Clinical legal education: Identifying required pedagogical components

Abstract

Clinical legal education is mainly a practical course, although it includes training in the substantive law. University law clinics generally have to satisfy two main objectives, namely teaching of students and service to the community. Clinical teaching methods can make distinctive contributions to student learning. Clinical pedagogy consists of three main categories, namely the clinic experience, classroom instruction and tutorial sessions. These, as well as specialised clinical units, are discussed. Clinic duties expose students to real consultations with live clients posing with real problems, ensuring a sustainable platform for teaching and learning. Classroom instructions are required for substantive law review and teaching in fields such as professionalism and ethics. Tutorials are the most focused form of instruction, where the clinical experiences and classroom instructions are transferred into legal practice.