On the 15 April GAJE and CLEO held a joint online event to celebrate the publication of a new text book, Street Law: Theory and Practice.
Professor Amy Wallace (New York Law School), was in conversation with authors, Frances Ridout (Queen Mary University of London) and Linden Thomas (University of Birmingham), discussing the origins of the book, its contents and its position within the current literature. The speakers discussed the challenge of translating the Street Law methodology onto paper, and capturing its distinctive spirit of interactivity, collaboration and community on the page.
The authors took attendees through the contents, explaining how chapters can be used collectively, or as standalone resources to support students on a module or project. They also discussed how the book can be used as a framework for academics developing Street Law or other clinical courses. In order to demonstrate how the book can operate as an independent study resource for students, or a teaching tool for educators, participants undertook some of the interactive, workbook style activities from a chapter on teamwork.
The hosts were delighted to welcome attendees from around the globe, who participated in a wide-ranging discussion inspired by the book, which addressed assessment methods for Street Law, prompts for Street Law sessions and the power of reflection within experiential learning. The event also gave Street Law practitioners the opportunity to discuss the challenges that they have faced and opportunities they have encountered in implementing aspects of the Street Law methodology within their institutions and how these have been overcome. For example, there was a report of Street Law practitioners encountering scepticism as to whether interactive teaching is possible with larger groups, which was de-bunked with an example of a successful Street Law session where 1500 people participated in a mock trial relating to R v Dudley and Stephens!
At the heart of Street Law is a teaching pedagogy. Through discussion and questions, the event highlighted the different ways that the Street Law approach to teaching can be used beyond the scope of clinical legal education and explore the potential for greater interdisciplinary collaboration.
Towards the end of the event, the authors were asked to reflect on those areas they might develop further in any future iterations of the book. Suggestions included an exploration of Generative Artificial Intelligence and its role in Street Law, public legal education and access to justice, and the potential for using legal design methods and principles within Street Law. The authors also noted the formative role that Street Law can play for students who participate in it, not least because of its ability to prompt friendships to develop and to enable students to experience collaboration and to learn through peer-to-peer interaction. Something that is equally true for those who teach Street Law, as the CLEO and GAJE Street Law communities demonstrated at this celebratory event.
Thank you to all who so generously gave their time to attend and made contributions to the discussion.
Thank you to Professor Amy Wallace, Lucy Wildig, GAJE, and CLEO for the kind invitation to run this event and support doing so.