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  3. Law and Legal Practice in Asia

Law and Legal Practice in Asia (LAWS90006)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2025

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Overview

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The aim of this subject is to provide students with an enhanced understanding of law and legal practice in an Asian jurisdiction through:

  1. intensive seminars;
  2. supervision of a research project on an Asian jurisdiction; and
  3. 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 3-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 15 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.

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 by 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: 8 November 2024