The course aims include to:
- Guide and support students in identifying, developing and applying practical legal skills in public interest law.
- Develop students' critical understanding of legal practice approaches, the role of lawyers in relation to individual and group clients.
- Contextualise the study of law and student learning in the wide range of other law courses.
- Encourage, promote and validate student aspirations to promote access to justice and equality before the law specifically in relation to disadvantaged people and communities.
- Encourage students to critically consider the effect of the law and its ability:
a) to deliver public interest outcomes and
b) to provide adequate recourse for individuals and the community to be heard on public interest issues.
The course provides clinical placement at various ACT community agencies in the ACT for between 10-12 students each semester. Attendance requirements include an orientation workshop, onsite participation at the agency one day a week, participation in weekly tutorials (reviewing relevant substantive areas of law and legal and social justice issues) and marked assessment pieces.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- 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.
- Reflect on their personal motivation for studying law, their goals and career aspirations.
- Apply a reflective and ethical approach in combination with a broad theoretical and professional knowledge, in performing paralegal tasks.
- Recognise and apply improved practical legal skills particularly relating to work routines, communication with a variety of audiences, interviewing, writing, and legal research principles and methods.
- Summarise and apply an advanced and coherent body of substantive legal knowledge about public interest law, and knowledge of professional conduct rules and ethical practice.
- Describe and distinguish a variety of justice issues with respect to public interest legal practice, and to critically analyse entrenched issues of injustice in the legal system.
- Note name and debate their enhanced interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and self-awareness of their own cognitive abilities and values.
- Describe and critique a range of legal practice approaches having regard to the legal needs of individual and group clients.
- Analyse the predicament of individual and group clients having regard to the operation of the law and the legal system.
- Describe and critically assess a range of strategies to improve justice / social justice outcomes.
- Identify and evaluate concrete and achievable ways in which they can promote access to justice and equality before the law.
- Plan and execute a written research project, with some independence.
Other Information
Entry into this course is through an application process, advertised through the Wattle JD program pageIndicative Assessment
- On-site participation, learning and performance (null) [LO null]
- Seminar participation (null) [LO null]
- Research project and presentation of 2,500 words (null) [LO null]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses 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. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Student work in this course averages about 12 hours per week consisting of:- Reading averaging about 2 hours
- Tutorials averaging about 2 hours
- 1 x day (10am— 4pm) onsite session at individual agencies
- 2 hours a week on the research project, and
- A mid-course interview of about ½ hour
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the ANU Law School to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately 2 weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4830 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $6420 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
