Law’s History and Context explores history’s role in revealing new insights about law, lawyers and legal institutions and examines how lawyers enlist history to achieve certain ends. Topics include: the relationship between law and colonialism; the contextual qualities of First Nation’s law; the history of legal education and the legal profession; historical and socio-legal methods; legal life writing; law and the history of capitalism; law and the history of the environment; the history of crime; and law’s changing role in matters of gender, sexuality and race.
The course is framed around a number of case studies, both local and international, which interrogate long-held beliefs and assumptions about law. The case studies illustrate how history and sociology can unearth the way that law has been politically and socially constructed. A central goal of the course is to illustrate the imaginative power of history and how it can change and deepen perceptions about law and legal practice.
In this course you will be encouraged to reflect on your own engagement with law’s history, both within and outside of law school, and consider its depiction in a range of media (literature, films, photographs, the land and so on). You will learn to think like an historian, compare such thinking to that of a lawyer and consider how the thinking in one field may enrich the other. By situating law within its broader context this course aims to help you understand the relevance of your studies to your future careers, politics and society.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Analyse the ideas, actors and social and political events that have shaped law, lawyers and legal institutions over time, incorporating First Nations peoples’ perspectives.
- Critically evaluate the way that lawyers and law have presented the history of their profession and law.
- Research and synthesise key ideas about law and legal history in literature and in other media and construct and communicate persuasive oral and written argument based on those materials.
- Evaluate the relevance and shortcomings of legal history.
Other Information
N/A
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 teaching period. 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. (100) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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 semi-intensively with compulsory contact hours of 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. 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."
Inherent Requirements
N/A
Requisite and Incompatibility
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 finalised.
Preliminary Reading
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 finalised.
Assumed Knowledge
N/A
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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $5280 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
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.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6462 | 16 Jun 2025 | 04 Jul 2025 | 04 Jul 2025 | 18 Jul 2025 | In Person | N/A |