The ANU College of Law's internship course offers students an unparalleled opportunity to put their learning into action and carry out a law-based research project in a legal professional workplace. The course requires and develops both legal knowledge and a lawyer's approach to problem identification, analysis and recommendations.

Internship placements are available within a variety of Commonwealth and Australian Capital Territory government departments, statutory bodies, community legal centres and other non-government organisations. Internships are also available under the supervision of a member of the ANU College of Law. In addition, students may arrange their own internship with a suitable organisation and professional supervisor, opening up the possibility to choose organisations and locations that best suit their future career interests. The professional supervisor of an intern must be a lawyer. Applications to complete self-arranged internships will be approved where they meet the requirements of the course.

Internships are available during each semester and during summer and winter term, enabling students to complete placements in remote locations in Australia or internationally. To assist in arranging placements, applications for an internship are generally made earlier than for other subjects. Full details about the internship course and the application process are posted to the ANU College of Law current students' website.

Students must apply to undertake this course. Please go to Law Professional Experience for application information.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Identify, plan, manage and execute a substantive and original written research project addressing a complex problem, and do so independently, and to a high professional standard appropriate to the professional setting.
2. Demonstrate persuasive and inclusive written and oral communications skills appropriate to specialist and non-specialist audiences, and a given professional setting.
3. Integrate and apply multiple areas of legal knowledge, skills and professional values gained throughout the JD program.
4. Recognise and apply JD graduate attributes such as, but not limited to: an extended understanding of recent developments in law and its practice; high level research skills; high level conceptualisation; the ability to generate and evaluate complex ideas; legal technical and communication skills; a reflective and ethical approach, and high level personal autonomy and accountability.
5. Reflect on and review key elements of a growing professional and ethical identity by, for example, naming and debating specific interests, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and career motivations and aspirations.
6. Recognise and apply improved legal skills particularly relating to work expectations, routines, professional conduct rules and ethical practice, in one specific professional work context.
7. Describe, analyse and critique how advanced knowledge and skills acquired through the study of law are brought to bear in a specific way for a particular purpose in one legal work setting.
8. Identify, describe, and reflect on their workplace experiences individually and in collaboration with students and work colleagues, particularly in terms of their own professional growth.

Research-Led Teaching

This course is research-intensive. The primary assessment item for this course is the research paper which the intern must develop, research and draft. The research paper topic should be in relation to the internship and may draw upon work done in the course of the internship. The research paper may be done under the supervision of the intern’s professional supervisor and/or the assistance, where needed, of the course convenor. The research paper is designed to give students a workplace research experience, and an opportunity to realise the potential real-world application of their university learning. For KCLS interns, the Sub-Convenor has the role of Convenor for all matters with the exception of release of semester results. For all other interns, the Convenor is overseeing the course.

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 current Grading Distribution Policy has been suspended pending the development of a new policy. For further information about the interim policy 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	There are no formal classes for this course

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Research Project	80 %	24/05/2021	01/07/2021	1,2,3,4,5
Course report	20 %	24/05/2021	01/07/2021	1,2,3,4

* 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 Academic Integrity . 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

Subject to agreed supervision arrangements, students should try to consult each week with the professional supervisor. Such meetings are not a course requirement. Students are generally expected to work in a ‘self-directed’ mode; and to write their research paper accordance with usual academic requirements.

  

Under University policy, the expected normal level of effort input by students each week is 10 hours per week for a six unit course such as this.

The College encourages interns to spend time in the workplace undertaking tasks separate from the research paper. This is not possible in all cases (due to workplace security requirements in some workplaces). There is no requirement for a set amount of time to be spent in the workplace. Our reasonable expectation is that students spend a minimum of twelve (12) full days or equivalent (96 hours) in the workplace (with the on-site expectation modified for students allocated to those workplaces where students cannot physically gain access to the workplace because of issues relating to security clearances). This workplace experience would be reflected in the course report.

NOTE: Students interning off-campus must complete an ANU Travel Approval form in order to be covered by ANU insurance.

Assessment Task 1

Research Project

Details of task: The Law Internship requires the completion of a research project. The research project may be a topic of the student's choice and may be multi-disciplinary, but it must have a strong law element and must relate to work done at the internship workplace. The research project may receive - but does not require - supervision from the internship host. The internship host has discretion in deciding whether to supervise the research project. In the absence of such discretion, the student is allowed to conduct the research project without supervision from the internship host.

Interns should be aware that if they intend to conduct interviews with people or a written survey as part of their research, they will need to seek ethics permission from the ANU University Ethics Committee. Interns should also read the University’s policy and procedures in this respect at https://researchservices.anu.edu.au/ori/human/and also the information on the ethics approval process which interns will find at https://researchservices.anu.edu.au/ori/human/committees

The research projects have to be stand-alone documents for assessment by academic standards. They must not merely be documents which have been drafted by interns as part of internship work requirements. However, such documents may be used by interns to compile the assessed research paper.

The project is marked by the Course Convener and/or the Kimberley Community Law (KCLS) Sub-Convener in accordance with the rubric set out below and taking into consideration the professional supervisor’s comments (if applicable) on the paper.

The task requires the consolidation and synthesis of theoretical and professional knowledge to provide solutions to complex problems, through the exercise of critical thinking, judgement and independence.

Nature of Task: Compulsory. Non-completion of the paper will incur a mark of 0 for this task.

Weighting: 80%

Release Date: N/A. The research topic should be finalised within the first two weeks of the internship.

Due Date: 5pm Monday 24 May 2021 via Turnitin. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted. However, penalties for late submissions will be applied.

Word Limit: 4,000

Estimated return date: 1 July 2021.

Assessment Criteria:

• The extent to which the paper relates to the work of the internship organisation
• Understanding and discussion of relevant law
• Analysis and response to topic
• Structure including logical development of content.
• Research of primary legal (case law and legislation) and scholarly secondary sources.
• Referencing and compliance with AGLC.
• Expression and written communication including use of legal terminology, English expression, grammar and punctuation.

Assessment Task 2

Course report

Details of task: The objective of the course report is for interns to evaluate their learning experience in a written reflection in relation to both of the following two topics.

1. Did the course add to interns’ professional knowledge and professional skills as a lawyer?

2. Did the internship experience lead to professional and personal development and can the intern reflect on and articulate that?

The task requires students to write clearly and coherently about their experience, reflecting on legal professionalism, professionals and workplaces, drawing upon their theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

Nature of Task: Compulsory. Failure to complete this task will result in a 0 for this task.

Weighting: 20%.

Release Date: N/A.

Due Date: 5pm Monday 24 May 2021 via Turnitin. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted. However, penalties for late submissions will be applied.

Word Limit: 1,000

Referencing Requirements: Citations must follow the current edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th ed.

Estimated return date: 01 July 2021.

Assessment Criteria:

• Quality, Depth of Analysis and Reflection
• Demonstrate personal responsibility for learning and growth
• Clarity of expression

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

Research essays are to be submitted via Turnitin

Late Submission

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

• 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.

Returning Assignments

Where assignments are not marked online, the marked print-out will be available from the Services Office upon notice.

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