Research report reveals new insights into legal education

A new research report by Justis, a vLex company, brings new insights into legal research education and the views of both students and staff.

Released in October 2019, this research-led report is the first to examine the teaching of legal research and the wider student perspectives. Conducted over the past 12 months, the report reveals that teaching of legal research is often inconsistent across universities, potentially leaving students at a disadvantage against their peers when applying for training contracts.

With over 90,000 students enrolled in law degrees across the UK, this report provides a unique perspective that could help to improve important elements of the student experience for thousands of law students across the UK and beyond.

Currently, the number of training contracts in England and Wales fluctuates between 5,000 and 6,000 each year, with around 100 of these at each of the Magic Circle firms. Competition for these desirable contracts is at an all-time high.

Following the Legal Education and Training Review in 2013, this report aims to highlight the current status of the teaching of legal research skills, and start a discussion within the academic sector about these important issues.

Unique insights

The report covers a wide range of areas related to legal research teaching and student perspectives. The primary areas of discussion include the different teaching models deployed across many UK universities, student confidence levels, the support mechanisms available to students, teaching and learning preferences, and staff perspectives on the current methods being utilised to teach legal research. Finally, the report proposes a unique standardised approach to help address issues experienced by both staff and students.

This report is recommended for both law school and librarian staff alongside educational representatives and professionals.

Full report: http://justis.com/legal-research-education-report.pdf.

Kindly shared by Justis