Active Learning in Law: Case Study of Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility and Regional Collaboration Conference and Workshop

Active Learning in Law: Case Study of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility & Regional Collaboration Conference

Faculty of Law Prince of Songkla University,

Songkla, Thailand

1-3 April 2015

Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) is an international access to justice, legal education organization that focuses on ethically oriented legal capacity development and community empowerment. BABSEACLE has been working collaboratively with universities, law students, law faculties, lawyers, members of the legal community, and justice related organizational partners since 2003 to develop Clinical Legal Education (CLE) programs throughout Asia. These programs and clinics assist communities, provide legal aid services, and simultaneously help to build the next generation of social justice, pro-bono minded champions.

Through its work with partner universities, BABSEACLE found that most universities in Asia have not taught legal ethics or have only taught legal ethics in theory or as part of other subjects. Lack of legal ethics textbooks and curricula has been another problem to address. Moreover, students do not appreciate legal ethics or understand how legal ethics work because of the traditional teaching methods used. Additionally, even when legal ethics have been taught there is little to no emphasis on access to justice and pro bono work. BABSEACLE thus has identified a need to develop a curriculum on legal ethics, pro bono, access to justice, and professional responsibility. These are areas that (largely) cross jurisdictions, meaning that one curriculum can be developed and used as a template by partners in numerous countries. This template can be tailored as necessary in accordance with the conditions in each jurisdiction. The curriculum can then be delivered by lawyers, clinicians, lecturers or other legal professionals.

With these concerns, BABSEACLE and the Prince of Songkla University organised the Regional Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Conference and Workshop, which included an exciting mix of keynote speeches, panel discussions, poster presentations and interactive workshop sessions. It provided a multitude of opportunities for participation, collaboration and dialogue. The conference and workshop was extremely interactive, the presenters and trainers all used the enthusiastic CLE teaching methodology, which was taken by all.

BABSEACLE sees this as a natural and logical merger, as legal ethics and pro bono have a strong and close connection. Legal ethics and professional responsibility can be considered the backbone of the legal profession, providing a set of principles and core values in each lawyer to do the right thing. Pro Bono is the transformation of these values into reality with a variety of initiatives and programs worldwide.

Speakers/Trainers were:

Participants:

Law Students, Law Lecturers, Legal Practitioners from the region, as well as members from the Law Council of Thailand.

Venue:

8th Floor of the Khunying Long Athakravisunthon Learning Resources Centre, Prince of Songkla University, Songkla, Thailand

Click here to view agenda on the events which took place.

For more information please contact Nattakan Chomputhong (Ann)