The Clinical Youth Law Program is an elective course. Students who have completed 48 units of LAWS courses are eligible to enrol and places are allocated by quality of application and if necessary ballot.

This is a clinical program based in a community legal practice environment. Students participate in the Youth Law Centre, a non-profit legal service for ACT youth aged 12-25 years. While analysing the various roles that lawyers can play, students will focus on extending legal assistance, social justice and reform - particularly in relation to youth legal needs in the ACT.

The course objectives are to:

• contextualise the study of law and student learning in a wide range of other law courses;
• guide and support students in identifying, developing and applying ethical legal practice skills;
• develop students' critical understanding of legal practice approaches, the roles of lawyers in relation to individual clients and social justice issues; and
• encourage, promote and validate student aspirations to promote access to justice and equality before the law.

The course also explores issues such as:

• the concept of ‘reflective practice';
• the links between the legal framework of legal practice and operating routines that apply to provision of all legal services (duties to client, confidentiality, conflict of interest);
• legal and non-legal problems - implications for practice/service provision of an appreciation of the relevant services and the meshing of non-legal issues;
• interviewing routine - difference between legal information and legal advice;
• legal practice approaches - ‘reactive', ‘proactive', ‘preventative', ‘activist'; and
• tailoring service models to client needs.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. describe and critique how advanced knowledge and skills acquired through the study of law relate to a legal practice setting, assisting individual clients and working for social justice,
2. reflect on their personal motivation for studying law, their goals and career aspirations,
3. demonstrate a reflective and ethical approach, together with the ability to apply broad theoretical and professional knowledge, in performing paralegal tasks,
4. demonstrate substantial improvement in their practical legal skills particularly relating to work routines, communication with a variety of audiences, interviewing, writing, and legal research principles and methods,
5. describe and critique a range of legal practice approaches having regard to the legal needs of individual clients,
6. analyse the predicament of individual clients having regard to the operation of the law and the legal system,
7. describe and critically assess a range of strategies to improve justice / social justice outcomes,
8. identify concrete and achievable ways in which they can promote access to justice and equality before the law,
9. Plan and execute a written research project, with some independence.

Field Trips

During the semester we may visit other legal services, courts and tribunals.

Additional Course Costs

Students are required to travel to the Youth Law Clinic to attend workshops, seminars and to complete rostered days (walking distance from the University campus), and must be dressed neatly on each day that they are gaining onsite experience.

Required Resources

The following articles are mandatory pre-reading for Orientation:

·        Lani Guinier “Becoming Gentleman” (1994) 143 UPenn Law Review 2.

·        N Rees “How should law schools serve their communities?” (2001) 5 University of Western Sydney Law Review 111.

·        N Agarwal and J Simonson “Thinking Like a public interest lawyer: Theory practice and pedagogy” (2010) 34 NYU Review of Law and Social Change 455.

·        R Granfield “Making it by faking it: working class students in an elite academic environment” (1991) 20 Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 331.

Recommended Resources

• Ross Hyams, Susan Campbell and Adrian Evans, Practical Legal Skills, (4th Ed, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 2014) - a copy of this book will be in the Youth Law Clinic once course commences.
• The Youth Law Centre’s various operating manuals - available to read at the Youth Law Clinic once course commences.
• Clinical Youth Law Online Resources (Online Resources)
• Additional resources provided online for students on the Youth Law Clinical Wattle site

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Extensions late submission and penalties - https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/extensions-late-submission-and-penalties

Deferred examination: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/deferred-examinations

Special consideration: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/special-assessment-consideration

Penalties for excess word length: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/word-length-and-excess-word-penalties

Distribution of Grades Policy: Effective from Winter Session and Second Semester 2018 (and until further notice), the interim scaling guideline applies to all courses in the LLB (Hons) and JD programs. Please see: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/grading

