School of MPO Researcher Showcases Innovative Legal Education and Judicial Diversity Studies at Prestigious Conference
We’re delighted to share two recent publications from Caoimhe Kiernan (née Hough), presented at the Irish Association of Law Teachers conference (Technology and Humanity: Enabling, Restricting or Prohibiting) at Maynooth University. These thought-provoking studies explore legal education innovation and judicial diversity:
“Teaching Legal Concepts Through Entrepreneurship 101: The Game”: This research paper as part of the Global Entrepreneurial Talent Management 4 Project examined the use of the Entrepreneurship 101 Game as an experiential learning tool to introduce first-year business students, with no prior legal background, to fundamental legal concepts. By simulating three years of business operations, the game immersed students in legal principles, financial accounting, and risk management, incorporating realistic scenarios such as vicarious liability and negligence claims. A unique disaster scenario—a zombie outbreak—challenged students to analyse liability and negligence issues using the ILAC (Issue, Law, Application, Conclusion) method, enhancing their understanding of duty of care and corporate liability. This interactive approach not only simplified legal concepts but also fostered teamwork and critical thinking. The presentation discussed the educational benefits, student feedback, and broader applications of this innovative pedagogy in non-law disciplines.
"Women Judges Are Important: An Examination of the Perception of Legal Stakeholders”: This presentation examined the perceived importance of gender diversity in the Irish judiciary, based on survey research conducted in 2021 among solicitors, barristers, and law students. The survey explored whether participants viewed gender diversity as significant and why. By 2024, women represented 43% of the Irish judiciary, with 65% of law students, 53% of solicitors, and 37% of barristers being women. To address the research question, the presentation introduced arguments for judicial diversity, analysed key themes from the survey responses, and briefly discussed an empirical study on women's judicial opinions and the perception of reality. Additionally, it reflected on the challenges and successes of conducting survey research within PhD studies.
Congratulations to Caoimhe on these insightful contributions! We look forward to seeing how this research shapes legal education and discourse on judicial diversity.