Call for Papers and Posters: Revisiting the big questions in legal education: Which education? Whose law?: University of Westminster

ASSOCIATION OF LAW TEACHERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2023

Call for Papers and Posters

Westminster Law School, University of Westminster 17th & 18th April 2023

Revisiting the big questions in legal education: Which education? Whose law?

We are delighted to invite legal educators, scholars, researchers and practitioners to submit papers and posters on legal education and learning for the annual Association of Law Teacher Conference.

Legal education, its delivery and its regulation have faced significant challenges and undergone significant changes in recent years. As we emerge into a new world it is an opportune moment to ask ourselves whether the answers to the ‘big questions’ have changed. What is the purpose of legal education? What are its aims? Who is it for? How should we deliver it? How should it respond to changes in the legal and broader world? What makes successful legal education and how would we know? What is the role of the legal educator and what is the role of the law student?

We welcome research papers, case studies and the sharing of best practice related to all themes within legal education, and would particularly encourage papers in the following areas:

New areas of focus for legal education
New forms of curriculum design
New and changing ways of training legal professionals
Perspectives of interdisciplinary legal education
How to teach specific areas of law – challenges and controversies
Legal education and current global challenges
The well-being and flourishing of legal academics
Teaching for well-being
Policy and regulatory questions in legal education and training
Comparative perspectives on legal education
Physical and virtual spaces for learning
Empirical studies on legal education
Critical and radical perspectives on legal education and learning
Lessons for legal education from other disciplines
Alternative forms of legal education
We also welcome proposals for panels and other novel sessions on pressing topics and other relevant themes.

We would particularly welcome papers and posters which come from a variety of jurisdictional perspectives. We would also encourage new perspectives on legal education, whether from a methodological standpoint, or from new and diverse voices, including scholars and practitioners who have not previously worked within legal education. As well as well-developed research projects and case studies, we warmly welcome work in progress.

We would encourage early career legal researchers, scholars and educators who have undertaken case studies and research work for higher education qualifications to consider submitting papers or posters based on this work.

The conference will be running sessions to capture general themes, so will welcome topics which do not fall into the above categories. The default format is that each parallel session will include 3 individual papers of 20 minutes each.

Submission of Paper Proposals

All proposals should be submitted to [email protected] on or before 13th March, 2023 with the words ‘ALT Paper Proposal’ included in the subject line.

Proposals should contain the following core information:

Title of the presentation/paper/session.
Names and any affiliations of those attending the conference to present the paper.
Contact details for a corresponding speaker who will be the main point of contact for the conference organisers.
A brief statement as to how, if at all, the paper fits into the conference theme or suggested areas
An abstract of no more than 300 words which should provide a short description of the topic of the proposed paper and the arguments put forward, or to be explored, in the session, including any relevant details on the research and/or literature which it engages with or draws upon.
Whether you wish your paper to be entered into the Stan Marsh competition (see below).

The following additional details are also requested, as appropriate:

Any additional IT requirements (note that a PC and PowerPoint will be available as standard).
If you are intending to deliver an interactive session, or are using any format other than default paper format, a brief indication of the structure of the session and any facilities or special layout required.
Details of any day or time during the conference that you would not be able to present your paper. Note that it will be assumed that you are able to present at any time during the conference unless you provide details of any restrictions on the day/time you require when submitting the proposal. The organisers will endeavour to accommodate these requests, but bear in mind that it may not be possible in every case.

All submissions will be peer reviewed by members of the Conference Team and acceptance decisions will be made and communicated to the corresponding speaker by email in time for you to be able to book at the early bird booking rate.

Submission of Poster Proposals

Submissions to display posters based on the conference themes are welcomed. All poster proposals should be submitted to [email protected] , on or before 13th March, 2023 with ‘ALT Poster Proposal’ in the subject line.

