Affiliation: Professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria
Country: Nigeria
Abstract: Advancing a Reflective Approach to the Practice of Law
Reflective approaches to legal practice have increasingly gained prominence as a means of enhancing professional competence and continuous learning. As the legal profession evolves, reflective practice provides a useful link between legal knowledge and human-centred lawyering. Recognizing the benefits of reflective approaches, it is imperative for legal educators to impart it to students to equip them not only with the skills demanded by the modern legal profession but also with a profound capacity for self-awareness. The paper analyzes the application of reflective approaches in areas such as client representation, legal reasoning and advocacy. By emphasizing the values of reflective approaches, the paper argues that reflective approaches to legal practice contribute to improved legal outcomes, professional accountability and effective legal practice. Using qualitative research methods, the paper addresses core dimensions of reflective practices and recommends practical measures to advance reflective practice.
Bio: Olaide Gbadamosi is a Professor, Faculty of Law and former Provost/Dean, Chairman, Committee of Provosts, Deans And Directors Osun State University, Nigeria. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Law (Igbinedion University), Bachelorâs and Masterâs Degree in Law (University of Benin), Barrister at Law. He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the Editor in Chief, Osun State University Law Journal. Professor Gbadamosi has over ninety national and international publications on Reproductive Rights and Migration Law, including three Books - HIV, Human Rights and Law, International Perspectives and Nigerian Laws on Human Trafficking and Reproductive Health and Rights (African Perspectives and Legal Issues in Nigeria). He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, United Kingdom, Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom and Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, United Kingdom. He is an External Examiner to many Universities in Nigeria and overseas and has presented several papers in conferences in Nigeria and overseas.
Where presenting: ŸĆĐăֱȄ Law virtual Symposium
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Affiliation: Clinical Legal Education Supervisor, University of Manchester
Country: United Kingdom
Abstract: Reflective Practice Assessment as an Example of Realignment and Refraction
Reflective practice is of fundamental importance in the clinical legal education context and it is becoming increasingly common for this to be captured as part of assessment. Recording this personal perspective in an authentic way faces challenges when it is evaluated against University standard learning outcomes and marking criteria. I conducted a study of the staff perspective of this in 2017 which led to an article in the Teaching in Higher Education journal setting out evidence of behaviours I categorized as both realignment and refraction. I am now in the process of capturing the student perspective, most notably in relation to the impact of GenAI on assessment in recent years.
Bio: I qualified as a solicitor in the UK in 2003. Since 2004 I have been working in legal education with extensive experience at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels. I have an LLM in Human Rights and a PhD in Educational Research, and the focus of this was a comparative study of legal education in England and Canada. I worked at Kaplan in 2024 so am familiar with the challenges associated with entry level qualifications into the legal sector. I now work with students in Manchester to provide free legal advice to members of the public as part of a pioneering service learning project.
Where presenting: Association of Law Teachers (ALT) Conference
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Affiliation: Assistant Professor, University of Nottingham School of Law
Country: England
Abstract: A Collaborative Reflection on Approaches to Reflective Learning for Students of Law
This presentation is co-presented with Leela Cejnar. Interdisciplinary collaboration is becoming an increasingly important workplace skill (Rowe & Zegwaard, 2017) but the approaches to cross disciplinary and interdisciplinary learning depends on the teaching context. It is proposed that this context can provide professional learning for the student of law as well as for the legal academic teaching them.
As academics from different institutional backgrounds and different law-based programmes, our research focuses on how reflective learning is both interpreted and experienced by students from diverse backgrounds (Burkett 2012). The design of reflective practice undertaken has been informed by Brookfieldâs student-centred âLetters to Successorsâ reflective approach (2017) and used in an undergraduate interdisciplinary module, and this is compared with co-operative collaboration as a method of introducing opportunities for individual professional reflective learning for LLM students (Race 2006).
This reflective presentation will share the teacher and learner journeys, and the commonalities identified regarding the impact of reflective learning between two groups of students and their teaching focused academics. Selected theoretical frameworks will be discussed pertaining to reflective practice (Brookfield, 2017; Harvey, Coulson & McMaugh 2016). Our thematic analysis methodology (Braun & Clarke, 2006) can be adapted and implemented by delegates from any discipline/institution.
Our presentation will share how in partnership with students we use and adapt reflective learning to improve student confidence, criticality, and meta-cognition within our respective programmes. Professional Learning here is based on the intentional communication with a colleague and the curation of a balanced and supported conversational space, which creates that opportunity for authenticity, recognition of feelings, mentoring, and peer connection, as well as future planning and development (Baker, Jensen & Kolb 2002). This collaborative reflection aims to share with fellow educators how reflection can underpin lifelong learning for both the student and teacher.
Bio: Hannah Gibbons-Jones is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham School of Law. Hannah has a teaching background in Child and Family Law and has taught Legal Skills for scholarship at undergrad and postgraduate level in several universities. Hannah is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her current research interests focus on trust and student transition into and through the law degree, and cross discipline reflective learning for academics and disciplinary skill acquisition by UG & PG students. She is currently working on the Understanding Legal Literacy and Disciplinary Skills (U.L.L.a.D.S) reading research project using eye tracking data to assess student engagement in reading and navigation of primary sources of law.
