This capstone course draws together areas of knowledge and skills developed across the Juris Doctor program through the planning and execution of a substantial, professionally focused, research project. In consultation with the Convenor, students identify a project that addresses a social problem of their choice that incorporates, or impacts, multiple areas of law. The project does not need to be completed in a workplace, however, the project must address a complex, real-world problem. The project outcome should be presented in a professional format, for example:

• a report to an organisation, such as the United Nations
• an academic journal article
• a law reform submission 
• an article for a legal practice publication 
• a design for a legal technology application as a solution to the research problem 
• any other professional format that is approved by your Convenor

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Synthesise legal knowledge and skills gained throughout the Juris Doctor program and develop solutions to solve complex social problems.
2. Reflect critically on theory and law in practice.
3. Plan and execute a professionally focused research project addressing a real-world problem.
4. Communicate the research project and its outcomes persuasively in oral and professional written formats.

Research-Led Teaching

The legal research experience of the convenor and the work of other colleagues will be used to help students understand how to translate academic insights into appropriate forms within their chosen professional context.

Required Resources

Readings/Resources as provided on the Wattle site.

Recommended Resources

All citations are to be done via the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (Melbourne University Law Review Association Inc, 4th ed, 2018) available at: http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/mulr/aglc

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Task submission times refer to Canberra time (AEST/AEDT).

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: 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 any announcements relating to the course.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	The Convenor will work with the student in this course to assist them to complete the Capstone project and reflection. There are two compulsory classes and one optional class. The Convenor will also typically have several meetings with students throughout the Semester – these are arranged at times which are mutually convenient to the Convenor and the relevant students. These meetings are arranged either in small groups, or individually, to suit the needs of both the Convenor and the students. The timings for the classes in this course will be posted when available

Tutorial Registration

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.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Project Outline	0 %	09/03/2023	17/03/2023	1
Project Progress Report	0 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,6,7
Project Oral Presentation	10 %	08/05/2023	15/05/2023	1,2,3
Main Project Output	70 %	01/06/2022	29/06/2023	1,2,3,4,6
Reflection	20 %	01/06/2022	29/06/2023	3,4,5,7,8

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Skills 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

Spending 10 hours per week (minimum) on planning, research, and reflection will be required to complete this course and its assessment successfully.

This is a course in reading, thinking and arguing. Effective participation in this course requires around 6 hours of self-guided reading each week.

To further enhance your learning in this course you may also find it useful to regularly access the course Wattle site and participate in the discussion there.

Examination(s)

There is no final examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

Project Outline

Details of Task: Completion of this project outline is a formative assessment task aimed at consolidating the planning for the capstone output as discussed with the convenor in the first meeting in Week 1 and/or in any other individual meetings before the due date.

Nature of Task: Optional. Failure to complete the outline will not result in a penalty but will be a missed opportunity for early feedback.

Weighting: 0%

Release: Students can commence the outline from Week 1.

Word limit: 800 words. Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted.

Due Date: 5pm, Thursday 9 March 2023 via Turnitin. Late submission is permitted by arrangement directly with the Convenor. Formal extension application with the College is not required.

Estimated return date: Friday 17 March via Turnitin.

Assessment Criteria:

• Overview of the chosen project and legal issues involved;
• Integration of knowledge obtained in the JD program to date;
• Identification of source material

Assessment Task 2

Project Progress Report

Details of Task: Students will meet as a class and work together to overcome any challenges or difficulties in the preparation of the main output (paper or other project form). This is a terrific opportunity to receive guidance from classmates and Convenor concerning any issues in relation to the project.

Nature of Task: Optional, but highly encouraged. If you don't intend to complete this task, you must notify the convenor at least 1 week in advance.

Weighting: 0%

Release: N/A

Due Date: In class, Week 6. Due to the nature of the task, late submission or extension is not permitted.

Estimated return date: Feedback will be given in class.

Assessment Criteria: Each student will have 5 minutes to discuss the progress of their project, and this will be followed by questions.

Assessment Task 3

Project Oral Presentation

Details of Task: Students are to give a presentation that addresses the assessment criteria below and explains the chosen complex problem, the writing (or other) style to be adopted, the form of the output and its connection to a chosen professional context, and how answering the complex problem requires synthesis of knowledge and skills from across their entire JD program of compulsory and elective courses. The presentation will also demonstrate identification of relevant literature and will discuss methodological approaches to answering the question posed.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 10%

Time limit: Students are to speak for 10 minutes and be expected to respond to questions for a further 5 minutes.

Due Date: In class, Monday 8 May (Week 10). Due to the nature of the task, late submission (without an extension) is NOT permitted. Where you have not been granted an extension, any submission after the due time will not be accepted and a mark of zero will be awarded.

Estimated return date: Feedback given in class at the time of the presentation, and the rubric and mark to be made available by Monday 15 May, via the Wattle site.

Assessment Criteria:

• Identification of a complex problem;
• Details a plan for answering the problem;
• Engaged the audience;
• Timing of presentation;
• Categorises project as academic, policy, or practice-focused clinical work;
• Research of primary legal and scholarly secondary sources

Assessment Task 4

Main Project Output

Details of Task: Students will design a question or questions about a complex legal problem of their own choosing and can select to how the form of their project output reflects their chosen professional context (e.g. policy brief/law reform style, or legal advice style for a practitioner or client audience).

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 70%

Release: Students can choose their own research topic in Week 1.

Word Limit: 4500 words. The ANU College of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here. Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted.

Due Date: 5pm, Thursday 1 June 2023 via Turnitin. Late submission (without an extension) is permitted, although late penalties will apply. Please be mindful that if you are in your final semester, late submissions will have an impact on your eligibility to graduate on time.

Estimated return date: Official end of semester results release date via Turnitin.

Assessment Criteria:

• Complex problem identified
• Appropriate style for academic, policy or practice work
• Research of primary legal (case law and legislation), policy and scholarly secondary sources.
• Paper is persuasive and well structured
• Referencing used is appropriate for the style of the chosen work.

Assessment Task 5

Reflection

Details of Task: Students will submit a written reflection on the experience in this course and the challenge of posing and answering your own question and the choices involved in deciding on a form or format that relates to a chosen professional context.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to complete will result in a mark of zero for this task.

Weighting: 20%

Release: N/A

Word limit: 1000 words. The ANU College of Law's Word Length and Excess Word penalties policy can be found here. Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted.

Due Date: 5pm, Thursday 1 June 2023 via Turnitin. Late submission (without an extension) is permitted, although late penalties will apply. Please be mindful that if you are in your final semester, late submissions will have an impact on your eligibility to graduate on time.

Estimated return date: Official end of semester results release date via Turnitin.

Assessment Criteria:

• Identification of elements of knowledge, skills, and professional values that have been used and integrated to produce the paper;
• Identification of CALD threshold learning outcomes (TLOs) and ANU College of Law graduate attributes demonstrated when completing the paper;
• Reflection on personal growth achieved via writing of the paper and capstone course interactions.
• Elements of knowledge, skills and values integrated in paper are identified
• Identification of TLOs / graduate attributes demonstrated in completion of the paper.
• Reflection on personal growth during writing the paper and other course activities.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

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 in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). Electronic copies in .pdf file format are not acceptable.

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 tests or examinations.
• Late submission with an extension. To ensure equity for all students, the 5% penalty per working day for late submission of work does not apply if you have been granted an extension. Where an extension is granted, the revised due date and submission time will be provided in writing. Importantly, any revised due date is inclusive of weekends and public holidays. Regardless of which day of the week the revised due date falls on, students who submit after that date will be penalised by 5% of the possible marks available for the task per 24-hour period.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

All marks and feedback will be provided online by the return date listed in the class summary.

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 Access 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