Foreword

5

Foreword
The School of Law at the University of Northumbria has run a programme of clinical legal
education since 1980. All students on our exempting law degrees participate in this programme.
We had long been considering publishing some kind of journal specifically dealing with Clinical
Legal Education. Two things prompted the format and scope which we have decided upon. First,
when I attended the Commonwealth Legal Education Conference in Jamaica in December 1998, 
I discovered just how much exciting work there was going on around the world. We already had
many contacts in the United States but the existence of so many programmes both well established
and new was most impressive. From those people I spoke to there was a strong feeling that we had
a lot to share and learn both from our similarities and differences. Once we had started the ball
rolling more and more contacts around the world appeared and I’m sure this process will continue.
The other factor which has helped us enormously is the growth of electronic communication,
which makes a truly international editorial board so much easier than even five years ago. We are
however anxious that those not on the internet should not be excluded from this venture and
welcome contributions by post and fax. The editorial board will, we hope grow, to include regions
and areas of expertise not as yet covered. 

At the end of October 2000 I left the University. Cath Sylvester has taken over as editor of the
journal. I look forward, with enthusiasm, to seeing the development of something which was at
least to start with ‘my baby’ as someone who knows they won’t have any more nappy changing! 

Goodbye and good luck.

Tessa Green

We hope that this new journal will provide a forum for discussion on clinical legal education
across the world. To this end we welcome contributions from those involved in the provision of
legal education and students alike. We have tried to encourage both discussion on some of the
underlying pedagogical issues affecting clinical legal education as well as providing a forum for
consideration of more practical issues, including the development and format of specific clinical
programmes. We are in the rare position as legal academics to work in a field of legal education
which is not confined by subject matter to a particular geographical area. We look forward with
enthusiasm to stimulating a truly international debate on all aspects of clinical legal education and
also look forward to responses to this edition. We welcome contributions to future editions of the
journal.

Tessa Green and I would particularly like to thank Judith Dickson, Neil Gold and Roy Stuckey for
their help with this first edition as well as the staff at the University of Northumbria. I would also
like to thank Tessa for her hard work and enthusiasm in starting this journal.

Cath Sylvester

Editor



6

Journal of Clinical Legal Education November 2000