Book Review: Legal Education in Asia: Globalization, Change and Contexts. Edited by Stacey Steele & Kathryn Taylor
| Published date | 01 July 2014 |
| DOI | 10.1177/2322005814530336 |
| Date | 01 July 2014 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Asian Journal of Legal Education, 1, 2 (2014): 153–165
162 Book Reviews
akin to the European approach.39 While the level of education per se is not necessarily dispositive
of pedagogical methodology, it may be more difficult for faculties of law at the university level to deviate
in any substantial way from their institutional norms in terms of curriculum design, teaching style,
student assessment and the like. Moreover, many Asian systems of legal education are in transition with
greater emphasis being placed on skills-based learning and clinical instruction.40 The establishment of
specialized universities for law training at the national level as well as the potential for privatization of
law schools may affect teaching and learning in unanticipated ways.41 There is heightened interest
everywhere to determine how to design models of legal education to meet the challenges of the twenty-
first century.
The hallmarks of superior professors described by the authors in What The Best Law Teachers Do
such as demonstrating a commitment to student learning, having clear expectations for student
performance, engaging students in the classroom and modelling professionalism could—and should—
vary somewhat in different contexts. But the essence of what is captured in this book, that is, the ability
of outstanding law teachers to inspire their students to achieve excellence, knows no boundaries—
geographic or otherwise.
Mary Pat Treuthart
Professor, School of Law, Gonzaga University, U.S.
Legal Education in Asia: Globalization, Change and Contexts. Edited by Stacey Steele & Kathryn Taylor,
Routledge Law in Asia, 2010. Pp. 352, 95 Pounds, ISBN: 978-0-415-49433-542
DOI: 10.1177/2322005814530336
Abstract
This review discusses the content and construction of the book and reflects on its relevance with
regard to the evolution of legal education in Asia. The authors of the book have contemplated the
influence of globalization on legal education, and thus brought out a stark link between the reforms
that have taken place in the Asian countries and the legal, social and educational paradigm of the
nations. The motivations of the authors and the driving forces behind the conception of the book were
to specifically bring together the perceptions of a diverse section of scholars on board. The practical
approach of the book adds an edge to the otherwise prosaic account and makes it an interesting read.
39 Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website, Minimum Degree Requirements by Country, available at http://www.lsac.org/
llm/application-process/min-degree-requirements/ (last visited October 29, 2013).
40 See, e.g., Sarah Biddulph, Legal Education in the People’s Republic of China, in legal eDucation in asia 260, 271 (Stacey
Steele & Kathryn Taylor eds, 2010) (noting the significant increase in the number of legal clinics in law programmes was funded
in part by international non-profit organizations such as the Ford Foundation); See also Carl Mizner, The Rise and Fall of Chinese
Legal Education, 36 forDhaM int’l L. J. 334, 370 (2013) (reporting that the Chinese authorities’ long-term plans for legal
education include strengthening skills training).
41 C. Raj Kumar, Legal Education, Globalization, and Institutional Excellence: Challenges for the Rule of Law and Access to
Justice in India, 20 InD. J. gloBal legal stuD. 221 (2013) (describing the changing landscape of legal education in India and
examining its promises and pitfalls).
42 stacey steele & Kathryn taylor, legal eDucation in asia: gloBalization, change anD contexts (2010).
To continue reading
Request your trial