Are We There Yet? Indigenous Cultural Competency in Legal Education

Abstract

The Indigenous Cultural Competency for Legal Academics Program (ICCLAP) was designed to promote the incorporation of Indigenous cultural competency (ICC) in legal education with a view to creating inclusive learning environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law students, and to build ICC in all students. This paper will discuss the project’s activities and key findings from the literature review, consultation process and survey of law schools on the current state of play with respect to embedding ICC in legal curricula. These findings set out barriers and constraints, critical success factors, and guiding principles for embedding ICC in law programs. It concludes by emphasising the need for ICC to be developed in collaboration with local Indigenous communities, recognising the place-based nature of Indigenous knowledges, and within a framework of legal pluralism.