LAW4802 - Research practicum - 2018

Students are placed as interns with a partner organisation operating in the legal sector and complete a unique research project jointly defined by the partner organisation and the unit convenor. The partner organisations are leading regulatory, law reform, service provision or policy-setting organisations in the legal sector. Students communicate the research findings in the format specified by the partner organisation, such as a consultation paper, report, commentary, manual, submission or speech. The partner organisation provides field supervision, and the faculty provides academic supervision. Students negotiate a project plan with their supervisors, keep a progress journal, and make an oral report on the project and learning outcomes.

A candidate who successfully complete the unit should:

1. apply broad discipline knowledge to find solutions to complex problems
2. exercise critical thinking and professional judgement in developing new understanding
3. show technical skill in designing, conducting and reporting on a research project
4. plan and execute a professional project with a degree of independence and accountability
5. communicate a clear and coherent exposition of legal and policy issues in ways that are effective for the purpose and the intended audience
6. collaborate with others on a project in a workplace setting

Negotiated research project 70%

Negotiated project plan and journal reporting on progress (2000 words) 20%

Oral presentation on project and learning outcomes 10%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information