General Information
Clinical Legal Placement is an elective subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. Community legal centres provide a range of legal services in Australia, through general location-based clinics and also to populations with specialist needs. Student placements in community law centres provide students with valuable real-life skills, and an appreciation of the professional responsibilities of lawyers. After lecture instruction in the history, philosophy and law governing practice of community legal centres, students will have an opportunity to be placed in one or more clinics to experience community law in operations. They will then complete assessment including analysing contemporary legal problems, and reflecting on their experiences in the community law centre.
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Details
Academic unit: Faculty of Law Subject code: LAWS77-515 Subject title: Clinical Legal Placement Subject level: Postgraduate Semester/Year: September 2019 Credit points: 10.000 -
Delivery & attendance
Timetable: https://bond.edu.au/timetable Delivery mode: Situated Workload items: - Seminar: x7 (Total hours: 21) - Seminar
- Placement: x5 (Total hours: 38) - Placement
- Personal Study Hours: x12 (Total hours: 61) - Recommended Study Hours
Attendance and learning activities: Students should attend all seminars in order to adequately prepare for their placements. Students are expect to complete 5 days of placement during the semester. -
Resources
Prescribed resources: No Prescribed resources.
After enrolment, students can check the Books and Tools area in iLearn for the full Resource List.iLearn@Bond & Email: iLearn@Bond is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student. To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au
| Academic unit: | Faculty of Law |
|---|---|
| Subject code: | LAWS77-515 |
| Subject title: | Clinical Legal Placement |
| Subject level: | Postgraduate |
| Semester/Year: | September 2019 |
| Credit points: | 10.000 |
| Timetable: | https://bond.edu.au/timetable |
|---|---|
| Delivery mode: | Situated |
| Workload items: |
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| Attendance and learning activities: | Students should attend all seminars in order to adequately prepare for their placements. Students are expect to complete 5 days of placement during the semester. |
| Prescribed resources: | No Prescribed resources. After enrolment, students can check the Books and Tools area in iLearn for the full Resource List. |
|---|---|
| iLearn@Bond & Email: | iLearn@Bond is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student. To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au |
Enrolment requirements
| Requisites: |
Nil |
|---|---|
| Assumed knowledge: |
Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge. Assumed Prior Learning (or equivalent):
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| Restrictions: |
Nil |
Assurance of learning
Assurance of Learning means that universities take responsibility for creating, monitoring and updating curriculum, teaching and assessment so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for employability and/or further study.
At Bond University, we carefully develop subject and program outcomes to ensure that student learning in each subject contributes to the whole student experience. Students are encouraged to carefully read and consider subject and program outcomes as combined elements.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge and skills that will be achieved on completion of the program. If you are undertaking this subject as part of a degree program, you should refer to the relevant degree program outcomes and graduate attributes as they relate to this subject.
Subject Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject the learner will be able to:
- Have valuable real-life skills, and an appreciation of the professional responsibilities of lawyers. Students will develop an understanding of the operation of law in practical contexts. This will enhance their capacity to understand contemporary legal problems, including law reform issues.
- Produce a document for the community law centre where they are placed. This will provide them with practical experience in a real world setting.
- Present material coherently and fluently and to brainstorm to address issues specific to community law centres with their peers.
- Exercise writing and critical thinking skills.
Generative Artificial Intelligence in Assessment
The University acknowledges that Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) tools are an important facet of contemporary life. Their use in assessment is considered in line with students’ development of the skills and knowledge which demonstrate learning outcomes and underpin study and career success. Instructions on the use of Gen-AI are given for each assessment task; it is your responsibility to adhere to these instructions.
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Assessment details
Type Task % Timing* Outcomes assessed Written Report Legal Research Topic assigned by Community Legal Centre 40% Week 12 2 Presentation Oral Presentation reflecting on experience at Community Legal Centre 10% Progressive 3 Journal 5 reflective journal entries based on experiences at Community Legal Centres 50% Progressive 1,4 - * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
- C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.
