This is a Conference Report published on 31 October 1997. Within the confines of the futuristic glamour of the Ramphal Building, Professor Paliwala assisted by John Dale from The Law Courseware Consortium , Carol Hall from the Electronic Law Journals Project , Dave Chadwick from the CTI Law Technology Centre and Stephen Midgal from the University of Wolverhampton all in turn stepped onto the black podium of Lecture Theatre 1. With a large cinematic screen setting the scene and a connected modem by their side, all elucidated on how information technology is applicable as a teaching tool to enable today's undergraduates to grasp both the substantive and procedural elements of law. 72 law schools subscribe to the courseware with 65 Further Education colleges following suit. Students themselves have responded enthusiastically to the CD with 375 copies sold to individuals.
Facilities embedded within the programme can go on to give a clearer picture of how students learn.
The supplementation of IT to the teaching curriculum and legal research was developed further by Dave Chadwick from the CTI Law Technology Centre with his presentation entitled 'Internet for Law Schools'. The growth of the Internet as a legal resource means that it could be used not only for the purpose of retrieving legal information but could encompass publishing academic articles on the web and running distance learning courses such as with Strathclyde University Law School's LLM in Information Technology Law . Within the context of academic publishing on the Internet, Carol Hall, focused on 'Publishing and Writing Electronic Journals' in her presentation. The ELJ's mission to promote an environment and develop an electronic legal culture in reading, writing and publishing has been realised in the shape of JILT , the first in the series of electronic journals. It is important that electronic journals do not become a pale imitation of paper but exist as a medium which enables articles to come 'alive' through the use of feedback and discussions conducted via e-mail.