Professor Eugene Clark giving a talk on Consumer Law at the Ashfield Boys High School

This week Prof Eugene Clark and Cristina Iordache traveled to Ashfield Boys School to give a talk on Consumer Law as well as talk about the future shape of the legal profession. They were impressed by the enthusiasm for learning and excellent questions from the students. They and their teacher made them feel very welcome. The lecture summarised recent changes in Australian consumer law, noting that Australia was a world leader in establishing a national and comprehensive framework for consumer protection. Another major theme of the talk was the impact of technology in changing the relationship between producers and consumers. Also the 'Internet of things' is rapidly changing the very notion of what is a product which today is likely to be part mechanical, part electrical, part software, part hardware, in the cloud, with applications, algorithms and other rules of operation. These 'smart' products now form a system of inter-connected smart product and a community of developers, users and other stakeholders. This new model changes the role of product development, it challenges traditional 'borders' defining what is an organisation and certainly requires a new type of leadership--an e-leader who understands the role of technology in transforming organisations, disrupting industry bringing about constant change. This new e-leader is comfortable in working with flatter, less hierarchical organisation and networking with digital tribes, some of whom are inside the organisation and others who are virtual.

Consumers these days are also increasingly concerned about the environment. One of the major themes running through the law program at Sydney City School of Law is sustainability.  Professor Clark talked briefly about the 'greening' of the consumer and how corporations today need to take seriously their social responsibility and both promote and serve as examples of sustainable development.

A third theme of the Sydney City School of Law program is 'community'. The focus of this talk was also on internationalisation and how consumer law, though having roots in early Roman law, really became a world-wide movement in the 1960's and has grown internationally so that there are now consumer rights advocates all over the world.

Professor Clark also discussed innovations that we intend to implement at Sydney City School of Law, including electronic portfolios for students, ensuring our students have basic technology literacy skills, providing a course on leadership for lawyers, and focusing on both legal and soft skills required for students using their law degrees in many and new ways in a 21st Century Information Age.