Commonwealth Attorney General the Honourable Philip Ruddock MP has today visited the Gold Coast to open Bond University’s new state-of-the-art Legal Skills Centre.
The new Centre, which will be a pivotal training facility for Bond’s law students, is one of the leading facilities of its type in the world and features a range of high technology moot courts, mediation and dispute resolution rooms and flexible teaching spaces.
Dean of the Faculty of Law at Bond University, Professor Duncan Bentley, said the Legal Skills Centre will give Bond’s Law students access to 21st century facilities that will allow them to practice their legal skills in a realistic setting.
“The Centre has been modelled on input provided by judges, legal practitioners and our Faculty staff and is designed to give students experience in practicing their legal skills in a simulated courtroom environment, ensuring that, as graduates, they will be able to walk into any courtroom and feel right at home,” he said.
“Employers have consistently recognised that it is these high-level practical skills that set Bond graduates apart from their peers.
“The Legal Skills Centre will provide the setting and the technology to ensure we maintain this reputation and continue our international leadership in legal skills education; producing exceptional graduates with a strong practical and professional focus,” Professor Bentley said.
The $10.2 million building, designed over two levels, replicates the latest technology used in Australian courts and is equipped with electronic evidence management systems (‘the paperless courtroom’), video conferencing, wireless networking and video streaming, as well as the latest teaching technologies.
Announcing the opening of the building, Mr Ruddock said the resources provided in the Centre support the direction legal practice is taking in Australia.
“These facilities showcase the forward vision of the law school and Bond University,” Mr Ruddock said.
The Legal Skills Centre will also be used by both legal professionals and the general community.
Bond University’s Faculty of Law boasts a world-class curriculum that incorporates the only fully integrated, incremental Legal Skills Program of its kind in Australia. Its success depends upon the personalised learning environment that provides the opportunity for each student to make the most of their individual potential.
In surveys conducted by Graduate Careers Australia, Bond Law has ranked number one in student satisfaction a record nine times, with graduates citing the small class sizes and one-on-one mentoring provided by their teachers as a key point of distinction between Bond Law and other law schools. Those same independent surveys also show that Bond Law graduates have close to 100% success in securing employment.