Students

LAW 477 – Advocacy

2018 – S1 Block

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and primary point of contact for student enquiries
Kate Gleeson
Contact via email
W3A615
See Ilearn for details
Co-convenor; Director of the National Justice Project
George Newhouse
n/a
n/a
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
24cp in LAW or LAWS units and permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
The unit provides an introduction to the theory and practice of social justice advocacy. We will examine campaigning using a combination of legal and other forms of advocacy. The aim is to teach students to think creatively about how to go about achieving social justice outcomes. Learning in the unit will be structured around case studies of social justice litigation, which will be used as a practical basis for exploring effective legal and non-legal strategies. The trial advocacy component covers analysis, strategy and preparation of cases; written submissions; cross-examination of witnesses; and opening and closing addresses. Experienced counsel are also involved.

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:

  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Demonstrate basic trial advocacy skills
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

General Assessment Information

Details of the assessment tasks, due dates and detailed marking rubrics are available on iLearn. All written assessments are to be submitted electronically via Turnitin. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit and the University's Academic Honestly Policy is strictly applied.

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

.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Quiz 10% No 6 April
Seminar Participation 10% No On Campus Session
Trial Advocacy Skills 30% No 6 May
Social Justice Campaign Plan 50% No 5pm 25 May

Quiz

Due: 6 April
Weighting: 10%

An online quiz consisting of 10 questions drawn from the course readings to be completed the day before the on campus session begins.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Demonstrate basic trial advocacy skills
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Seminar Participation

Due: On Campus Session
Weighting: 10%

Seminar participation in the two day on-campus session on 7 and 8 April.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Trial Advocacy Skills

Due: 6 May
Weighting: 30%

15 minute oral examination during which students will be called upon to demonstrate the trial advocacy skills covered in the unit. The assessment will take place on Sunday 6 May, from 10am-3pm.

 

 

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate basic trial advocacy skills

Social Justice Campaign Plan

Due: 5pm 25 May
Weighting: 50%

Students will work in groups to develop a 2500 word report outlining a strategy for a campaign on a selected social justice issue. The report will consist of a 1000 word legal submission to a coronial inquest, as well as 1500 word plan for non-legal advocacy strategies.

As part of the assessment, students will also each submit a 1000 word Individual Report documenting their contribution to their group’s report and reflecting on the learning in the unit.

Both the group report and the individual report are due on the same day.

The 2500 word group report is worth 10% of your final mark. It will be marked on a pass/fail basis.

The individual report is weighted at 40% of your final mark. The quality of the group report will contribute to your grade for your individual report.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Delivery and Resources

The unit provides an introduction to the theory and practice of social justice advocacy. We will examine campaigning using a combination of legal and other forms of advocacy. The aim is to teach students how to think creatively about how legal and broader advocacy strategies can be used to achieve social justice outcomes.

Learning in the unit will be structured around case studies of social justice litigation which will be used as a practical basis for exploring effective legal and non-legal strategies.

The prescribed text for the unit is George Hampel, Elizabeth Brimer, Randal Kune, Advocacy Manual (2016). You can order this book online, with a student discount  http://www.advocacy.com.au/discount-manual-purchase.html

The rest of the unit materials will be delivered online through the unit’s ilearn page. They will consist of links to readings, videos and pre-recorded lectures organised under a weekly structure. Students are expected to have completed all of these readings and watched all videos and recorded lectures prior to the seminars.

We will meet for two days of seminars to be held on Saturday 7  April and Sunday 8 April. We will reconvene on Sunday  6 May to carry out trial advocacy assessment task.

Students will be required to use a computer to interact with online research databases and web-based research tools. All students need access to a secure and reliable server for access to iLearn and submission of assessment tasks.

Unit Schedule

As this unit is taught in block mode, it does not include a weekly schedule of topics. Please see Ilearn for the detailed  seminar program.

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.

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

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

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

  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

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 outcomes

  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Demonstrate basic trial advocacy skills
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Trial Advocacy Skills
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

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 outcomes

  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

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

  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Trial Advocacy Skills
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

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

  • Demonstrate basic trial advocacy skills
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Trial Advocacy Skills
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

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

  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Recognise the professional and ethical obligations that arise in the context of social justice advocacy
  • Understand how non-legal strategies can complement legal strategies to achieve social justice outcomes
  • Design a social justice campaign that would bring together litigation and other advocacy strategies

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz
  • Seminar Participation
  • Social Justice Campaign Plan