Leader: Associate Professor Gaye Lansdell

Offered

City (Melbourne) Full year 2008 (On-campus block of classes)
City (Melbourne) Full year 2008 (Online)
Clayton Full year (extended) 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

Under the supervision of qualified practitioner-teachers, students will take responsibility for handling clients' legal problems at Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service and Springvale Legal Service. They will open files and run cases in the manner of a law firm, and appear in court in appropriate circumstances. The practice fields most commonly arising in the legal work undertaken at these community legal centres relate to criminal charges, family disputes and a wide range of civil matters.Experience in the 'live' clinic is recognised as being especially effective as the best environment for developing awareness and use of learning strategies, personal values and professional ethics

Objectives

The primary objective is that those who have successfully completed the Diploma course, of which this subject is a part, will have the broad knowledge, skills and ethical awareness to undertake legal practice. Students who have successfully completed this subject will have acquired the following competencies:

1. practice fields: through learning and developing the skills summarised below, and gaining experience in the application of those skills in the field of this subject, students will have improved their competence to practise in any chosen specific field or fields of law and pratice;
2. skills: in particular, students will have learned and developed the skills set out in the Course Description for the Diploma relating to - learning strategies, research, analysis and writing; oral communication and inter-personal relationships; negotiation and advocacy; practice management and accounts; and hanmdling ethics and values; (c) personal development: students will have enhanced their broad and critical understanding of knowledge already gained, and their intellectual and social skills, in order to encourage and enable a continuing professional approach to work, community responsibilities and personal development

Assessment

1. Students joining Monash Oakleigh Legal Service (MOLS) as clinic participant, assessed by supervisor as to:

Taking instructions 25%; Follow up with supervisor 25%; Drafting and negotiation skills file management 20%; Office procedure 10%; Improvement during course 10%; General work practice skills 10%

(Total supervision worth 70% of overall mark); and

Completion of Reflective Journal 30% (3,000 words total as 3 journals of 1,000 words and worth 10% each handed in at periodic intervals).

Students are assessed continuously on their interviewing skills, analytical and research skills and written skills. Feedback is provided on virtually each piece of work completed. Formative assessment is provided mid-course in the form of a private discussion with the supervisor. At the conclusion of the course, a student's overall performance throughout the unit is assessed according to grades of Merit, Credit, Pass or Fail.



2. Students using concurrent non-Monash workplace experience in satisfaction of Clinical Legal Placement component of PDLP:

Outside Supervisor must complete Workplace Report (Online PDLP Certificate by Workplace Experience Supervisor - Annexure C) as approved by COLE certifying that specific tasks undertaken during workplace experience. Document to be lodged with Monash University at completion of unit. (Total supervision worth 70%); and

Completion of Reflective Journal: 30% (3,000 words total as 3 journals of 1,000 words and worth 10% each handed in at periodic intervals).

At the conclusion of the course, a student's overall performance throughout the unit is assessed according to grades of Merit, Credit, Pass or Fail.