CIVIL DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN AUSTRALIA: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF THE TEACHING OF THE TOPIC OF ADR IN THE CORE LEGAL CURRICULUM

This article describes a research project exploring the diverse ways that Australian law schools offer alternative or appropriate dispute resolution ('ADR') as part of the core curriculum. Since an amendment to the 'Priestley 11' required areas of study for admission to practice, ADR is now a topic in the renamed area of Civil Dispute Resolution (formerly known as Civil Procedure). This article reports on a research project that uses content analysis to map and explore the provision of ADR core education in Australia. Our research shows most universities combined ADR into the teaching of Civil Procedure and gave less focus to ADR than civil procedure. A signifi cant number of law programs used the term Civil Dispute Resolution, indicating an adoption of the Priestley 11 approach to this study area. The data shows a trend to integrate the two areas of ADR and civil procedure which resonates with a vocational view of legal education and recognises the mainstreaming of ADR in dealing with disputes.