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Law and Legal Practice in Asia (LAWS90006)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | October |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
The aim of this subject is to provide students with an enhanced understanding of law and legal practice in an Asian jurisdiction through:
- intensive seminars;
- supervision of a research project on an Asian jurisdiction; and
- legal experience in an approved role in an Asia-based workplace setting.
The intensive seminars will be led by an expert in the chosen Asian jurisdiction and will offer an advanced introduction to the legal system of the jurisdiction. Students must actively participate in the seminars and will be assessed by an hour long in-class test.
Students must also complete at least the equivalent of a 2-week unpaid work placement in the nominated Asian jurisdiction. Work placements must be hosted by an organisation approved by the subject coordinator. The work placement involves a minimum of 10 days' work. During work placement, students must carry out legally-oriented work that offers students a practice-based exposure to law and legal practice in the jurisdiction. The proposed work should build on the students’ studies to date in the Melbourne JD, involve written legal research work and be of an appropriately demanding standard to model professional practice.
Students will also be required to complete a research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator that engages actively with topical debates about law in Asia. This will be due after the work placement and seminar is complete and should be based on the work placement. Examples of areas that might be covered include Asian trade and investment flows and their significance for Australia businesses; managing risk in Asian investment; dispute resolution in Asia; human rights; public legal institutions, including the legal profession; the role of NGOs; and law reform.
In 2022, the chosen jurisdiction is Indonesia. If travel to Indonesia is not possible, online internships will be permitted. If travel to Indonesia is possible, students are responsible for making their own logistical arrangements and bookings, including visas, but the subject coordinator will provide support.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who successfully completes this subject will have:
- An enhanced knowledge of a particular legal area relevant to an Asian jurisdiction and the work placement;
- Strengthened their ability to understand professional practice in Asia, derived from doing challenging legal work in a practical setting;
- An enhanced capacity to identify, develop and employ appropriate legal and professional skills for a workplace in another jurisdiction;
- Increased capacity to engage with public discussion about comparative law and policy; and
- Experienced a range of new opportunities and contacts through doing a work placement in a field in which they are interested.
Generic skills
A student who successfully completes this subject will have the capacity to:
- Learn about a legal system in Asia;
- Learn about, and adapt to, a professional workplace in a jurisdiction in Asia;
- Establish and maintain professional working relationships throughout the duration of the work placement;
- Contribute constructively and productively to the projects underway at the organisation hosting the work placement;
- Formulate or refine their own topical and relevant research question related to or arising from either the nature of the organisation hosting the work placement or an issue with which the organisation has to deal; and
- Refresh, reinforce and develop research and writing skills that students have acquired during their undergraduate degree and law studies.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into the MC-JURISD Juris Doctor
AND
All of
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning | Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50025 | Torts | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50031 | Legal Theory |
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
November (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
AND
One of
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50027 | Dispute Resolution | Not available in 2024 |
12.5 |
LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Only approved applicants can enrol into this subject. Some host organisations may have specific requirements regarding prerequisite subjects.
Corequisites
Non-allowed subjects
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: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Completion of a minimum placement at a host organisation
| Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Class participation in 'Understanding Law and Legal Practice in Asia' seminar
| Early in the teaching period | 10% |
In-Class Test based on 'Understanding Law and Legal Practice in Asia' seminar
| During the final seminar. | 30% |
Legal research(*)
| End of the assessment period | 60% |
Additional details
(*) The assessed research work is due after the work placement is complete and should relate to the work placement experience. The topic and content must be approved in advance with the subject coordinator but may take a variety of forms (including substantial research memoranda or advice, briefs or written submissions, legal policy advocacy, and research essays).
The due date of the above assessment(s) will be available to students via the Assessment Schedule on the LMS Community.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- October
Coordinator Tim Lindsey Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 178 hours Pre teaching start date 9 September 2022 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 3 October 2022 to 16 December 2022 Last self-enrol date 14 November 2021 Census date 14 October 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 9 December 2022 Assessment period ends 27 January 2023
Additional delivery details
This subject has an enrolment quota of 12 students.
This subject is an application-based enrichment subject. More information about the application process can be found on the JD LMS Community.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Juris Doctor
Last updated: 31 January 2024