LAW3003 - Skills, ethics and research C 303

Leader: Mr Damien Knowles

Offered

Clayton Full year 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

The unit starts in first semester and extends into second semester. The unit is designed to develop legal drafting skills and develop ethical awareness. It starts with prescribed readings and a seminar on drafting principles, following which students assume the role of a solicitor in a law firm and receive instructions to draft documents concerning a client's affairs.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will understand:

1. how to identify and analyse drafting defects in a legal document;
2. how to draft in concise modern English, a contract and a pleading in a contractual claim; and
3. ethical issues that arise in the context of legal drafting and how to resolve them.

Assessment

There are three assessable drafting tasks. A memorandum of advice (1,200 words): 28%
A contract (1,600 words): 40%
A statement of claim (1,200 words): 32%

Contact hours

Taught by CD rom and online, plus workshops in March and August (check unit web page for instructions)

Prerequisites

LAW1100 or LAW1101 and LAW1102 or LAW1104; LAW2100 or LAW2101 and LAW2102