Students

LAW 488 – Access to Justice Placement Program

2014 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Debra Ronan
Contact via debra.ronan@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
48cp in LAW or LAWS units and permission of Executive Dean of Faculty
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit involves attendance at clinical placements and internships. There are three distinct clinical placement programs:Public Interest Advocacy Centre – students learn the strategies and issues in advocating for the public interest, and explore strategies to achieve legal change. The program involves time at PIAC, and with the pro bono section of a law firm and a law-related agency.Macquarie Legal Centre (MLC) – students participate in community legal centre practice, study and reflect on access to justice issues, the operation of law in society, and the roles lawyers play.MLC Family Law Placement – students participate in community legal centre practice, focusing on family relationships law and practice.Entry to this unit is by application. Applications open in November for the following year. Placement opportunities at other organisations may arise during the year, and are advertised via email by the convenor.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Analyse and critique the social, political, ethical and legal issues involved in public provision of legal services in specific contexts including: public interest advocacy; or community legal centre practice; or family law; or refugee law and advocacy
  • Contrast and analyse the connection and tension between law and procedure on the one hand, and the realities of legal practice on the other
  • Identify the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, a lawyer in practice
  • Apply the interpersonal skills necessary in legal practice
  • Engage in reflection and develop self-awareness
  • Apply effective communication skills

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Placement 0% Completion of placement
Class participation 10% See iLearn
Presentation 20% See iLearn
Research essay 50% See iLearn
Reflection 20% See iLearn

Placement

Due: Completion of placement
Weighting: 0%

 

This is a pass/fail component. Students must attend and participate in each placement day.

 

To indicate satisfactory attendance and participation, the placement supervisor will certify to the unit convenor that each student:

 

  •  attended each day
  • responded to directions and carried out required tasks
  • participated constructivley in discussions
  • acted ethically, i.e respectfully, with apparent honesty, and was aware of potential conflicts of interest

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, a lawyer in practice
  • Apply the interpersonal skills necessary in legal practice

Class participation

Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 10%

Students are required to participate in class discussion by responding to set discussion questions.The questions and attendance dates for the various groups are  provided on iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Contrast and analyse the connection and tension between law and procedure on the one hand, and the realities of legal practice on the other
  • Identify the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, a lawyer in practice

Presentation

Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 20%

Students make an 8 minute presentation to members of the placement group, and other placement groups about a particular aspect of their placement and the institutions attended. Guidelines and marking criteria are on iLearn. Dates for presentations will be allocated at the first seminar for each group. Students are only required to attend on the date of their presentation.

Presentation dates:

Tues 6 May

Wed 7 May

Thurs 8 May


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply effective communication skills

Research essay

Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 50%

MLC - Students are required to submit a  research essay on a social justice or community legal centre policy and practice issue. Topics will be provided, and students may nominate their own topic for approval by the convenor.

PIAC - Students are required to submit a  research essay on a public interest  issue.  Students may nominate their own  topic for approval by the convenor.

FRC - Students are required to submit a  research essay on issues that arise  in  provision of family law and community legal services. Topics will be provided, and students may nominate their own topic for approval by the convenor.

RACS - Students are required to submit a  research essay on issues that arise during their RACS placement in the provision of assistance to refugees. Students  nominate their own topic for approval by the convenor. 

 

Essay questions, marking criteria and due dates are on iLearn

Essays are submitted via the Turnitin link on iLearn

 


 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and critique the social, political, ethical and legal issues involved in public provision of legal services in specific contexts including: public interest advocacy; or community legal centre practice; or family law; or refugee law and advocacy

Reflection

Due: See iLearn
Weighting: 20%

Depending upon the placement, students are required to write a reflective report or weekly journal entry for each week of the placement. Guidelines and marking criteria are on iLearn

 

PIAC, FRC , SHINE Feb intensive - Week 3 reflective report

RACS & SHINE weekly - week 13 reflective report

MLC weekly- Weekly journal commencing week 3

 

Reflective reports (PIAC, FRC, RACS)  are submitted via the link on iLearn

Reflective journals (MLC) are submitted by 5pm each friday commencing week 3, by email. Details will be provided at induction


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Engage in reflection and develop self-awareness

Delivery and Resources

Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.

PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Assessment values have changed from the previous offering of the unit

Unit Schedule

Placements

Intensive placement with PIAC during July.

Intensive placement with RACS during July.

Intensive Placement with Macquarie Legal Centre Family Law program during February

Weekly placement with Macquarie Legal Centre commencing week 2

Others as become available from time to time (will be advertised via email)

Macquarie Seminars - Reflective practice, practising in the public interest, access to justice, community legal centres and legal aid

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

 

Macquarie Law School Assessment Policy

Word limits in Macquarie Law School assessments are strictly applied.  The word limit does not include footnotes or bibliographies where they are required. Unless explicitly indicated otherwise, referencing must comply with the current version of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. In the absence of a successful application for special consideration, any assessment task submitted after its published deadline will not be graded and will receive a mark of zero.

All research essays (excluding online quizzes) will require submission through Turnitin

Disruption Policy

The previous 'Special Consideraiotn' Policy is now the 'Disruption Policy'. PLease go to http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Contrast and analyse the connection and tension between law and procedure on the one hand, and the realities of legal practice on the other
  • Identify the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, a lawyer in practice
  • Apply the interpersonal skills necessary in legal practice

Assessment task

  • Placement

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Engage in reflection and develop self-awareness

Assessment task

  • Reflection

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Analyse and critique the social, political, ethical and legal issues involved in public provision of legal services in specific contexts including: public interest advocacy; or community legal centre practice; or family law; or refugee law and advocacy

Assessment task

  • Research essay

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Research essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Apply effective communication skills

Assessment tasks

  • Class participation
  • Presentation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Analyse and critique the social, political, ethical and legal issues involved in public provision of legal services in specific contexts including: public interest advocacy; or community legal centre practice; or family law; or refugee law and advocacy

Assessment task

  • Class participation

Changes since First Published

Date Description
28/02/2014 The Description was updated.