The University of New South Wales

go to UNSW home page

Handbook Home

PRINT THIS PAGE
Legal Experience 2 - LAWS1124
Walkway

 
Faculty: Faculty of Law
 
 
School:  Faculty of Law
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2
 
 
CSS Contribution Charge:Band 3 (more info)
 
 
Tuition Fee:See Tuition Fee Schedule
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description

This course is studied at the same time as Conceptual Foundations of the Legal System. It builds on knowledge and skills gained in Legal Experience 1 and is taught jointly by Kingsford Legal Centre and the School of Law. Students attend classes and engage in clinical exercises at Kingsford Legal Centre to develop expertise in preparing legal advice, managing files and practical legal problem-solving. Students learn the theory of effective legal interviewing before participating in client interviews at Kingsford Legal Centre. In addition, students learn about lawyers’ ethical and professional responsibilities.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

  • To enable students to gain familiarity and practical experience dealing with the legal system
  • To demonstrate how the study of law can be put into practice to assist people in our community
  • To learn about the legal aid system and access to justice issues
  • To ground some of the theoretical aspects of legal ethics and professional responsibility
  • To engage students with other later year law students through a mentoring scheme

Main Topics

  • Theory and practice of legal interviewing
  • Functioning of the Legal Aid Commission
  • What happens at a Local Court?
  • The community legal centre sector, Aboriginal Legal Services and other legal aid services
  • How does a client file develop and the steps involved in bringing a case to court
  • Legal education
  • Legal ethics
  • Types of lawyering
  • Representing a client
  • Admission to practice
  • Professional discipline
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Confidentiality

Assessment

Note that the Kingsford Legal Centre component of the course is assessed on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis, although the course as a whole is graded.

Class participation: 20%

Class presentation: 25%

Problem-solving assignment: 30%

Scrapbook and reflective writing: 25%

Course Texts

Prescribed
  • Reading Materials available from UNSW Bookshop.

Recommended
  • Kay Lauchland and Marlene Le Brun, Legal Interviewing: Theory, Tactics and Techniques, Butterworths, Sydney, 1996
  • Ainslie Lamb and John Littrich, Lawyers in Australia, The Federation Press, Sydney, 2007
  • Ysaiah Ross, Ethics in Law, 4th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Sydney, 2005
  • Christine Parker and Adrian Evans, Inside Lawyers’ Ethics, CUP, Melbourne, 2007

URL for this page:

© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.