Adrian Evans et al, Best Practices: Australian Clinical Legal Education

This Report, funded by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, sets out a list of principles and best practices integral to legal clinic education in Australia. A reader looking for jurisdictional background, practical tools such as clinic learning outcomes, supervision and reflection.  The Report is based on a set of interviews with 26 Australian clinical legal education programs about what is and what “should be” included in clinical legal education. Based on the interviews, the authors chose several themes that “cover the theoretical and practical dimensions of delivering an Australian clinical course at best practice levels” (8) . Notably, the authors signal the unique local characteristics that differentiate Australian clinical legal education from UK and American contexts such as:

• course design,
• supervision,
• reflective student learning,
• assessment,
• staff, and
• clinic infrastructure.

For our purposes, the Report identifies characteristics and supports for good supervision. The Report sets out helpful principles for supervision:

1. The supervision needs of students vary according to:
   • The objectives of the clinic and clients’ needs; and
   • The experience and level of training the students already possess.
2. Supervision arrangements are designed to assist students to link theory and practice and to work collaboratively with supervisors in addressing clients’ needs. The arrangements also enable students to encounter a range of work (both areas of law and legal tasks) during their clinic experience.
3. Supervision is structured, with ground rules and clear learning objectives. As a system, it ensures students’ right to supervision and feedback, together with support and respect for both supervisees and supervisors.
4. Supervisors meet with each student on a regular basis as well as have the capacity to respond to unpredictable events.
5. Development of a strong supervision relationship relies on supervisors as role models. (17)

The Report sets out a series of Best Practices for supervision, including core characteristics of supervisors (eg, approachable, available, adaptable, etc.), requirements for student preparation, support to clinicians for training courses and skills development, and support from the law school. Other elements of this report are helpful for associated clinic course and program development.

Evans, Adrian, Anna Cody, Anna Copeland, Jeff Giddings, Mary Anne Noone, & Simon Rice, Best Practices: Australian Clinical Legal Education (Melbourne, AUS: Monash University Publishing, 2012).