If only I knew then what I need to know now: Lessons from the future

Over the last three decades the nature of legal practice has changedsignificantly. I will illustrate this by reference to my experience with the changing scope and scale of Mallesons’ practice since the early 1980s. Then I will offer my views as to the knowledge and skills one needs today to be prepared for the changed practice of law in a large international firm. I agree with those who argue that the role of a law school is not only to teach the science of the law but also to prepare a student for life as a lawyer.1 If preparing a student for the profession of the law is one of the roles of the law school, one needs to understand the realities of legal practice in 2012 to determine what needs to be taught as part of the curriculum at law school. It also needs to be understood bylaw firms, local professional societies and continuing legal educational institutions as part of their ongoing educational programmes.