Creating a Culturally Sensitive Law Curriculum

This case study explores the practical implementation of the Culturally Sensitive Curriculum Scales (CSCS) in the context of legal curricula. It considers the findings of the NERUPI (Network Evaluating and Researching University Participation Interventions) CSCS research project in relation to legal curricula generally and the legal curriculum at The University of Law (ULaw) in particular. It explores the various approaches to law as a discipline and considers how the findings of the CSCS research project can inform these. Key areas of concern highlighted by the use of the CSCS in legal curricula are in relation to the scales of representation and negative portrayals. The case study explores how the practice of creating so-called neutral scenarios in law curricula may be problematic. Such scenarios may help legal education providers to avoid negative portrayals in their curricula, but the neutrality of them may also prevent representation and obstruct important contextual learning and critical discussion. The case study details how the CSCS scales were implemented at ULaw, how the findings led to practical change and provides recommendations for further work in developing culturally sensitive legal curricula.