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TEACHING AND LEARNING COLLOQUIUM

of the Society for Law Teachers of Southern Africa 

Theme:

Transformative Legal Education in South Africa: Critical Thinking and Reading, Academic Writing and Emerging Scholarship in Law Schools

Teams

Date: 28 & 29 January 2027

Call for Abstracts

About

The Colloquium is a prelude to the bi-annual Southern African Law Teachers Conference, which will be hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) School of Law in 2027. The idea of the Colloquium developed from the School of Law Teaching and Learning Research Interest Group (RIG), which was established as part of the strategic goals to promote quality and excellence in teaching and learning, as well as excellent student experience. The RIG provides a collaborative space where academics can share their teaching and learning practices, exchange insights, and develop research-informed pedagogical approaches. The UKZN School of Law is dedicated to advancing legal education, innovative research, and meaningful community engagement through teaching that is contextually relevant, responsive to contemporary realities, and advances transformative legal scholarship.

The theme of the Colloquium is aligned with that of the South African Law Teachers Conference and serves as a national platform for law academics to critically engage with the changing realities of legal education in South Africa. The focus is on strengthening teaching, learning, and research practices within law schools nationally while addressing broader challenges, including student preparedness, academic literacy, and rising institutional pressures. South African law schools continue to confront significant challenges, including declining reading cultures, student disengagement, increased reliance on digital technologies, the need to support emerging academics in research and teaching, language and academic literacy challenges, and increasing administrative and workload pressures.

At the same time, many early-career academics enter academia with limited formal training in teaching methodologies, postgraduate supervision, academic writing, publishing, and research development. These challenges create an opportunity to reflect on current approaches in legal higher education by introducing innovative, inclusive, and sustainable methods that strengthen writing proficiency, deepen comprehension, and foster critical engagement.

The Colloquium aims to provide a reflective and developmental space where academics can: 

  1. support the professional and scholarly development of emerging law academics;
  2. strengthen scholarly research, academic writing, and publication skills;
  3. explore critical reading and critical thinking methodologies in legal education;
  4. foster collaborative networks and partnerships across law schools and institutions; and
  5. encourage meaningful student engagement and amplify student voices in legal education.

Workshops

As part of the colloquium, workshops will be held on Friday, 29 January 2027, specifically focused on Building Academic Profile which will also be conducted online.

Call for abstracts

The UKZN School of Law, and in particular the Teaching and Learning RIG, is pleased to invite academics, researchers, legal practitioners, other industry professionals, and members of the broader legal profession who are passionate about teaching, learning, and research to submit their abstracts.

  1. Prospective colloquium participants are invited to submit original research papers, theoretical reflections, and practical insights addressing any of the sub-themes.

Abstract Guidelines

  1. Prospective presenters are invited to submit abstracts under any of the sub-themes in the attached document.
  2. Abstracts should be no more than 300 words.
  3. A maximum of two abstracts may be submitted per author, provided they are aligned with different sub-themes.
  4. Abstracts should clearly indicate the presentation format: paper presentation, workshop, or poster presentation.
  5. Abstracts must be original and previously unpublished work.
  6. Abstracts must include a clear, concise indication of the paper’s purpose, methodology, major results/findings, and conclusions/implications. The abstract should concisely indicate what the audience can expect from the presentation.



SUBTHEME A Critical Thinking & Reading in Legal Education
Developing Ideas for Teaching Critical Legal Reading Skills
Promoting and Enabling Reading Cultures in LegalHigher Education
Teaching Case Analysis and Critical Interpretation
Developing Critical Reading Techniques for Jurisprudence
Integrating Language, Literacy, and Legal Comprehension to Enhance Law Curriculum
Promoting Academic Integrity and Teaching Referencing in Legal Writing
Leveraging Legal Research Databases and Integrating Digital Literacy in Law Curriculum
SUBTHEME B Academic Writing and Scholarly Development
Converting theses into journal articles: Challenge & Opportunities
Publishing in Legal Academia: Strategies for Law Scholars
Building Research Collaborations and Scholarly Networks
Navigating Peer Review and Responding to Reviewers
Developing Scholarly Voice and Confidence through Writing and Publishing
Ethical Scholarship and Academic Integrity
Developing Cohort Teams and Collaborative Supervision Models in Legal Education
SUBTHEME C Emerging Law Academics
Navigating Academia as an Early-Career Scholar
Building Mentorship Systems
Promoting Sustainable Research Productivity and Workload Challenges
Promoting and Integrating Staff Mental Well-being
Developing and Cultivating Scholarly Voice and Academic Identity
Sustainable Postgraduate Supervision Training and Workshops for Emerging Academics
Emerging Academics’ Role in Curriculum Transformation and Africanisation of Legal Education
Promoting Community Engagement and Social Responsiveness
Promoting Gender and Transformation in Academia
SUBTHEME D Student Voice & Engagement
Significance of Student Engagement
Developing Time Management and Study Strategies for Law Students
Cultivating Students’ Views on Academic Advising
Decolonising Legal Education: Student Perspectives
Promoting Student Activism and Engagement
Student Reflections on AI and Legal Education
Publishing as a Student Researcher & Promoting Student Law Review
Navigating Postgraduate Studies in Law
Promoting Public Speaking and Oral Advocacy Skills

Submit Abstract

Registration

The registration fee for the Colloquium is R 1 500. All participants and attendees will be provided with banking details and the payment process for colloquium registration. 

Register Now

Banking Details

For payments from South African bank accounts

Bank name: STANDARD BANK

Name of accountholder: UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL

Account number: 053080998

Account type: BUSINESS CURRENT ACCOUNT

Branch code: 045426

Branch code (electronic payments): 051001

SWIFT address: SBZA ZA JJ

Reference: R334-30190 + YOUR SURNAME

Email Proof of Payment to: SOLcolloquium@ukzn.ac.za