Students

LAWS551 – Professional and Community Engagement

2018 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Debra Ronan
Paul Maluga
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
48cp in LAW or LAWS units and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit provides the opportunity for students to engage with the legal profession and community through participation in a variety of workplace experiences including, but not limited to, law firms, legal centres, community-based legal organisations and services, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations. The experience may be via clerkship, volunteer work, or internship, and may be undertaken on a weekly or block basis. Students source their own placement, and nominate it for approval by the convenor. Applications for the unit are advertised by the convenor via email.

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:

  • Identify issues that arise in professional practice and community engagement. In particular the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, lawyers and public advocates in practice.
  • Identify and distinguish what it is to be a professional, especially in the discipline of law
  • Identify and respond to ethical issues appropriately
  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.
  • Apply practical skills necessary in legal practice, including: • preparing file notes • drafting legal correspondence • preparing court documents • conducting client interviewing • conducting legal research
  • Apply the cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills necessary in legal practice, including: • the ability to engage in reflection and be self- aware • constructive engagement with work colleagues • willing and collaborative participation in the work environment • effective communication • capacity for critical analysis

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Placement Participation 0% Yes Ongoing
Participation Exercises 35% No Weeks 3,6,8
Goals and Reflection 25% No Weeks 2 and 13
Research Essay 40% No Week 11

Placement Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 0%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This is a pass/fail component. Students must pass this component in order to pass the course

 

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 issues that arise in professional practice and community engagement. In particular the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, lawyers and public advocates in practice.
  • Identify and distinguish what it is to be a professional, especially in the discipline of law
  • Identify and respond to ethical issues appropriately
  • Apply practical skills necessary in legal practice, including: • preparing file notes • drafting legal correspondence • preparing court documents • conducting client interviewing • conducting legal research
  • Apply the cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills necessary in legal practice, including: • the ability to engage in reflection and be self- aware • constructive engagement with work colleagues • willing and collaborative participation in the work environment • effective communication • capacity for critical analysis

Participation Exercises

Due: Weeks 3,6,8
Weighting: 35%

 Students complete set readings and exercises on ethics and regulation of the legal profession; and may be required to participate in  on-line discussions, wikis and blogs on ethical issues. 

Details of exercises and questions including due dates, submssion and assessment criteria will be discussed at the  compulsory seminars, and full details will be provided on iLearn.

The exercises will be submitted via Turnitin on iLearn by 10pm Friday weeks 3,6 and 8

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify issues that arise in professional practice and community engagement. In particular the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, lawyers and public advocates in practice.
  • Identify and distinguish what it is to be a professional, especially in the discipline of law
  • Identify and respond to ethical issues appropriately
  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.

Goals and Reflection

Due: Weeks 2 and 13
Weighting: 25%

This exercise involves two stages:

1. Following the week 2 seminar, students complete a skills checklist, then develop goals for their placement and consider the means by which they will be achieved. Templates for the exercise are provided. This must be submitted by 10pm Friday week 2

2. In week 13 students prepare a goal outcomes report and personal reflection; and set future long and short term goals. This must be submitted by 10pm Friday Week 13

Full details of this exercise, including guidelines and assessment criteria will be discussed at the week 2 seminar, and on i-Learn. 

The skills checklist and goal setting exercise will be submitted via iLearn by 10pm Friday week 2

The week 13 reflective report will be submitted via Turnitin on iLearn by 10pm Friday week 13

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and distinguish what it is to be a professional, especially in the discipline of law
  • Apply the cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills necessary in legal practice, including: • the ability to engage in reflection and be self- aware • constructive engagement with work colleagues • willing and collaborative participation in the work environment • effective communication • capacity for critical analysis

Research Essay

Due: Week 11
Weighting: 40%

Students are required to critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession. Students may choose one out of a number of questions that will be provided on iLearn

OR

Students may nominate their own essay topic. Students may identify an issue relating to an area of professional practice that in their opinion needs to be improved; and will prepare a critique of current practices and regulation in the area, suggestions for change, and what they as a practitioner would do in response to the issue. Students nominating their own topic must seek approval from the convenor for their topic before the end of week 7.

Further details of this assessment task will be provided at the week 2 seminar, and the set questions will be posted on i-Learn.

The research essay will be submitted via Turnitin on iLearn by 10pm Friday week 11

 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and respond to ethical issues appropriately
  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.

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

Weeks 1: Getting Ready for Your Placement

                Overview / Review - Regulation of the Profession 

Week 2: Skills Assessment and Setting Goals

Week 3: Reflective Thinking and Writing

Week 4: Should Ethics be Regulated?

Week 5 & 6: Professional Conduct – Confidentiality and Privilege, Misconduct and Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct

Week 7 & 8: Professional Conduct – Competence, Conflict, Trust, Misconduct and Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct

Weeks 9 - 11: Independent Research (Regulatory Issues)

Week 12 - 13: Reflection Revision, Career Planning and Next Steps; Debrief

 

 

 

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Faculty of Arts Policy on Assessments

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

The Special Consideration Policy can be seen above

All written assessments in the unit are to be submitted electronically. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit.

 

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://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources 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

  • Identify issues that arise in professional practice and community engagement. In particular the personal and professional demands on, and expectations of, lawyers and public advocates in practice.
  • Identify and distinguish what it is to be a professional, especially in the discipline of law
  • Identify and respond to ethical issues appropriately
  • Apply the cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills necessary in legal practice, including: • the ability to engage in reflection and be self- aware • constructive engagement with work colleagues • willing and collaborative participation in the work environment • effective communication • capacity for critical analysis

Assessment tasks

  • Placement Participation
  • Participation Exercises
  • Goals and Reflection

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

  • Apply the cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills necessary in legal practice, including: • the ability to engage in reflection and be self- aware • constructive engagement with work colleagues • willing and collaborative participation in the work environment • effective communication • capacity for critical analysis

Assessment task

  • Goals and Reflection

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Apply practical skills necessary in legal practice, including: • preparing file notes • drafting legal correspondence • preparing court documents • conducting client interviewing • conducting legal research

Assessment task

  • Placement Participation

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

  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation Exercises
  • 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:

Learning outcome

  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.

Assessment tasks

  • Participation Exercises
  • 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 outcomes

  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.
  • Apply the cognitive, interpersonal and communication skills necessary in legal practice, including: • the ability to engage in reflection and be self- aware • constructive engagement with work colleagues • willing and collaborative participation in the work environment • effective communication • capacity for critical analysis

Assessment tasks

  • Placement Participation
  • Participation Exercises
  • Goals and Reflection
  • Research Essay

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 outcomes

  • Identify and respond to ethical issues appropriately
  • Critique current practices and regulation of the legal profession.

Assessment tasks

  • Placement Participation
  • Participation Exercises
  • Research Essay