Stateless Legal Clinic (LAWS90259)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 1 (Early-Start)
For more information
Melbourne Law School Clinics
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | Semester 1 (Early-Start) |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
The Stateless Legal Clinic (SLC) offers students the opportunity to develop their practical legal skills while making a real difference to the lives of stateless adults and children living in the Australian community. There are an estimated 10-15 million stateless people in the world; approximately one third are children. Without nationality, stateless people face barriers in accessing basic rights, and in Australia, the threat of immigration detention.
In this clinic, students will support lawyers working with stateless clients to provide direct assistance to stateless children and adults, in a range of matters. Complementary seminars will include theoretical and practical components relevant to clinic work and statelessness law; offering students a solid theoretical understanding of statelessness at the global and national level, as well as practical skills-based training focused on working directly with stateless clients.
Students will undertake 12 days of clinical work based at Melbourne Law School under the supervision of the Clinic Coordinator and partner organisations. During the Clinic and under supervision, students will utilise the legal knowledge and skills acquired during their degree to undertake work on legal issues with real clients, and in doing so, will be exposed to the realities of legal practice. The Clinical work will be conducted through regular, scheduled attendances throughout semester.
Students’ practical work will be complemented by 12 two hour seminars during semester, which will focus on both practical skill development and theoretical understandings of statelessness law.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- the meaning of nationality in international law
- the core international treaties relevant to statelessness
- the right to nationality and deprivation of nationality
- childhood statelessness
- the intersection between refugeehood and statelessness
- statelessness determination frameworks
- the nexus between statelessness, minorities, discrimination and development
- the prevention of statelessness
- effective legal communication (including client interviews, working with interpreters and legal writing)
- resilience, professional well-being and managing complex client situations.
Important information about enrolling
This subject is not available for self-enrolment but is an application-based enrichment subject, which means prospective students must apply to enrol. Many of these application-based enrichment subjects also involve a selection process.
More information about the application process can be found on the Application-based enrichment subjects information page inside the Juris Doctor LMS Community [Juris Doctor student access only].
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students will have:
- An enhanced understanding of and capacity to utilise the practical and technical skills needed to provide legal assistance to stateless adults and children, including in the areas of interviewing, research, advocacy, communication and file management;
- An enhanced understanding of, and capacity to utilise the personal attributes and ethical awareness needed to provide legal assistance to stateless adults and children;
- An advanced knowledge of statelessness law (international and domestic);
- Developed the ability to apply relevant statelessness law to individual client situations;
- Developed a capacity to engage in legal practice in this area.
Generic skills
- Interpersonal and communication skills to gather information, understand context, and convey legal concepts to a non-legal audience (including clients) in a way that is useful and effective;
- Cognitive skills in understanding the significance of the interrelationship of facts and law, and an appreciation of legal responses to clients' problems;
- Cognitive and technical skills relating to the generation and provision of legal advice and information attuned to clients' needs;
- Skills required for effective workplace performance, such as communication, time management, and office organisation;
- Professional legal writing skills and critical legal analysis;
- Collaboration with community legal centres and client interaction.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
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 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
Students who have previously completed the Stateless Children Legal Clinic internship placement (through LAWS50059 Legal Internship) are unable to enrol in this subject.
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: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Class participation (including attendance at the Orientation session) | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Clinic participation Hurdle requirement: Participation in all clinics is a hurdle requirement. | Throughout the teaching period | 20% |
Reflective writing task
| Second half of the teaching period | 40% |
Legal writing tasks
| During the assessment period | 30% |
Additional details
The due dates of assessment will be made available to students on the Assessment Schedule on the Juris Doctor Canvas LMS Community. Note, these are updated regularly.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- Semester 1 (Early-Start)
Principal coordinator Katie Robertson Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 0 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 February 2025 to 1 June 2025 Last self-enrol date 8 November 2024 Census date 31 March 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 9 May 2025 Assessment period ends 27 June 2025 Semester 1 (Early-Start) contact information
For more information
Melbourne Law School ClinicsEmail: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
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 is an application-based enrichment subject. Melbourne Law School offers a range of JD elective subjects that provide enrichment opportunities to students. Each of these subjects has its own application process and are not available for students to self-enrol.
For up-to-date details, see the Application-based enrichment subjects Canvas page as well as announcements from the JD LMS Community about applying to enrol in the suite of JD enrichment elective subjects.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
- Links to additional information
Last updated: 4 March 2025