The Australian Legal Education Forum ("ALEF") is an initiative of the Australian Law Students' Association. The Forum is held annually during the ALSA Annual Conference.

The primary aim of ALEF is to provide a symposium in which organisations and individuals have the opportunity to discuss and raise various issues concerning legal education. Participants in past forums include Shadow Ministers, Senators, Members of Parliament, the Committee of Australian Law Deans, Australasian Law Teachers' Association, Centre for Legal Education, Law Council of Australia, Law Foundations, Professional Law Societies and Bar Associations, Practical Legal Training providers, judges, representatives from leading law firms and other legal practitioners and students.  

July 1995 marked the inaugural year of ALEF. Held in Hobart at the University of Tasmania Law School, ALEF was organised to coincide with the then forthcoming ALSA Conference. ALEF was vision of law students, struck with the idea that students and academics alike would benefit from the opportunity of meeting together and discussing legal education issues. The inaugural ALEF was a landmark event in the history of the Association, not only because it brought together representatives from the various facets of the Australian legal community, but because as a student initiative, it embodied student desires to take a more decisive role in the development of legal education within Australasia.

At the 2008 Conference, the ALEF topics were:

    Whaling in the Antarctic;

     Bio-technology and ethics - a hypothetical;

•     Alternative Legal Careers.

To suggest a topic for ALEF 2009, please email Joseph Crane (Conference Convenor) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To enquire about sponsoring ALEF, please email Philip Barker (Sponsorship Officer) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .