This two-day workshop – held on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 February 2026 – brought together legal educators from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to discuss approaches to embedding climate change and sustainability into the professionally accredited law programs (LLB and the JD courses).
The workshop provided an important opportunity take stock of the important work that has already occurred throughout Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to embed climate change across the LLB and JD degrees – from foundation-oriented units of study, through intermediate units, to capstone units of study – and to deepen and broaden this work through elective offerings.
The workshop will catalysed further strategies for transforming curricula and pedagogy to develop our students’ knowledge and capabilities in partnership with leaders of legal professional practice. It was an opportunity to share cutting-edge thinking about how we can support law graduates to develop “climate conscious” legal competencies, including interdisciplinary engagement, collaboration and problem-solving.
Speakers shared experience from different law schools around the country for institutionally embedding and scaffolding climate change considerations across the professionally accredited law degree, through incorporating program and course learning outcomes, and through constructively aligned assessment regimes and learning activities.
On the opening night of the workshop a launch was held to celebrate the publication of Becoming a Climate Conscious Lawyer: Climate Change and the Australian Legal System (La Trobe eBureau, 2024) from 5:30-7:00pm.
