Professor Sue Prince, Professor of Law at the University of Exeter - Inaugural Lecture

The last 30 years have been a period in which higher education has undergone a distinct change towards more emphasis on the needs and interests of the student. Similarly, in civil justice there is greater emphasis on the impact of court services on the user. In legal education the growth of pro bono has brought students into direct contact with those who desire legal advice. This lecture will set out how the lens has swivelled in recent years towards the needs of the user: in higher education, the student, and in law: the potential user of the court. In tertiary education the introduction of fees, marketisation and technology have wrought immense change in how universities view students, employers, alumni and others with potential interest in higher education. In civil justice, reductions in legal aid and new technologies have led to greater emphasis on the litigant in person.

The lecture will ask whether real change can be achieved through mutual understanding, collaboration and compromise with users in courts and universities, or whether there is a need for disparity, resistance and adversarialism to innovate successfully.

If you wish to attend the above lecture, which is followed by a drinks reception, you must reserve a seat and all seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

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18:00 - Doors opening
18:30 - Welcome/introduction (prompt start)
18:40 - Inaugural lecture
19:20 - Q&A
19:35 - Closing
19:40 - Drinks reception - Amory HUB
20:30 - Finish