Using the Bill Law archive

Bill Law cross-linked extensively with his own writings, and these links are increasingly failing. For the archive, we have allocated a distinctive number to each item [BL01 to BL76] and indicated this in place of the former link. This allows users to return to the list and identify Bill's intended link.

Bill's writings and his professional concerns centred around a few main themes. 

To aid access to the archive we are identifying a few chosen articles for each theme to help new users find their way into his writings. Users of the archive should note that Bill’s writings frequently covered more than one of these themes. This is work in progress in early 2026.

1.     Careers theories and concepts

Bill was interested mainly in theory and practice, acquiring over time a reputation as an innovative thinker. He both critically examined existing theories and developed new theories such as the DOTS framework, his career learning theory and the community interaction theory. He originated new concepts such as life-role relevance in curriculum.

2.     Careers policy

Bill was not always quite so interested in policy but on more than one occasion he was invited to contribute papers to national reviews.

3.     Careers teaching and learning     

Alongside thinking about the content and objectives for careers education, Bill was particularly interested in pedagogy, with an emphasis on active, participative and experiential learning approaches.

4.     Curriculum and curriculum development

If Bill were to be asked to summarise his main interests in one word it would be ‘curriculum’ – what, and how, should students learn? He was interested in how the careers education curriculum linked with the wider curriculum and frequently made the case for integrated approaches rather than bolted on careers work.

One of his most influential ideas was showing how programme development (i.e. curriculum), organisation development (i.e. managing careers work in the school) and staff development interact with each other to facilitate improvement.

5.     Resources for careers work

Bill understood the importance of developing careers information and careers education materials. Early in his career he wrote about how careers libraries grew from their origins in a cardboard box of leaflets. He made a lot of original materials available via his website.

6.     Careers guidance

Bill not only added to career theory with his community interaction theory but he was also keenly interested in the links between guidance and related processes such as profiling and recording achievement.

7.     Staff development

Bill wrote several packs of open learning materials on careers work for teachers, both for the careers leader and for other teachers involved in delivering the programme. He also wrote materials to support teacher placements into industry.