Indigenous Legal Advocacy Clinic (LAWS90209)

This clinic will engage with current law and policy issues impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Students will work in partnership with an Indigenous organisation or campaign on a range of law and policy issues. Students will receive a research memo or brief from the partner organisation/s and will work to produce this major project over the course of the semester . Major projects may include: legislative submissions, amicus briefs, case notes, desktop research, speech writing, website materials, petitions, open-letters, op-eds and explainers, and law and policy analysis.

Students will undertake 12 days of clinical work at Melbourne Law School under the supervision of the clinic supervisor and subject coordinator. Students will be taught lawyering skills in persuasive writing, organisational collaboration, and advocacy. The clinical work will be complemented by a seminar series (held across the semester during the clinic day) where they will hear from a range of perspectives on Indigenous advocacy and campaign work.

At the end of semester, students will present their completed work to their partner organisation. Students will also take part in debrief sessions, where they will evaluate their progress and reflect on the role and impact of law and practice on Aboriginal communities and organisations. Students will be required to maintain a reflective journal during semester to facilitate these discussions.