Lighten Up

Teaching and learning in Australian legal education can be extremely serious for both students and educators. University law school entry scores are relatively high, and these schools are externally accredited and regulated in each Australian jurisdiction. Accreditation requires the teaching, learning and assessment of a great deal of legal subject matter knowledge, in the form of legislation, court decisions, and academic commentary. However, in this chapter, we argue that humour can play an important role in legal education, particularly in the formative first years of study. Skillful and selective use of humour in the classroom is underpinned by relational pedagogy, which emphasises the importance of developing strong connections with students to promote engagement, wellbeing, and retention.