COLLEGE OF LAW TO INTRODUCE AUSTRALIA’S FIRST

MASTER OF LEGAL BUSINESS DEGREE

Dr George Beaton heads high-profile program board

SYDNEY, September 25, 2018: The College of Law (the College) has appointed a high-profile international program board to guide the introduction of a new legal business-focused Masters degree for professionals working in the legal services industry.

The flagship will be the Master of Legal Business (MLB)^*, a 12-subject degree that teaches the business skills professionals working in legal services need to take on senior management and leadership positions and to tackle the challenges of tomorrow’s business world.  The College is progressively launching the MLB with the first subjects to  commence early in 2019. These subjects can be taken as part of a pathway toward the MLB or as standalone subjects.

Legal services industry authority and author Dr George Beaton has been appointed Chair of the program  board developing the course and its content.  He will be assisted by eight business and legal industry experts, including two from from the US and UK, to ensure the course is at the global cutting-edge of business strategies.

The College is introducing the MLB in response to market research indicating that legal industry professionals need future-focused business and management skills to accelerate their careers as business leaders and succeed in the rapidly changing legal services industry landscape and marketplace.  

Mr Neville Carter, Group Chief Executive Officer of the College, said the MLB will be a special Masters degree designed to teach business and leadership skills to professionals working in private practice and inhouse legal services in Australia and New Zealand.  

“The MLB will be aimed at lawyers, general managers and functional specialists aspiring to lead in law firms and legal departments, or who wish to consolidate their current leadership roles.”

“The College has brought together some of the best business and legal minds to design a degree that responds to the transformational changes in the industry, including the impact of innovation and technology.”

“Clients expect their legal advisors to be trusted business partners who understand the commercial drivers of their businesses. They want lawyers and other professionals who can deliver faster, better cheaper services, prevent and solve problems, innovate and collaborate,” Mr Carter said.

Dr George Beaton said he is excited by the opportunity to develop a Masters degree that focuses on the business of law.

“I was delighted when the College invited me to lead their program  board for the MLB.  With Australasia-wide coverage and a focus on the practice and business of law, the College is uniquely positioned as the provider of choice for this program.”

“The lack of training in business skills is a major shortcoming in the education of most lawyers.  And there are yawning gaps between demand and the supply of lawyers and specialists trained in management and leadership within the legal profession.”

“While you may have excellent technical skills, this will only get you so far in your career. You need to understand where legal practice is heading, not where it’s been. The MLB will address this gap by teaching business, leadership and technology skills to the future leaders of the legal services industry,” Dr Beaton said.

Master of Legal Business - Program Board

• Dr George Beaton (Chair of MLB Program Board), Executive Chairman, Beaton Research + Consulting
• Mark Cohen, CEO Legal Mosaic, Washington DC, USA
• Fiona Croswell, Learning & Development Manager ALPMA, Sydney, Australia
• Janelle Kerrisk, Director & Co-founder Helix Legal, Brisbane Australia
• Michelle Mahoney, Executive Director Innovation King & Wood, Mallesons, Melbourne, Australia
• Terri Mottershead, Director Centre for Legal Innovation, Brisbane, Australia
• Bronwyn Pott, Practice Director at Griffith Hack, Sydney, Australia
• Steven Walker, CEO and Founder Gen2Law, Sydney, Australia
• Barry Wilkinson, Wilkinson Read & Partners, Warwickshire, UK

For a preview of the subjects available in early 2019 and to register your interest see https://www.collaw.edu.au/mlb

Media enquiries:

Amy Leiper: 0414 643 446
Email: amy.leiper@thoughtbroker.com.au

About The College of Law

The College of Law is the school of professional practice for lawyers in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. We are the largest provider of practical legal training in Australasia. We now service more than 4,000 students annually, making us the leader in legal education and training for professional practice across Australasia. Our mission is to deliver innovative, practice-focused legal education and training to enhance the careers of practising professionals across Australasia and its region.

With over 60,000 graduates since opening in 1974, our alumni are spread across all facets of legal services in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The College’s teaching staff help set us apart from similar institutions through our focus on practical law and the needs of the practising professional in today’s legal services industry.