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Legal Internship (LAWS50059)
Graduate coursework level 5Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
January
Graduate Services Coordinator (Work Integrated Learning)
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 4475
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Semester 1
June
Semester 2
November
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | January Semester 1 June Semester 2 November |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
The aim of this subject is to provide students with the opportunity to gain practical legal skills and undertake a public interest or community-focused legal workplace experience that complements and deepens their coursework learning in the Melbourne JD.
Internships can be hosted by any public interest organisation that will facilitate the student undertaking legally-oriented work, including government departments, regulatory and statutory bodies, courts and tribunals, legal assistance sector organisations such as legal aid or community legal centres, and non-government or not-for-profit organisations. Host organisations can be locally based, interstate or international. The proposed internship must be approved by the Subject Coordinators. The internship experience should build on a students’ studies to date in the Melbourne JD and be of an appropriately demanding standard to model professional legal work or practice.
Students must complete at least 15 days of unpaid practical legal experience at the host organisation.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who successfully completes this subject will have:
- an enhanced understanding of professional legal practice through engaging directly in legal work.
- an enhanced understanding and appreciation of the role and value of public interest lawyering.
- an enhanced practice-based understanding of a particular legal area relevant to the internship.
- enhanced insight into their own learning and professional identity.
- critical insight into some of the challenges facing public interest lawyers and/or organisations and the social and legal framework within which they operate.
- a deeper understanding of, and increased capacity to engage with, law and policy in the area of the internship.
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of the subject, students will have developed and demonstrated the following skills:
- Thinking skills, including the ability to gather information, understand context, apply knowledge and convey law or law related concepts in a way that is useful and effective to a variety of audiences;
- The ability to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues in a practical context;
- Personal and professional skills, including learning autonomously, being accountable for work, self-reflection on performance;
- Skills required for effective workplace performance, such as communication, time management, co-worker collaboration and office organisation;
- An increased capacity to reflect on their own professional competencies, including an awareness of current aptitudes and identification of areas where skills need to be consolidated; and
- The ability to engage with colleagues and develop professional networks.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Only approved applicants can enrol into this subject.
Some internship host organisations may have specific requirements regarding prerequisite subjects.
Successful completion of all the below subjects:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning |
Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville)
April (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50026 | Obligations |
May (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
June (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50025 | Torts |
November (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
And one of:
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50027 | Dispute Resolution | Not available in 2024 |
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
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Completion of pre-internship orientation session or online equivalent Hurdle requirement | N/A | |
Legal internship activity log Hurdle requirement: 15 days (minimum) placement, evidenced by the signed Legal Internship activity log | Upon completion of internship placement | N/A |
Quality contribution to mid and end-point meetings and online discussion boards | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Oral Presentation: To be uploaded electronically (video)
| Three weeks from end of the teaching period. | 20% |
Reflective Portfolio
| Four weeks from end of the teaching period. | 70% |
Hurdle requirement: Satisfactory performance on placement. | N/A |
Additional details
Further information on due dates will be provided to students upon enrolment.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- January
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Coordinator Florence Seow Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 6 January 2020 to 28 February 2020 Last self-enrol date 10 November 2019 Census date 24 January 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 28 February 2020 Assessment period ends 27 March 2020 January contact information
Graduate Services Coordinator (Work Integrated Learning)
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 4475
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au - Semester 1
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Coordinator Florence Seow Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 10 November 2019 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
- June
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Coordinator Florence Seow Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 29 June 2020 to 24 July 2020 Last self-enrol date 10 November 2019 Census date 10 July 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 31 July 2020 Assessment period ends 21 August 2020 June contact information
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Coordinator Florence Seow Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 3 August 2020 to 1 November 2020 Last self-enrol date 10 November 2019 Census date 21 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 16 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020 Semester 2 contact information
- November
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Coordinator Florence Seow Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 23 November 2020 to 31 December 2020 Last self-enrol date 10 November 2019 Census date 11 December 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 8 January 2021 Assessment period ends 29 January 2021 November contact information
Time commitment details
145 hours (including 15 days internship placement, preparation for and completion of all assessment tasks)
Additional delivery details
This subject is taught both on-campus and through a practical placement at an internship host organisation.
Enrolment in this subject is by application only. More information about the application process can be found at Melbourne Law School.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Juris Doctor
Last updated: 3 November 2022