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Legal Internship (LAWS50059)
Graduate coursework level 5Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
January
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics
Semester 1
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics
June
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics
Semester 2
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics
November
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics
Overview
| Availability | January Semester 1 June Semester 2 November |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
The aim of this subject is to provide students with the opportunity to gain practical legal skills and undertake a public interest or community-focused legal workplace experience that complements and deepens their coursework learning in the Melbourne JD.
Internships can be hosted by any public interest organisation that will facilitate the student undertaking legally-oriented work, including government departments, regulatory and statutory bodies, courts and tribunals, legal assistance sector organisations such as legal aid or community legal centres, and non-government or not-for-profit organisations. Host organisations can be locally based, interstate or international and can be in person or remote/virtual (with approval).The proposed internship must be approved by the Subject Coordinators.
The internship experience should build on a students’ studies to date in the Melbourne JD and be of an appropriately demanding standard to model professional legal work or practice.
Students must complete at least 15 days of unpaid practical legal experience at the host organisation.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who successfully completes this subject will have:
- an enhanced understanding of professional legal practice through engaging directly in legally-oriented work.
- an enhanced understanding and critical appreciation of the role and value of public interest lawyering.
- an enhanced practice-based understanding of a particular legal area relevant to the internship.
- enhanced insight into their own learning and professional identity.
- critical insight into some of the challenges and opportunities facing public interest lawyers and/or organisations and the social and legal framework within which they operate.
- a deeper understanding of, and increased capacity to engage with, law, policy and reform in the area of the internship.
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of the subject, students will have developed and demonstrated the following skills:
- Thinking skills, including the ability to gather information, understand context, apply knowledge and convey law or law related concepts in a way that is useful and effective to a variety of audiences;
- The ability to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues in a practical context;
- Personal and professional skills, including learning autonomously, being accountable for work, self-reflection on performance;
- Skills required for effective workplace performance, such as communication, time management, co-worker collaboration and office organisation;
- An increased capacity to reflect on their own professional competencies, including an awareness of current aptitudes and identification of areas where skills need to be consolidated; and
- The ability to engage with colleagues and develop professional networks.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
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 |
| LAWS50025 | Torts | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS90140 | Disputes and Ethics | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Only approved applicants can enrol into this subject.
Some internship host organisations may have specific requirements regarding prerequisite subjects.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Pre-internship orientation and workshop participation Hurdle requirement: Students must complete the pre-internship orientation session and participate successfully at workshops in order to pass this subject. | N/A | |
Performance on placement and Activity Log Hurdle requirement: Satisfactory performance on the 15 day placement is evidenced by the signed Legal Internship activity log. | Upon completion of internship placement | N/A |
Oral Presentation
| Due dates and submission methods will be advised via the LMS Canvas for each offering | 35% |
Reflective Portfolio
| Due dates and submission methods will be advised via the LMS Canvas for each offering | 65% |
Additional details
Further information on due dates will be provided to students upon enrolment.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- January
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 2 January 2024 to 23 February 2024 Last self-enrol date 12 November 2023 Census date 19 January 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 February 2024 Assessment period ends 22 March 2024 January contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics - Semester 1
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 26 February 2024 to 26 May 2024 Last self-enrol date 12 November 2023 Census date 3 April 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 3 May 2024 Assessment period ends 21 June 2024 Semester 1 contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics - June
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 24 June 2024 to 19 July 2024 Last self-enrol date 12 November 2023 Census date 5 July 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 26 July 2024 Assessment period ends 16 August 2024 June contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics - Semester 2
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 22 July 2024 to 20 October 2024 Last self-enrol date 12 November 2023 Census date 2 September 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 20 September 2024 Assessment period ends 15 November 2024 Semester 2 contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics - November
Principal coordinator Kate Fischer-Doherty Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Students must complete at least 15 days of placement at an internship host organisation. Total time commitment 145 hours Teaching period 18 November 2024 to 20 December 2024 Last self-enrol date 12 November 2023 Census date 6 December 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 3 January 2025 Assessment period ends 24 January 2025 November contact information
Email: law-wil@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au/students/jd/enrichment/mls-clinics
Time commitment details
145 hours (including 15 days internship placement, preparation for and completion of all assessment tasks)
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 taught both on-campus and through a practical placement at an internship host organisation.
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
- There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Specialist materials may be made available via the LMS.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Juris Doctor
Last updated: 31 January 2024