Promoting sustainable professional futures for law graduates through curriculum renewal in legal education : a final year experience (FYE2)

Abstract

This paper argues that curriculum renewal in legal education requires a focus on the final year. First, the paper argues a rationale for greater attention on the final year curriculum in law. Second, we suggest that ‘capstone’ units might be used as a first step in working towards significant curriculum renewal and an integrated final year experience program. We explore in a preliminary way the key learning and teaching objectives of capstone units, objectives that also provide a framework for the development of a possible holistic final year experience program. We also sketch out some of the critical theoretical learning and teaching foundations to such a program. Although the focus of the paper is on legal education, the observations made, and ideas presented, are offered with the intention that they will have potential for cross-disciplinary applications.