Further Information about the Course: is available from the course WATTLE page. Students are required to access the WATTLE site regularly throughout the course for details on weekly classes and any announcements and updates relating to the course.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	ANU Week 1 / Clinical Week 1 Orientation + Spotting a Legal Issue/Problem What is clinical legal education?	Orientation session 28 July 2:00pm-7:00pm All seminars thereafter are Tuesdays 5:30-7:30 at ACT Legal Aid Commission
2	ANU Week 2 / Clinical Week 2	No Classes This week
3	ANU Week 4 / Clinical Week 4 Onsite roster continues Where is Public Interest Law Practiced? Also - @ Individual Placement Services Tenancy Law	Seminar 18 August 5:30-7:30
4	ANU Week 5 / Clinical Week 5 Onsite roster continues How is Public Interest Law Practiced? Focus on : Criminal Law Guest Speaker TBA - A life of Public Interest Practice	Seminar 25 August 5:30-7:30
5	ANU Week 6 / Clinical Week 6 Onsite roster continues How is Public Interest Law Practiced? + coordination & reflection Domestic Violence	Seminar 1 September 5:30-7:30
7	ANU Break / Clinical Week 7 Onsite roster continues Employment Law Using Law in the Public Interest Public Interest Campaigns – Skills Tool Kit Develop and Plan a Campaign	Seminar 8 September 5:30-7:30
8	ANU Break / Clinical Week 8 Onsite roster continues What are the constraints on Public Interest Practice? Focus: Administrative tribunals & ACAT Trip + Coordination & reflection Group Presentations – Reflecting on a Public Interest Campaign	Seminar 15 September 5:30-7
9	ANU Week 7 / Clinical Week 9 Onsite roster continues Drug/Alcohol Course Guest Speaker	Seminar 22 September 5:30-7:30
10	ANU Week 8 / Clinical Week 10	No Classes This Week
11	ANU Week 9 / Clinical Week 11 Onsite roster continues	Seminar 6 October 5:30-7:30 Presentations – Reflecting on a Public Interest Campaign
12	ANU Week 10 / Clinical Week 12 Onsite roster continues Ethical Lawyering + Childrens Law	Seminar 13 October 5:30-7:30
13	ANU Week 11 / Clinical Week 13 Presentations of Research Projects	20 October Reflective journals due
14	ANU Week 12 / Clinical Week 14 Presentations of Research Projects Placements continue No seminar this week.	Research paper due October 30 @ 5:00pm

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Onsite Placement	0 %	*	*	1,3,4,5,6,7,8
Media Release	20 %	14/09/2020	28/09/2020	1,2,5,6,7,8
Case Study	10 %	21/09/2020	26/10/2020	1,2,5,6,7,8
Reflective Journal	20 %	26/10/2020	13/11/2020	1,2,5,6,7,8
Research Project	50 %	02/11/2020	03/12/2020	7,8,9

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

There are no lectures. Instead students attend orientation workshops, weekly seminars and attend at the Youth Law Centre for one day per week, participate on-site at the YLC. Attendance at all of these is compulsory. The course runs through the mid-semester break. Your availability to attend the orientation workshops and attend all other aspects of the program throughout the semester and in the mid-semester break is a condition of an offer in the course. This was highlighted in the Application.

Student work in this course averages about 12 hours per week consisting of:

·        Reading: averaging about 1 hour

·        Seminars: averaging about 2.5 hours

·        onsite session at the YLC: 1 x 6 hour (9am – 4pm), except those students rostered on same day as the seminar and orientation days who must work equivalent hours to make up for hours spent in seminars, workshops and site visits, and

·        research project: 2 hours a week.

Students are expected to prepare for seminars and to engage critically in seminar discussions. Engagement and feedback in seminars will assist you to evaluate and enhance the quality of your learning in the course, and prepare you to record your reflections in writing.

Assessment Task 1

Onsite Placement

Details of Task: Students will attend and participate in Youth Law Clinic under the supervision of the Youth Law Clinic coordinator and with Youth Law Clinic employees, including other legal practitioners. In order to complete the task, students must work one rostered day each week onsite at the Youth Law Centre between Clinic Weeks 1 and 12 inclusive (total of 11 days). Each student must work a full rostered day onsite; for most students, the onsite work hours are from 9am-4pm. Student attendance days are noted by the student on their onsite student file which is checked by the YLC Coordinating Solicitor. Late attendance or early departure may result in the student being recorded as absent.

