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Projects and the Environment Practicum (LAWS90241)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability(Quotas apply)
December
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Projects and the Environment Practicum gives students an opportunity to explore how the law works in practice, with a focus on environmental and social issues as they appear through the stages of a major project, from finance to operation.

Students will encounter and analyse these issues across multiple areas of law, including contract law, environmental law, property law, and administrative law. Students will gain familiarity with the roles and perspectives of the diverse multidisciplinary actors with whom lawyers work when developing (or challenging) a major project, including financiers, community groups, consultants, scientists, and regulators. Topics will be taught using a real-life central case study to explore relevant issues.

Students will develop their communication skills, particularly oral communication and using plain English approaches to explain complex laws; gain expertise in reading and interpreting legislation; reading technical documents like environmental impact statements; and teamwork.

Principal topics will include:

  • sustainable finance,
  • impact assessment,
  • environmental licensing, and
  • judicial review of project approvals.

Selected portions of student work may be posted on a purpose-built website designed to assist the community at large to understand key issues and challenges related to major projects that may affect them.

Intended learning outcomes

A student who has successfully completed this subject will have:

  • Specialised knowledge of the legal frameworks that engage with social and environmental issues at various stages of developing a major project
  • An understanding of the multidisciplinary context in which lawyers work when dealing with major projects and their impacts, and the perspectives of the diverse parties involved
  • The ability to examine, interpret and critically analyse law-related materials involved in major projects (e.g. finance-related documents, environmental impact statements)
  • The ability to synthesise and analyse information, concepts and theories relating to environmental and social issues and the critical application of this knowledge to a specific case study

Generic skills

On completion of the subject students should have developed and demonstrated their cognitive, technical and professional-legal skills in relation to:

  • High-level statutory reading, interpretation and analysis
  • An ability to investigate and evaluate how key concepts and legal mechanisms for environmental protection manifest in specific real-life projects
  • Analysis and critical reflection on desirable regulatory reforms highlighted by specific real-life projects, in a manner displaying awareness of diverse perspectives among stakeholders and regulatory actors
  • An expanded capacity for legal research involving interdisciplinary materials, including materials regularly encountered by lawyers in practice
  • The technical research and oral and written communication skills to explain complex concepts to non-legal audiences
  • An awareness of the value of collaborative learning and ability to collaborate as a team member
  • The capacity to plan and manage time

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
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

DescriptionTimingPercentage

Individual presentation on a group case study approved by the subject coordinator

  • 5 minutes
During the teaching period10%

Plan and outline of final case analysis, approved by the subject coordinator

  • 1000 words
6 Weeks after the end of teaching15%

Case analysis

  • 4000 words
10 Weeks after the end of teaching75%

Additional details

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

  • December
    Principal coordinatorRebecca Nelson
    Mode of deliveryOn Campus (Parkville)
    Contact hours
    Total time commitment144 hours
    Pre teaching start date18 November 2024
    Pre teaching requirementsPlease 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 2 December 2024 to 13 December 2024
    Last self-enrol date12 November 2023
    Census date13 December 2024
    Last date to withdraw without fail17 January 2025
    Assessment period ends26 February 2025

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.

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:

    TypeName
    CourseJuris Doctor

Last updated: 31 January 2024