Course

Special Elective D: Family Law Clinic - LAWS3240

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: 3

Enrolment Requirements:

Pre-requisite: Lawyers, Ethics & Justice (LAWS1230/JURD7130) or Law, Lawyers & Society (LAWS1210/JURD7110).

Excluded: JURD7540

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

Six students attend the Centre one full day a week (9am to 5pm) and attend Wednesday afternoon seminars (4pm – 6pm). Scheduling for the seminars will be available at first week of the semester.

This clinic will develop a range of training modules for various community groups and community members focussing on family law and the cross over with domestic violence particularly focussing on children and the importance of their interests.

One of the units will involve a training workshop for Indigenous people at La Perouse, a local Aboriginal community, to be developed in conjunction with the Aboriginal Access worker at the Centre. Students will be responsible for preparing and presenting the workshops under the supervision of the Director and clinical supervisor and in conjunction with the Aboriginal access worker.

Other units will focus on providing training to rural and remote communities in conjunction with Women’s Legal Centre to ensure that women living in rural and remote communities are provided with accurate and relevant information about family law and domestic violence. Students will also participate in the normal running of the Centre including answering phone enquiries from members of the community, advice nights and making appropriate referrals.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

  • To develop your critical appreciation of the law and legal system in Australia through participation in a legal practice working for clients who are financially or otherwise disadvantaged;
  • To enhance your contextual understanding of the law and legal process by exposing you to real clients with legal problems;
  • To provide you with a detailed understanding of the legal aid system and develop your understanding of issues of access to the legal system for the Australian community;
  • To develop your awareness of the role of lawyers in practice in the legal system and the importance of working in an interdisciplinary way with other community agencies
  • To develop your ability to see beyond a casework approach to legal problems by providing opportunities to participate in community education work;
  • To develop your understanding of ethics and responsibility in a workplace setting;
  • To introduce you to the importance of developing basic lawyering skills to a high level of proficiency including communication;
  • To encourage you to see the law as a vehicle which can be used to protect and develop human rights.

Assessment

Students receive one of two results for this subject - Satisfactory Completion or Fail

Course Texts

Prescribed
Reading materials for this course are purchased at the Kingsford Legal Centre.

Recommended
Reading materials for this course are purchased at the Kingsford Legal Centre.
graduation group

Study Levels

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