Diversity in provision of clinical legal education (CLE): A strength or weakness in an integrated programme of curriculum development?

Abstract

In a paper published in the International Journal for Clinical Legal Education of 2000 (No 1 of November 2000), the result of a survey that was carried under the sub-title "country studies" relating to the provision of clinical legal education in a number of African countries, was analysed. In the concluding remarks, an argument was made for a "progressive integrated and holistic skills development programme in university law school curricula" possibly in Africa. The question which now needs serious reflection is whether such an integrated and holistic clinical legal education programme for Africa and indeed around the world is practically possible, given such diverse factors like structures, mechanisms and other variables employed in delivering clinical legal education in the different jurisdictions globally. In this study, therefore, we shall examine inter alia diversity as a concept; explore the possibility of contextualising the debates on diversity in the arena of curricula for CLE; establish and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of diversity in the context of CLE; and showcase the experience of some universities in Africa engaged in streamlining their curricula for clinical legal education. In particular, we shall focus the discussion by examining the challenges and lessons to be learnt in developing an integrated CLE curriculum in South Africa. This is contextually significant, given issues and factors relating to globalisation in the context of South Africa's emerging new dispensation characterised by a highly multicultural society and her new constitutional and democratic order. By engaging in such a debate and addressing the above and other related issues it is hoped that sufficient arguments will have been generated and will continue to be developed to provoke more thoughts and deeper reflection in the area of diversity and curriculum development in South Africa in particular and in other jurisdictions generally.