Interdisciplinarity and Legal Education

Abstract

跨學科可以說是大學敎育的大趨勢’法律教育作為大學敎育的一部分，也脫離不了此跨學科的大趨勢。但對甚麼才是跨學科及如何在法律教育中融入跨學科’卻仍沒有太多理論及系統性的分析。 本文先剖析跨學科的不同定義、跨學科教研的重要性、和進行跨學科教研所必須面對的挑戰。在這基礎上，作者會建議一套以「系統理論」來建搆法律教育的跨學科理論框架。 作者也會介紹他在香港大學法律學院教授的三個法律跨學科科目的經驗’以展示如何在法律課程中在不同程度引入跨學科的元素’並驗證這理論的可行性。從這些經驗’作者會初步總結經驗並提出一些建議I讓跨學科能更有系統地整合於法律教育。 Interdisciplinarity can be said to be a megatrend in university education Legal education as a part of university education, also cannot escape from this megatrend. However, concerning what interdisciplinarity is or how interdisdplinarity can be integrated into legal education, there is not much theoretical and systematic analysis. This article will first analyze the different definitions of interdisciplinarity, the importance of interdisciplinary teacliing and research, and challenges encountered by interdisciplinary teaching and research. On that foundation, the author will suggest a 'systems theory' as the theoretical framework to guide the development of mterdisciplinarity in legal education. I will also illustrate how to incorporate different degrees of interdisciphnanty in legal curriculum through his experiences in developing three mterdisciplinary courses at the Faculty of Law, the University of Hong Kong. The feasibility of the theory can also be tested. From these experiences, the author will provide some conclusive remarks and suggestions, hoping that interdisciplinarity can be better integrated into legal education.