LAW4811 - In-house clinical placement - 2019

Students will engage in a legal placement hosted at Monash Law Clinics, in partnership with another organisation. Under professional supervision, students will undertake a range of activities involving work for end clients/beneficiaries of that partner organisation. These activities may include: legal research and writing a and research on ethical, professional and strategic consideration in 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 practice culture they experience. Depending on the particular placement 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 faced by vulnerable and marginalised populations. The skills developed and knowledge gained in this unit will be useful for:

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

This unit will operate as a 'shell unit' for a variety of in-house placements which will alter and change on a clinical period and/or year-by-year basis, depending on the required 'life' of the particular placement in which the student participates and the overall availability of appropriate placements balanced against the numbers of interested students. Partner organisations will be chosen after a filtering process conducted by members of the clinical legal education staff.

Furthermore, students will be required to participate in a compulsory seminar program administered by the Faculty which will cover both content issues specific to the area of law/practice in the particular placement and practical skills relating to professional work.

Students completing this unit will be able to:

1. Independently undertake complex legal research and, using such research:
   1. Assess and articulate options for clients/beneficiaries, including the strengths and limitations of available legal options;
   2. Pro-actively develop and articulate approached 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; and
   5. Critically analyse legal principles and the legal system, from a variety of perspectives including theoretical perspectives, identifying gaps and inadequacies in access to justice, legislative frameworks and procedure.
2. Effectively communicate legal principles, information, arguments, strategies and theories of justice to 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 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.

Part 1 - Legal research and application of legal research 40%

Part 2 - Group work 20%

Part 3 - Professional skills 20%

Part 4 - ePortfolio Reflection 20%. Students must provide a series of between 2 and 4 reflections during the clinical period on their participation, interactions, knowledge and experiences whilst undertaking the placement.

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 1 full day per week plus follow up research and casework. Students will be required to spend this day on research, case preparation and consultation with their supervisor. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, client interviewing and advice sessions, supervision and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information