The exception to this onsite requirement is those students who are rostered on either the Orientation day or seminar day, in which case these students will instead finish later that day to take account of the time spent at the workshops/seminar, and those students who are rostered on the walk-around day, who must make up the hours on a different day.

More information about what counts as activities towards onsite days and the roster will be available in the course WATTLE site.

Nature of Task: Compulsory, redeemable (against the final onsite participation mark). Failure to complete this task will result in a 0 grade for the course.

Weighting: 0%

Due Date: Ongoing assessment. Students who are unable to attend on a particular day due to illness or special circumstances should advise the YLC Coordinating Solicitor and Course Convenor. This should be in advance where possible or where that is not possible then as soon as is reasonably practicable. Students who miss an on-site day because of illness, misadventure, seminars, or public holiday will make up that day by swapping with another student, or adding days at the end of the course in Clinic weeks 13 and 14 (Semester week 11 and 12). The student will negotiate this with the onsite supervisor.

Estimated return date: Mid-term discussions in Clinical Week 7 and at end of course; formative feedback is provided at end-course interview in clinical weeks 13 and 14.

Assessment Criteria: Onsite participation is assessed using the assessment criteria that will be provided on the wattle site. The assessment criteria will assess the performance of students onsite skills and completion of tasks onsite. The Onsite Skills Checklist contains indicators of good practice tailored to Youth Law Centre onsite work and course objectives. The indicators of good practice are not weighted and will not be marked individually. Indicators of good practice, tailored to onsite work at the Youth Law Centre in the light of course objectives, include;

• Office approach: Office procedures, phone answering & information gathering including file management
• Contribution to client interviews including pre-interview preparation               
• Approach to client matters – planning and strategy, analysis of client issues and identification of relevant law/next steps
• Conducting follow-up client work including problem solving skills - analysis of options/actions required, research skills e.g. initiative, efficiency, thoroughness
• Non-client work (if relevant) as assigned by the solicitors (eg law reform work, community legal education, etc): effort, relevance, efficiency and quality of work carried out
• Initiative with designated tasks - including appropriate balance between the need for initiative against other limitations
• Legal practice standards &approach e.g. Adherence to onsite policy & procedures
• Work relationships including team approach with solicitors, other students, and stakeholders

The mark will be based on the YLC supervising solicitor's overall assessment that is recommended to the Course Convenor.

Assessment Task 2

Media Release

Details of Task: Students will work in pairs to draft to a media release based upon a problem and case study from the workshops. Students will be expected to collaborate to generate a unique and compelling case for action.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete this task will result in a score of ‘0’ for this assessment item.

Weighting: 20%

Release: 14 September 2020

Due Date: The media release should be submitted by 5:00pm on the 21st of April. Late submissions (without an extension) will be accepted, although late penalties will apply.

Word Limit: 800 words

Estimated return date: 28 September 2020

Individual Assessment in Group Tasks (where applicable): Media releases will be assessed as a pair with both students receiving the same mark except in exceptional circumstances.

Assessment Criteria: Only the written media release will be assessed. The criteria for the written piece will be;

Breadth and depth of research

Collegiate approach to task

Clarity of expression

Assessment Task 3

Case Study

Details of task: Students will collegiately present a case study outlining the significant tools used to run a campaign by an advocate(s). Students will work in pairs to research the tactics used by a group, individual or organisation to run a public interest campaign. Students will deliver the presentation orally in pairs to the class. Papers are presented orally and the presentation is worth half of the total marks for this task. A copy of the presentation should be submitted immediately after the presentation (ie on the same day) and be worth 50% of the marks for this task, and the written component will be worth the other 50% of the marks for this task.

Nature of Task: Compulsory. Failure to submit complete these projects and/ or deliver a presentation will result in a 0 for this assessment item.

Weighting: 10%

Release: Students will select the campaign based upon a list generated in class during weeks 1 and 2.

Due date: 5:00pm 21st September 2020, Presentation during the workshop. Late presentations (without an extension) will not be permitted. A copy of the presentation (should be submitted immediately after the presentation (ie on the same day) by 9pm via Turnitin and wattle. Late presentations (without an extension) will not be permitted. Late submissions (without an extension) of the copy of the presentation will be accepted, although late penalties will apply.

