As with previous editions, one of the book’s main aims is to provide an
engaging introduction to the law that teaches foundational skills and
knowledge while encouraging students to think broadly and critically
about the law, their study of it and how they might put it to use. In this
sense, the book is intended to act as a primer for the nuts and bolts of law as
well as a guide to the broader context of the operation of law in Australian
society. The study of law in the 21st century is changing and will continue
to change. Law students need to be provided with opportunities to develop
the knowledge, skills and attributes to operate effectively in a changing
legal profession, in a changing world. From the beginning, legal education
ought to introduce students to both the minutiae of systems and rules, and
the broader questions of law’s practical operation in this new and changing
world. Such an approach will set students on the path to graduating well
equipped to deal with professional demands and well prepared to address the
moral and ethical issues that will arise. This is a lot to ask of an introductory
law textbook, but with the foundations laid down in the previous editions
it is hoped that this edition can go a long way to providing just such an
introduction to the study of law.