Interim Trimester 1, 2023 Ipswich On-campus | |
Units : | 1 |
School or Department : | School of Law and Justice |
Grading basis : | Graded |
Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: LLBP or BALW or BCLW or BZLW and must have successfully completed a minimum of 8 law units in their program of study prior to submitting the Law Clinic Placement application
Overview
This course is aimed at providing students with clinical experience working within a legal practice in a Community Legal Centre. The ability to work within the legal community and amongst peers will aid students in analysing and interpreting theories, strategies, knowledge, and skills developed while working in a practical legal setting. Students will gain insights into society and community expectations, which can be applied alongside the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom environment. This is an elective course in the Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor Program.
This course is designed to build the foundation for practical decision-making that combines an understanding of the law and its application to client problems, with current societal needs through working within a Community Legal Centre (CLC). Working in a CLC, students will assist the most disadvantaged clients in the community. They will be challenged with addressing a range of legal issues and may often be the last legal option for clients where other avenues for assistance have been exhausted.
Students will be rostered in the Law Clinic at the appointed clinic times and deal directly with the clients under the supervision of the CLC supervising lawyer and the Law Clinic Director. Students will conduct client interviews, identify facts, legal issues, legal options, and prepare legal advice, legal letters and legal documentation as required and under supervision. The course contributes to student employability by providing practical legal experience and identifies UniSQ students as valuable assets to future employers.
Course learning outcomes
- Demonstrate [explain and apply] an understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making, an ability to recognise and reflect upon (and a developing ability to respond to) ethical issues likely to arise in professional contexts [in a Community Legal Centre], an ability to recognise and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community [assisting disadvantaged clients in a Community Legal Centre] (TLO2/PO2).
- Identify and articulate legal issues, apply legal reasoning and research to generate appropriate responses to legal issues, engage in critical analysis and make a reasoned choice amongst alternatives, and think creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses [as it relates to legal practice in a Community Legal Centre] (TLO3/PO3).
- Communicate in ways that are effective, appropriate, and persuasive for legal and non-legal audiences, and collaborate effectively [in letter writing, legal drafting, oral communication and client-interviewing skills, cross-cultural communication, professional judgement, and courtesy as it relates to legal practice in a Community Legal Centre] (TLO5/PO5).
- Learn and work independently and reflect on and assess their own capabilities and performance, and make use of feedback as appropriate, to support professional development [and self-directed engagement and initiative as it relates to legal practice in a Community Legal Centre] (TLO6/PO6).
- Reflect on and articulate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in key areas of law and demonstrate an appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal issues [as it relates to legal practice in a Community Legal Centre] (P08).
Topics
Description | Weighting(%) | |
---|---|---|
1. | Orientation, induction and CLC practice focus and protocols. | 10.00 |
2. | Legal professional skills in practice, client, and community expectations. | 40.00 |
3. | Legal writing and drafting, research and legal documentation. | 10.00 |
4. | Reflective writing. | 40.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Planning document | No | 10 | 3 |
Reflection (personal/clinical) 1 | No | 20 | 1,3,5 |
Reflection (personal/clinical) 2 | No | 30 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Report | No | 40 | 1,2,3,4 |