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Executive Branch Research Lab (LAWS90258)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 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) | Semester 2 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
The Executive Branch Policy Lab aims to foster innovative, practice-led JD legal research into the largest and most elusive branch of the constitutional order: the executive. Against a background of tuition in core concepts and practices relevant to study of the contemporary executive branch – including the political philosophies of the ‘welfare state’ and ‘neoliberalism’, the centrality of contracting to contemporary governmental practice, and how to understand the ideal of the rule of law in relation to different executive branch activities – the Policy Lab will support enrolled students to acquire the academic and practical skills needed to pursue research on and analysis of the contemporary executive branch ‘in action’. Engaging closely with participating faculty, and working together on group projects, enrolled students will receive training to undertake such activities as making submissions to current parliamentary and law reform inquiries, writing blog entries on issues arising from current executive branch practices for the Policy Lab’s dedicated website, conducting interviews with present and former ‘frontline’ executive branch actors with a view to intergenerational dialogue and learning, and participating in ongoing (year-to-year) research projects convened under the auspices of the Policy Lab.
Topics for the core academic component of the Policy Lab will include:
- The Australian ‘administrative state’ over time
- The ‘welfare state’ in theory and action
- ‘Neoliberalism’ in theory and action
- Thinking about constitutionalism and the rule of law in relation to contemporary executive branch practices
- Research and writing workshops relevant to specific projects
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate creativity and originality in identifying, framing and developing a sophisticated and relevant engagement-led research project in collaboration with fellow JD project participants, the project supervisor, and external stakeholders;
- Develop rigorous and effective approaches to planning, researching and executing an innovative engagement-led research project tailored to the genre of the project;
- Acquire a deep and integrated knowledge and understanding of the research project area, including its connection to its broader contexts and its implications for other research questions;
- Explain and defend the project aims and results clearly, persuasively and succinctly in a group class presentation;
- Demonstrate sophisticated, genre-appropriate, and persuasive written communication skills through developing, structuring, and editing the written output for the research project.
Generic skills
- Ability to develop and frame a clear and innovative engagement-led research project with a view to disseminating outputs to a range of different audiences;
- Experience in employing complex research methodologies well-suited to answering the questions of the project;
- Ability to identify and critically analyse a diverse range of pertinent and complex materials;
- Ability to participate in and manage a group project; and
- Capacity to communicate the research results clearly, comprehensively and persuasively to a range of different audiences.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
AND
Note: the following subject/s can also be taken concurrently (at the same time)
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS50032 | Administrative Law | 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: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Class presentation of group projects
| During the teaching period | 30% |
A writing task, consisting of (a) a research log (750 words, assessed individually), (b) a research diary (2000 words, assessed individually), and (c) a group project outcome statement (1250 words, group mark).
| During the assessment period | 70% |
Additional details
The due date of the above assessment 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
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Kristen Rundle Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on 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 24 July 2023 to 22 October 2023 Last self-enrol date 4 August 2023 Census date 31 August 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 22 September 2023 Assessment period ends 17 November 2023
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has an enrolment quota of 30 students.
All timely JD elective enrolments are subject to a selection process, which the Academic Support Office will perform after the timely re-enrolment period ends. Late self-enrolment is on a first-in basis up to quota.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law School website for further information about the management of subject quotas.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
- Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS.
Last updated: 31 January 2024