Supervision in the Legal Profession

Michael J. McNamara is a lecturer in law at Flinders University and an adjunct research fellow at the Griffith University Law Futures Centre (both in Australia). Prior to becoming a full-time academic, Michael worked as a solicitor in a range of legal practice settings including: a top-tier national firm; a small commercial firm; and as a sole practitioner. Michael has also supervised law students in a live-client clinic based in a community legal centre.

This book is about supervision in the legal profession with a focus on the experience of novice lawyers. It is the first of its kind. Until now there have been a range of books dedicated to professional supervision in many disciplines, but not law. Supervision is an important link between formal university-based legal education and independent practice and is relevant to a range of contemporary legal practice issues including changes driven by technology, workplace culture, regulating law firm management, and well-being. This book aims to be scholarly and practical. It provides an overview of how supervision is positioned in the legal regulatory framework; it describes how supervision is conceived in the legal profession and practice management literature; and draws lessons from clinical legal education and other professional disciplines. By reporting on survey data, this book also provides insights into practitioners' attitudes and perceptions about supervision inlegal practice.

Is the first book dedicated to the topic of professional supervision in the context of legal practice

1. Supervision: Linking Legal Education and Legal Practice.- 2. Supervision Dimensions of the Legal Profession Regulatory Framework.- 3. The Legal Practice Environment: Constraining Supervision.- 4. Supervision in Clinical Legal Education.- 5. Professional Supervision in Other Disciplines: Lessons for Lawyers.- 6. The Functions of Supervision in Legal Practice.- 7. Supervisory Relationships in Legal Practice.- 8. Towards Effective Supervision for the Legal Profession.