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Public Interest Law Clinic (LAWS50116)
Graduate coursework level 5Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 4475
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Semester 2
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 4475
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides practical experience in which students support lawyers in public interest organisations in the delivery of legal services to the community. Students will undertake 12 days of clinical placement with a partner organisation in the community or government sector. On placement, and under supervision, students will utilise the legal knowledge and skills acquired during their degree to undertake work on legal issues with real clients, and in doing so, will be exposed to the realities of legal practice. The placement will be through regular, scheduled attendances throughout semester.
Prior to commencing with their host organisation, students will participate in two days of intensive orientation to prepare for their placement, including learning new legal practice skills and about specific areas of law where relevant. This will be complemented by seminars during the placement period. In these seminars, students will reflect on their ongoing clinical experience. This combination of practical placement and academic support will allow students to consider and reflect on the broader contexts in which legal issues arise, the lawyer's role and relationship with the delivery of justice and contemporary developments in professional practice.
A central component of the subject is that students critically reflect on their practical experience of public interest lawyering. The reflection serves several purposes. First, it gives students the opportunity to consider how the issues and ideas raised in the context of public interest lawyering are reflected in their practical experience in this area of law. On an individual level, it also provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their own use of legal skills, knowledge and approach to practice and consequently build on these skills, knowledge and competencies.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who successfully completes this subject will have:
- an enhanced practical understanding of the practical and technical skills, personal attributes and ethical awareness needed to practise effectively in the public interest sector, including in the areas of interviewing and counselling, research, advocacy, communication, file management and organisation;
- sophisticated insight into, and ability to reflect critically and meaningfully on ethical questions that arise from practising public interest law;
- an enhanced critical understanding of the scope, composition, capacity, limits and challenges of the legal assistance sector in Australia;
- an understanding of the techniques of public interest lawyering and the differences between public interest lawyering and other forms of lawyering; and
- the ability to reflect critically and meaningfully on the capacity of law and lawyers to create social, economic and political change.
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of the subject, students will have developed and demonstrated the following skills:
- Interpersonal and communication skills to gather information, understand context, and convey legal concepts to a non-legal audience (including clients) in a way that is useful and effective;
- Cognitive skills in understanding the significance of the interrelationship of facts and law, and an appreciation of the place for legal and non-legal responses to clients' problems;
- Cognitive and technical skills relating to the generation and provision of legal advice and information attuned to clients' needs;
- Skills required for effective workplace performance, such as communication, time management, and office organisation;
- Ability to work cooperatively and professionally in a legal assistance organisation; and
- Ability to engage in analysis and critical reflection on a range of challenging questions arising from practical legal experience in the public interest sector.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Only approved applicants can enrol into this subject.
Successful completion of all the below subjects:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning | Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50027 | Dispute Resolution | Not available in 2024 |
12.5 |
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50031 | Legal Theory |
December (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50025 | Torts | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Hurdle Requirement: Attendance at all orientation and clinic sessions and satisfactory performance on placement;
- Oral presentation (10 minutes) in weeks 9-12 of semester (15%);
- Reflective journal (1500 words), usually three entries, due at regular intervals during the teaching period (30%);
- Legal writing (2000 words) due at end of semester (40%); and
- Placement performance (15%).
The due dates of the above assessment will be available to students via the Assessment Schedule on the LMS Community.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 116 hours comprising 2 days of orientation, 12 days of clinical placement, 14 hours of seminars Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 27 February 2019 to 2 June 2019 Last self-enrol date 11 November 2018 Census date 31 March 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 10 May 2019 Assessment period ends 28 June 2019 Semester 1 contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 4475
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au - Semester 2
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 116 hours comprising 2 days of orientation, 12 days of clinical placement, 14 hours of seminars Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 22 July 2019 to 27 October 2019 Last self-enrol date 11 November 2018 Census date 31 August 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 September 2019 Assessment period ends 22 November 2019 Semester 2 contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 4475
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 60 students (30 students per availability). Applications will be assessed by the Subject Coordinator and students will be asked to attend an interview. Please refer to the JD LMS Community for more details.
Taught on campus and through a clinical placement at a host organisation.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
- Specialist materials will be made available from Melbourne Law School.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Juris Doctor
Last updated: 3 November 2022