Editorial

Our first three items deal with well-being in the legal professions. Melville et al. look at how Junior Academics are pressured in Australian university law schools; Soon et al. consider the problem of how to satisfy psychological needs and well-being among solicitors in the UK; and Chlap et al. look at how workplace characteristics affect stress and empathy among lawyers in Australia. Altogether these underline the importance of considering the effects of legal work and learning on the mental health of lawyers, law students, legal educators and clients. Chan et al. analyse what happened when ‘judicial scriveners’, a lower form of legal professional than ‘bengoshi’, were given rights of audience in lower courts in Japan. Although effects are masked by other issues, the expansion of lawyers available to conduct litigation did not result in increased litigation and clients in general preferred to instruct bengoshi rather than judicial scriveners, despite relatively lower fees. Two legal education articles from China and Australia end this issue. Yuan shows how the theory/practice dichotomy has been played out in the People’s Republic of China since the inception of a new Juris Master degree in 1996. Intended to be more practice oriented, the JM suffered problems from social, cultural and political perspectives. Yuan suggests a competence-based educational scheme of problem-based learning, international perspectives and professional lawyers teaching with practical experience, which might also lessen central state control. Douglas et al. give the views of Australian lawyers on how planning conflicts may be settled by alternative dispute resolution systems. Learning from mentors proved to be a very useful addition to training.