Developments in regard to the internationalisation of the law curriculum are not static and there are further developments

  • The impact of internationalisation on the law curriculum has developed incrementally and has accelerated over the last decade.
  • The literature demonstrates that international thinking has moved on such that good practice in legal education now points to an integrated approach to internationalisation across the whole curriculum.
  • As well, the term internationalisation is now much broader and must be understood to include a global perspective incorporating a rich content, including elements such as cultures, worldviews, families of law, views of justice and dispute resolution, and approaches to life and business.
  • No longer can internationalisation be considered as an add-on. In the same way as electronic commerce was once a specialist area, but has now become integral to the way we work and think, so too has an international mindset. The literature has moved inexorably to this conclusion.
  • Legal education must continue to mirror this reality. Internationalisation with its richer meaning must become integral to the legal knowledge, skills and attributes with which law students graduate. This is increasingly sought by employers of every kind and provides the competitive advantage not only for Australian law firms but for Australian lawyers.