Margaret Castles

Biography

After studying law and completing articles in Adelaide, I worked at the Attorney General’s Department in Canberra for several years, on various policy projects. I came back to Adelaide, to work in litigation at the Australian Government Solicitors Office, to build some practical experience into my predominantly policy based repertoire. I found that I loved litigation, and stayed. In 1996 I was becoming a bit disillusioned with legal practice, but increasingly interested in training clients to manage their own disputes, and in using mediation as a primary dispute resolution tool. In a giant leap of faith I resigned from my job with the AGS and took a part time contract position at Adelaide Law School, developing the first Clinical Legal Education program (CLE) to be offered in South Australia. It was a good move. I’ve been at the Law School ever since, managing the CLE program including the two legal advice clinics, teaching Civil Dispute Resolution and Ethics, Alternative Disute Resolution (ADR), and other subjects from time to time. I am still passionate about teaching, and finding innovative approaches to enhancing student experience in an increasingly challenging environment. I’m equally passionate about justice access – my role as the Director of Clinical Legal Education enables me to contribute to law reform initiatives in the community, often in collaboration with the courts, other organisations, but always with primary input from students on the CLE program. My research interests are somewhat broader than my actual capacity! They include education, procedural law reform, applied legal ethics, alternative dispute resolution, student wellbeing, and innovative solutions for justice access. I’m also fascinated by perceptoins of law and humanity in future society. Through the clinics, and my associated research, I am able to contribute directly and meaningfully into justice access reform, and provide valuable academic research based input into initiatives within the legal community. After studying law and completing articles in Adelaide, I worked at the Attorney General’s Department in Canberra for several years, on various policy projects. I came back to Adelaide, to work in litigation at the Australian Government Solicitors Office, to build some practical experience into my predominantly policy based repertoire. I found that I loved litigation, and stayed. In 1996 I was becoming a bit disillusioned with legal practice, but increasingly interested in training clients to manage their own disputes, and in using mediation as a primary dispute resolution tool. In a giant leap of faith I resigned from my job with the AGS and took a part time contract position at Adelaide Law School, developing the first Clinical Legal Education program (CLE) to be offered in South Australia. It was a good move. I’ve been at the Law School ever since, managing the CLE program including the two legal advice clinics, teaching Civil Dispute Resolution and Ethics, Alternative Disute Resolution (ADR), and other subjects from time to time. I am still passionate about teaching, and finding innovative approaches to enhancing student experience in an increasingly challenging environment. I’m equally passionate about justice access – my role as the Director of Clinical Legal Education enables me to contribute to law reform initiatives in the community, often in collaboration with the courts, other organisations, but always with primary input from students on the CLE program. My research interests are somewhat broader than my actual capacity! They include education, procedural law reform, applied legal ethics, alternative dispute resolution, student wellbeing, and innovative solutions for justice access. I’m also fascinated by perceptoins of law and humanity in future society. Through the clinics, and my associated research, I am able to contribute directly and meaningfully into justice access reform, and provide valuable academic research based input into initiatives within the legal community.

Research Interest

Law