I've resigned from Strathclyde University Law School, effective as of 31 Jan 2010, and next day will be taking up a post as Professor of Legal Education at University of Northumbria Law School, and heading up a legal education centre there. Retrospectives will be posted in due course and nearer my departure. But for the future, why Northumbria?
It has by far the largest and best clinical programme in the UK, and under the leadership of Dean Philip Plowden is developing into a research centre for experiential learning in legal education. I'm proud to be part of that whole initiative, and excited about the prospect of working with some great colleagues. Above all, they're really serious about education, not just theory but practice too. Many institutions make impressive noises about being committed to teaching, etc, but their recruitment patterns, staff profiles and conventional curricula often tell quite a different story. Northumbria is a refreshing change: their work pushes the boundaries, is edgy, exciting, and deserves a much higher profile than it currently has in international legal ed circles. I'll be retaining contact with Strathclyde Law School staff involved with professional legal education, of course — Karen Barton, Leo Martin, Michael Hughes, Scott Walker, Carole McNeice and others. Working daily with them on research, project-work, teaching, learning, assessment and much else they were absolutely indispensable to everything the team achieved in the GGSL, and they'll play a part in future projects at Northumbria and elsewhere.
But meanwhile, I have this year's Personal Injury Transaction to immerse myself in, as well as a new Masters module on Legal Research. More in a later posting about some ideas I'm putting into practice in that module…
Comments
2 responses to “Fareweel Strathclyde, hello Northumbria”
As a very recent student, now practising, and with Strathclyde close to my heart, your loss is a big one to the Law School Paul (and unfortunately one of rather many recently).
I wish you good luck at Northumbria – they always had a very strong mooting practice there which, in my eyes, shows a good level of practical legal education.
Awra best doon sooth, as they say.
Thanks for the kind words!