At Play in the Field of Dreams: Theorising Attitudes, Perceptions and Practices of Law Students in conjunction with the Reflections of Early Career Commercial Lawyers

Yau, Barry, and Catanzariti, David (2020) At Play in the Field of Dreams: Theorising Attitudes, Perceptions and Practices of Law Students in conjunction with the Reflections of Early Career Commercial Lawyers. Law in Context, 37 (1). pp. 114-133.

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Abstract

Australian law schools are tasked with forming students in their knowledge and understanding of the law, with many students aiming to fulfil their dreams of pursuing a legal career. Utilising Bourdieu’s conceptual tools, this article considers whether aspirations of being “real lawyers” are significantly influenced by motifs of career success predominantly linked to an “elite” tier of law practice. The attitudes and perceptions of law students can also positively or adversely shape their career path amidst the information at play in the law school space. Drawing on qualitative data, we have applied Bourdieu’s tools to understand undergraduate and practical legal training students’ responses to notions of career accomplishment. This is contrasted with the reflections of early career commercial lawyers about their law school experiences. With comparisons to contemporary surveys and research on student services for law students, along with their wellbeing, the article reasons that the assorted ambitions of law students requires a law school environment promoting a more diversified perspective of “real law” and “real lawyering”.

Item ID: 76633
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1839-4183
Keywords: Bourdieu, practical legal training, legal careers, real law, real lawyering
Copyright Information: © 2018 Law in Context. All Rights Reserved | Terms of Use and Privacy.
Date Deposited: 31 Oct 2022 00:04
FoR Codes: 48 LAW AND LEGAL STUDIES > 4804 Law in context > 480409 Legal education @ 20%
48 LAW AND LEGAL STUDIES > 4805 Legal systems > 480505 Legal practice, lawyering and the legal profession @ 80%
SEO Codes: 23 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 2399 Other law, politics and community services > 239999 Other law, politics and community services not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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