LAW4803 - Clinical placement - 2018

Students will engage in a clinical placement hosted by, or under the aegis of, an external organisation. Under professional supervision, students will undertake a range of activities involving work for end clients/beneficiaries of that host organisation. These activities may include: legal research and writing; and research on ethical, professional and strategic considerations in the practice and application of the law. Students will contribute to the development of legal solutions to complex problems that occur in the context of the clinic or practice culture they experience. Depending on the particular clinic selected, students will develop proficiencies in a particular area of law or jurisdiction. Students may also gain greater understanding of social justice and access to justice issues with, for instance, vulnerable and marginalised populations. The skills developed and knowledge gained in this unit will be useful for:

• students who wish to practice law
• students interested in policy, government and social justice career pathways.

Upon completion of this subject students will be able to:

1. Independently undertake complex legal research and:
   1. Assess and articulate options for clients/beneficiaries, including the strengths and weaknesses of available legal options;
   2. Pro-actively develop solutions to complex legal problems;
   3. Synthesise large volumes of material, identifying key information relevant to developing legal material to support casework and/or policy advocacy material
   4. Recognise and appropriately respond to the strategic and ethical implications of different legal approaches;
   5. Critically analyse legal principles and the legal system, from a variety of perspectives including theoretical perspectives, identifying gaps and inadequacies in the provision of legal support to clients/beneficiaries
2. Effectively communicate (both orally and in writing) legal information, principles, arguments, strategies and theories of justice with a wide range of audiences involved in the justice system, be it in terms of individual casework or wider policy advocacy;
3. Reflect on and assess their own and/or peer capabilities and performance as flexible, adaptable, independent future legal practitioners by having developed skills of self-reflection and self-management, and to independently synthesise this information.
4. Demonstrate practical legal skills as appropriate to the clinical placement undertaken.

1. Depending on your choice of clinic, the assessment for this unit will be comprised of a minimum of two assessment criteria selected from:
   • Participation in, and performance of responsibilities during clinical placement: 30-80% - divided into specific tasks as appropriate to the particular clinical placement. E.g. May include:

   Legal Research

   Group/Team Work

   Professional Skills as appropriate to the particular clinical placement

   Presentation

   Written report

   • Critical Reflection/submitted material: 20-40%

   As the combination of assessments varies by clinic, the weighting of each assessment task will also vary. All assessments will total 100%.

Students are required to spend the equivalent of one full day per week for 12 - 16 weeks on activities related to their placement. Some placements require attendance on site for a full day while others are more flexible, enabling students to do some of their placement work remotely. Scheduled activities may include a combination of work directed by the supervisor, interviewing and advice sessions, research activities and engagement in on-line activities.

See also Unit timetable information