Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
I am the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Law at Bond University, and a former commercial lawyer. I have been an academic since 1996. I am passionate about legal education and the role of law schools in modern society. My areas of teaching expertise include law in context, legal theory, animal law, business law, and company law.
My research is characterised by four overlapping themes:
- The development of legal reasoning and critical thinking skills by law students: In my doctoral thesis I applied Foucauldian theory to explore and explain the inconsistency and marginalisation of critique within Australian legal education. Since then I have continued to conduct research in an effort to resolve these inconsistencies and construct a practical and relevant pedagogy for the teaching and assessment of legal reasoning and critical legal thinking.
- The critical analysis and evaluation of law teaching programs, projects and problems: I have published papers and engaged in projects about law program objectives, law student mentoring programs, 100% final exams and other assessment for law students, law student wellbeing, animal law education, and climate law education.
- The application of Foucauldian theoretical frameworks and methodologies to law and legal issues: I have published papers focussing upon Foucauldian analyses of legal education, cybercrime regulation, corporate crime, and academic resistance to teaching reform.
- Foundational law textbooks: I am the author if two leading textbooks: Business Law and The New Lawyer, a first year law textbook co-authored with Rachael Field and Jackson Walkden-Brown. Both are publushed by Wiley.
Statement for HDR students
There are two areas in which I am interested in supervising a HDR project:
- The development of legal reasoning and critical thinking skills by law students
- The critical analysis and evaluation of law teaching programs, projects and problems
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Law, PhD, Power-Knowledge and Critique in Australian Legal Education 1987-2003, Queensland University of Technology
Award Date: 16 Sept 2004
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 3 Active
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Climate Action Legal Research Team
Rogers, N., James, N., Boulle, L., Chen, Y., Bedford, N., Styrylska, J., Asgarian, H., Thomas, R., Lister, M., Taylor, A. & Watters, C.
13/03/24 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Legal Education 2030 and Beyond: Wellness in Context
James, N., 15 Feb 2024, p. 2-2. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › Research
Open AccessFile66 Downloads (Pure) -
The New Lawyer
James, N., Field, R. M. & Walkden-Brown, J., Jan 2024, 3 ed. Wiley & Sons Australia. 512 p.Research output: Book/Report › Scholarly edition › Education › peer-review
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Climate Litigation Update
James, N., 15 Jun 2023.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › Research
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Dawn of the Cyber-Directors: Enterprise Governance, ESG and AI
James, N., 25 May 2023.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › Research
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Digital Saviour ... Or Just Another Problem to Deal With : A Discourse Analysis of the Conflicting Narratives Regarding the Implications of Generative AI for the Teaching of Law
James, N., 20 Nov 2023, p. 4-4. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › Research
Open AccessFile100 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
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Legal Education Review (Journal)
Nickolas James (Member of editorial board)
Aug 2017 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial Board Member
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Australian Journal of Clinical Education (Journal)
Nickolas James (Member of editorial board)
Jan 2017 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial Board Member
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Legal Education Review (Journal)
Nickolas James (Reviewer)
2013 → Aug 2017Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Guest Editor
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Learning to be Successful in Law: Knowing, Doing, and Being
Nickolas James (Speaker) & Rachael Field (Speaker)
9 Sept 2022Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Tomorrow's Lawyers
Nickolas James (Participant)
9 Nov 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participating in a conference, workshop, ... › Other
Press/Media
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The Ongoing Internationalisation of Legal Education
26/08/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Reimagining the delivery of legal services in Australia — ‘The New Lawyers’
31/05/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Rolling with the disruption wave up to each individual
26/02/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Tech to push tomorrow’s lawyers into the ‘background’
20/10/16
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment