Contemporary Issues in the Legal Profession

This module tackles key questions around the organisational and institutional structures of the legal profession, taking a close look at the contemporary challenges that it now faces.

While the module primarily focuses on the Anglo-Welsh system, we will also address other systems through literature on law in the USA, Australia and other commonwealth jurisdictions.

Topics covered in the module may include:

• an appreciation of the current status of the legal profession, including its globalised context
• ‘Tesco Law’ and law in an information/digital age
• business, economic and ethical considerations in the legal profession, lawyering and access to justice
• implications of key statues such as the Legal Services Act
• The current state and future development of legal education

Throughout the module, you should develop a solid understanding of issues relating to lawyer/client interactions, such as ethics, confidentiality, legal professional privilege, conflict of interest. You will also have the opportunity to study representations of lawyers and lawyering in fictional settings, such as TV, film, literature and plays. This module exposes you to a range of debates and encourages you to think creatively and critically, as well as from a socio-legal perspective.