Key Findings

• There is room for improvement in the way that many law students engage with their studies i.e. decreasing class attendance rates, few of their teachers knew them, little interaction with peers for formal or informal study.
• Most students did not have employment arranged and were not confident they would be able to find employment. Many did not feel prepared to join the workforce or that they had received any helpful career advice. The majority had completed self-arranged work experience or voluntary work as opposed to any university arranged work. Participants continued to report low levels of psychological wellbeing.
• Post-law school experiences were more positive i.e. only a small number were actively looking for work; improved self-ratings or work-related skills, attributes and wellbeing. There was a clear message from students that law schools should better prepare students for the workforce and the development of practical work-related skills.
• Gender trends – female students reported greater interest in female dominated areas of legal practice; female students reported lower levels of self-confidence and lower levels of psychological wellbeing. Female graduates were more likely to report that they were employed, less likely to be working for a law firm or in a Government position. Female graduates were less likely to report that they were “very satisfied” with their law school experience.
• Participants reported decreasing levels of social interaction with their peers and continued to report relatively low levels of study-related interaction with their peers.
• Many students reported that few of their teachers knew them.
• Although participants reported positive actual and anticipated academic outcomes, indications are that many do not engage frequently in active or deep learning activities.
• Participants reported that lecture attendance rates continued to drop, as did the time that many reported spending on self-study. Having confirmed the existence of this divergence and the particular form it takes, law schools have a unique opportunity to respond.
• A majority of final year law students in 2019 had employment arranged for after they finished their studies, and many felt prepared to join the workforce. However, many of those who did not have employment arranged were not confident they would be able to find work.
• Most participants were positive about in their self-ratings in respect of a series of work-related activities. Many, though, were less positive in their self-ratings of attributes associated with “real-world” legal practice.
• Participants who were still enrolled at law school continued to report levels of likely psychological wellbeing that were lower than those reported in the general population.
• The reported post-law school experiences of graduates was more positive. High employment rates were reported, as was the reported use of their law degree in their work.
• Graduates were most frequently employed in law-related work, and almost all had completed or were intending to complete the Professional Legal Studies course.
• Many graduates found helping people to be a fulfilling aspect of their employment, although many reported workload management as a source of stress.
• Most graduates were satisfied with their work-life balance.
• Looking back, many graduates described the culture of their law school and negative terms and reported that law schools could better improve students for the workforce by placing greater emphasis on the development of practical skills, and on providing careers-based advice.
• Most graduates, looking back, were satisfied with their law school experience and would choose to study law again if they could go back in time.

Key Recommendations

• Room for improvement in law students’ reported engagement with their studies and their levels of pyschological wellbeing.
• Focus at law school level to determine and agree on suitable outcomes for legal education at undergraduate level which will promote greater positive student engagement and pyschological wellbeing.
• Focus at law school is to consider the feedback from final year students and graduates about better preparing students to join the workforce.

It is recommended that law schools and staff:

• Review and settle on desired outcomes in terms of skills and attributes of law graduates.
• Develop learning outcomes and assessment programmes for individual courses that ensure that students will complete with the desired skills and attributes and in a manner that promotes positive engagement and psychological wellbeing.
• Ascertain staff development need and, if necessary, resource staff development in appropriate teaching and assessment practices.
• Adopt a collegial approach and lobby for regulatory change at the Council of Legal Education level as to how the LLB degree is taught and assessed in order to better promote positive student engagement and wellbeing.