Proposals should contain the following core information:

Title of the poster.
Names and any affiliations of those attending the conference to discuss the poster.
Contact details for a corresponding attendee who will be the main point of contact for the conference organisers.
A brief statement as to which how it relates to the conference themes, if at all.
An abstract of no more than 300 words which should provide a short description of the topic, content, arguments, and conclusions of the proposed poster, including, where relevant, any research or literature which the poster has drawn upon or engaged with.
The size of your poster (e.g. A2). Posters should ideally be produced at A2 size, although smaller posters can be accommodated providing they remain clear and accessible.
Whether you wish your poster to be entered into the Stan Marsh competition (see below).

Please note that unfortunately posters cannot be displayed at the conference if that have not been submitted in advance and accepted via this general call process.

Stan Marsh Bursaries

The Association of Law Teachers offers three types of bursaries for members wishing to attend the annual conference:

First Attendance Bursary: This bursary is open to any teacher of law in the HE or FE sector who is attending their first ALT conference and is unable to secure full conference fees from their employing institution.
School/College Bursary: This bursary is open to any teacher teaching Law (in its widest sense) in a School or College of Further Education and is unable to secure full conference fees from their employing institution.
Doctoral Student Bursary: This bursary is open to any student on a ‘D’ level programme investigating/researching legal education (in any jurisdiction).

Each bursary will cover the full costs of the conference. Delegates will be responsible for their own travel costs and accommodation where this is not included in the full conference fee.

Applicants for the Bursary must be members of the Association in the year in which the conference takes place. Full details are available here. The application should be made on the form available here and must be emailed to the ALT Secretary with the subject line as STAN MARSH BURSARY by the deadline.

Stan Marsh Best Paper Prize and Stan Marsh Best Poster Prize

The Association of Law Teachers is delighted to announce that we will again be awarding prizes for the best paper and best poster presented at this year’s ALT Conference.

Submission for ‘Best Paper’ Prize:

When you complete the attached submission form, please indicate that you would like your paper to be considered for the Stan Marsh Best Paper Prize.
You will then be required to submit your full written paper to [address] no later than 13th March, 2022 if you wish to be considered for the prize.
Emails should contain ‘Stan Marsh Best Paper Submission’ in the subject line.
It is possible to submit the same paper for both the Chris Gale and Stan Marsh prizes.

Submission for ‘Best Poster’ Prize:

All posters will automatically be considered for the ‘Best Poster’ prize.
Posters will be judged by the panel during the first day of the conference.
Posters do not need to be sent in advance.

The judging panel for both of the Stan Marsh prizes will consist of members of the ALT Committee and they will judge the entries based on the criteria listed below.

Criteria for ‘Best Paper’:

A strong educational message or finding that is:
- based on existing and/or developing pedagogical research; and,
- linked to the conference themes (see above).
Engagement of audience.
Clear coverage.

Criteria for ‘Best Poster’:

A strong educational message or finding that is:
- based on existing and/or developing pedagogical research; and,
- linked to the conference themes (see above).
Eye-catching poster.
Appropriate use of poster format.
Clear coverage.

The winners will be announced at the Annual Dinner.

The prize for the best paper is £250 and the prize for the best poster is £100.

Chris Gale Memorial Prize

The ALT is again honoured to be able to award the Chris Gale Memorial Prize, awarded jointly with the Committee of Heads of UK Law Schools (CHULS). The prize will be given to the best joint paper presented at the conference and aims to celebrate values of collegiality, collaboration, and support in legal education research.

Submission for Chris Gale Memorial Prize:

When you complete the attached submission form, please indicate that you would like your paper to be considered for the Chris Gale Memorial Prize.

It is possible to submit the same paper for both the Chris Gale and Stan Marsh prizes.

The judging panel for the Prize will consist of members of the ALT Committee and they will judge the entries based on the criteria listed below. The prize for the best joint paper is £250, shared between the paper’s presenters.

Criteria for Chris Gale Memorial Prize: