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:
- to deliver public interest outcomes and
- 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.
Assessment requirements: onsite assessment, tutorial participation and preparation & presentation of a written project or seminar/forum.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Synthesise and apply a coherent body of legal knowledge about public interest law to promote justice and equality before the law,
- Develop and apply reflective and ethical approach in assisting individual clients and performing paralegal tasks,
- Critically analyse a variety of issues relating to justice and injustice in the legal system within the context of public interest legal practice,
- Assess how well different legal practice approaches address the needs of diverse clients,
- Reflect on their learning experiences to develop their professional and ethical capabilities,
- Plan and execute a written research project independently and/or collaboratively.
Other Information
Enrolment is limited with selection based on a competitive process. Application information can be located on the ANU College of Law Website.
Indicative Assessment
- The proposed means of assessment for this course will provide students with at least two pieces of assessment, including one piece during the semester. More information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available in the Class Summary and on the course WATTLE page. (null) [LO null]
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
- Classes offered in non-standard sessions will be taught on an intensive base with compulsory contact hours (approximately 36 hours of face to face teaching). The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.
- Classes offered during semester periods are expected to have three contact hours per week. Students are generally expected to devote at least 10 hours overall per week to this course.
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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 two weeks prior to the commencement of the course. Alternatively, this information will be published in the Program course list when known.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $4860 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $5820 |
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.