Where presenting: Nottingham Trent Centre for Legal Education Conference (NTCLE)
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Affiliation: Associate Dean (Experiential Education) and Professor of Law, Monash University
Country: Australia
Abstract: Empowering Collective Reflection in Experiential Learning and Enhancing Reflective Supervision
Collective reflection (or âreflective roundsâ) creates spaces that encourage clinic students to first reflect themselves and then share those reflections with peers and their supervisor (for in-house clinics and Street Law programs) or the coordinator (for externships). Beyond clinics, collective reflection resonates with students in simulation-based negotiation and ADR courses. In clinical legal education, case rounds are often focused on problem solving and hypothesis building. There is scope for also including rounds that operate as a âdebriefing sessionâ with opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences and share insights with colleagues. Preparing supervisors for enabling and facilitating these sorts of reflective rounds presents a challenge: insights on how to support reflective supervision will be shared based on research and professional experience.
Bio: Jeff Giddings is Associate Dean (Experiential Education) and Professor of Law at Monash University. Jeff has written extensively on clinical legal education and is the editor ofâŻGlobal Clinical LegalâŻEducation, published by Routledge in 2025. This book analyses the distinctive nature of clinical legal education across countries and regions. It brings together accounts from 65 contributors from 44 countries. In 2010, Jeff completed his PhD on the sustainability of clinical legal education programs. His thesis was subsequently published as a book, Promoting Justice Through Clinical Legal Education, by Justice Press. A Mandarin version of this book was published in 2017 by China-Renmin University Press. Jeff is a co-author of Australian Clinical Legal Education, published in 2017 by ANU Press. Jeff received an Australian National Teaching Fellowship in 2013 for the Effective Law Student Supervision Project.
Where presenting: TBA
Affiliation: Assistant Professor, National Forensic Sciences University
Country: India
Abstract: Pro bono and Legal Aid Clinic as Stimulants: Cultivate Professional Identity and Ethical Resilience through Reflective Legal Aid Practice
Law schoolâs play an imperative role in shaping the future of the rule of law and the justice system. Law school legal aid clinics can act as vital bridges between law and society by shifting from passive service delivery to an interactive pedagogy of reflection. In the face of a growing polycrisis and persistent justice gaps, it is imperative to move beyond traditional clinical methods toward disciplined and systematic reflection that empowers students to become agents of change. Clinical courses provide a platform for students to explore and apply various legal solutions to mitigate societal challenges. Through interactive methods including reflective case studies, circumstantial discussions explore how students can navigate disorienting moments and could be able to understand gaps in justice system. Hands- on training through on field activities designed to build core competencies such as emotional intelligence and cultural humility. By integrating these techniques into clinical courses, law schools can foster a deeper connection with marginalized communities, ensuring that reflective insights result in ethical conduct and meaningful systemic change.
Bio: Dr. Ripal Gupta is an Assistant Professor at the School of Forensic Justice and Policy Studies, National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar. With a decade of experience in legal education, her expertise spans human rights, constitutional law, and corporate law, including her recent book, Business and Human Rights (Thomson Reuters). As the Faculty Convenor of the Pro Bono and Legal Assistance Cell, Dr. Gupta focuses on integrative reflection as praxis, leading students in ground-level engagements within villages and juvenile institutions. Her work emphasizes the pedagogies of reflection required to bridge the gap between formal legal systems and marginalized communities, fostering ethical education in emerging legal professionals.
Where presenting: ŸĆĐăֱȄ Law virtual Symposium
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Affiliation: Lecturer, Université de Sherbrooke
Country: Canada
Abstract: Reflective Practice, Moral Imagination, and the Rule of Law
Threats to the rule of law increasingly arise from the lawâs strategic use. Lawyers use formal legal mechanisms to weaken the system. This phenomenon challenges traditional approaches, which assume that loyalty to the rule of law can be secured through appeals to the intrinsic value of legality. Yet recent experience suggests that justification no longer carries the sway it once did. Drawing on Richard Rortyâs moral imagination, this paper offers an alternative. For Rorty, rational argument alone cannot motivate ethical commitment. Rather, imaginative redescriptions highlighting the human and institutional consequences of action are required. Hence, this paper argues that attempts to secure commitment to the rule of law through reason are inadequate to address lawyersâ efforts to subvert democracy. What is lacking is not an ability to understand the relevant norms, but a capacity to imagine the consequences of professional complicity in institutional erosion. Accordingly, this paper supports the use of reflective learning to cultivate a moral imagination that makes the consequences of destabilizing forms of legal practice harder to ignore.
Bio: Dr. Dustin Gumpinger is an educator, lawyer, and entrepreneur whose expertise bridges law, business, education, and philosophy. He holds a SJD and LLM from the University of Toronto, a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a BA (Honours) from the University of Alberta. He co-founded Juniper Learning Design Co., which creates immersive professional learning experiences. He is also a Lecturer in the Common Law and Transnational Law program at the UniversitĂ© de Sherbrooke. His teaching spans legal ethics, business law, employment law, strategic management, and government policy. His research, teaching, and business experiences are unified by a focus on how discretionary judgments give rise to complex ethical questions. Drawing on his interdisciplinary background in legal philosophy, professional education, and learning design, Dr. Gumpinger brings a theoretically informed perspective to reflective practice in professional contexts, complementing the symposiumâs focus.
Where presenting: ŸĆĐăֱȄ Law virtual Symposium
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