Word limit: 5 minute presentation, 250 words or 10 slide powerpoint for campaign.

Estimated return date: 26 October 2020 via Turnitin.

Individual Assessment in Group Tasks (where applicable): Presentations will be assessed individually.

Assessment Criteria: Presentations and the case study will be assessed using the following criteria

•  Breadth and depth of research
• Collegiate approach to task
• Clarity of expression
• Effectiveness of oral presentation
• Effective use of visual aids in presentation (or effective decision not to use visual aids)

Assessment Task 4

Reflective Journal

Details of Task: The Reflective Journal is based on weekly seminar discussions and will intensify the learnings from all aspects of the course, by requiring students to consider their on-site experiences, the perspectives and views of clients, other students and legal staff, their personal and professional development and their views on the legal system and social justice. This task will enable you to draw on your on-site and seminar learning to consider issues of social justice, the role of lawyers (including yourself) and the law in social justice, and to critique the law and legal system based on your experiences so far. You should complete one journal entry per week.

Nature of Task: Compulsory. Failure to complete this assessment (including appending all weekly reflections completed at the date of submission) will result in a grade of zero for this assessment task.

Weighting: 20%

Word Limit: You must submit all of your weekly journal entries. However you should nominate two for the course convenor to mark. The two entries which you nominate to be marked, should be clearly indicated and approximately 200 words for each entry.

Release: At course commencement

Due Date: 5:00pm 26 October 2020 via Wattle dropbox

Estimated Return Date: 13 November 2020

Assessment Criteria: Students are asked to demonstrate:

• Capacity to consistently reflect on and demonstrate learnings from on- site practice
• Capacity to develop ongoing reflective habits
• Capacity to reflect on personal strengths and weaknesses that effect delivering legal service
• Capacity to observe and reflect on social justice issues
• Ability to consider different perspectives, possibilities and/or values
• Clear expression
• Analysis

Assessment Task 5

Research Project

Details of Task: Students must undertake a research project. This consists of two parts. Students must produce a completed resource for the YLC and/or its stakeholders. They must also write a paper justifying and explaining the resource and establishing the student’s expertise to produce that resource. The resource and the paper comprise the research project. As part of the paper or within the resource itself, the paper will identify the need for the resource, explain the content and decisions about the form of the resource(s), demonstrate the student’s expertise and authority to produce the resource.

Students will present their research project to the class and invited YLC stakeholders in Week 12 (Clinicial Week 14). The students will then hand in the research project in the following week. More detailed information will be provided in the course WATTLE site

Nature of Task: Compulsory. Failure to complete the research project and undertake the presentation will result in a mark of zero for this assessment task.

Weighting: 50%

Release: At course commencement. The student must consult with the convenor and seek approval for the project from the convenor at the weekly seminars.

Due Date: 2 November 2020 at 5:00pm (AEDT) via Turnitin. Late submission (without an extension) is permitted, although late penalties will apply.

Word Limit: It is difficult to set a maximum word limit for a task like this, as the range of resources that may be produced is so varied. However there is a minimum word length of 2,000 words for the entire research project.

Estimated return date: With final release of results.

Assessment Criteria:

• Demonstrate the need and utility of the resource to the relevant stakeholder audience
• Justify the form of the resource and explain decisions in its design
• Demonstrate the student’s authority (skills, knowledge and expertise) to produce the resource
• Demonstrate legal knowledge and legal analytical skills
• Demonstrate legal and empirical research skills
• Demonstrate good organisation in the structure of their research report
• Demonstrate good written expression
• Demonstrate ability to communicate well with target audience.
• Demonstrate creativity and originality
• Demonstrate knowledge and insight into the social context of the intended audience
• Demonstrate capacity to produce the resource in the form that it was (e.g., artistic, musical, choreography, desktop publishing)
• Demonstrate capacity to produce a completed resource
• Demonstrate oral skills to explain concisely, clearly and simply their research project.
• Demonstrate capacity to produce a completed resource

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students