is legal education an intellectual liberal philosophy? That tension has given rise to a plethora of inquiries and reports in Australia (see chapter 9). In the final analysis the author examines whether these two often conflicting ideals can be reconciled? Professor Barker is Emeritus Professor and a former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology Sydney. The UTS faculty of law was established in January 1975 making it part of the “second wave” of legal institutions. Professor Barker’s book traces the history of legal education in Australia from the inception of the first law schools post federation to the “avalanche” of law schools since 1989 (there is only one public university in Australia which does not now support a law school). The books traces the shift from legal education that was marked by study for a university degree together with either undertaking articles as a solicitor or satisfaction of the requirements of the various bar association and admission boards to the advent of a legal education that is for students who do not ever intend to become legal practitioners. The book also traces the role played by the profession in legal education and examines some of the difficulties experienced by modern law schools in maintaining those vital links to the profession. Although it would be difficult to write such a book without descending at times into lists of names and dates the book avoids becoming mired in those lists. In fact, the book is very readable. It will be of interest to all legal educators and many practitioners - Queensland Law Reporter - 4 August 2017 - [2017] 30 QLR

David Barker is Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).