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Assessment criteria
Assessment criteria
High Distinction 85-100 Outstanding or exemplary performance in the following areas: interpretative ability; intellectual initiative in response to questions; mastery of the skills required by the subject, general levels of knowledge and analytic ability or clear thinking. Distinction 75-84 Usually awarded to students whose performance goes well beyond the minimum requirements set for tasks required in assessment, and who perform well in most of the above areas. Credit 65-74 Usually awarded to students whose performance is considered to go beyond the minimum requirements for work set for assessment. Assessable work is typically characterised by a strong performance in some of the capacities listed above. Pass 50-64 Usually awarded to students whose performance meets the requirements set for work provided for assessment. Fail 0-49 Usually awarded to students whose performance is not considered to meet the minimum requirements set for particular tasks. The fail grade may be a result of insufficient preparation, of inattention to assignment guidelines or lack of academic ability. A frequent cause of failure is lack of attention to subject or assignment guidelines. Quality assurance
For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.
| Type | Task | % | Timing* | Outcomes assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Report | Legal Research Topic assigned by Community Legal Centre | 40% | Week 12 | 2 |
| Presentation | Oral Presentation reflecting on experience at Community Legal Centre | 10% | Progressive | 3 |
| Journal | 5 reflective journal entries based on experiences at Community Legal Centres | 50% | Progressive | 1,4 |
- * Assessment timing is indicative of the week that the assessment is due or begins (where conducted over multiple weeks), and is based on the standard University academic calendar
- C = Students must reach a level of competency to successfully complete this assessment.
Assessment criteria
| High Distinction | 85-100 | Outstanding or exemplary performance in the following areas: interpretative ability; intellectual initiative in response to questions; mastery of the skills required by the subject, general levels of knowledge and analytic ability or clear thinking. |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction | 75-84 | Usually awarded to students whose performance goes well beyond the minimum requirements set for tasks required in assessment, and who perform well in most of the above areas. |
| Credit | 65-74 | Usually awarded to students whose performance is considered to go beyond the minimum requirements for work set for assessment. Assessable work is typically characterised by a strong performance in some of the capacities listed above. |
| Pass | 50-64 | Usually awarded to students whose performance meets the requirements set for work provided for assessment. |
| Fail | 0-49 | Usually awarded to students whose performance is not considered to meet the minimum requirements set for particular tasks. The fail grade may be a result of insufficient preparation, of inattention to assignment guidelines or lack of academic ability. A frequent cause of failure is lack of attention to subject or assignment guidelines. |
Quality assurance
For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.
Study Information
Submission procedures
Students must check the iLearn@Bond subject site for detailed assessment information and submission procedures.
Policy on late submission and extensions
A late penalty will be applied to all overdue assessment tasks unless an extension is granted by the subject coordinator. The standard penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assessment per day late with no assessment to be accepted seven days after the due date. Where a student is granted an extension, the penalty of 10% per day late starts from the new due date.
Academic Integrity
University’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work: another’s ideas, interpretations, words, or creative works; and/or one’s own previous ideas, interpretations, words, or creative work without acknowledging that it was used previously (i.e., self-plagiarism). The University considers the act of plagiarising to be a breach of the Student Conduct Code and, therefore, subject to the Discipline Regulations which provide for a range of penalties including the reduction of marks or grades, fines and suspension from the University.
Bond University utilises Originality Reporting software to inform academic integrity.Feedback on assessment
Feedback on assessment will be provided to students within two weeks of the assessment submission due date, as per the Assessment Policy.
Accessibility and Inclusion Support
If you have a disability, illness, injury or health condition that impacts your capacity to complete studies, exams or assessment tasks, it is important you let us know your special requirements, early in the semester. Students will need to make an application for support and submit it with recent, comprehensive documentation at an appointment with a Disability Officer. Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Office at the earliest possible time, to meet staff and learn about the services available to meet your specific needs. Please note that late notification or failure to disclose your disability can be to your disadvantage as the University cannot guarantee support under such circumstances.
Additional subject information
Subject curriculum
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1. Subject Introduction. What is Pro Bono? History of Pro Bono in Australia and Internationally
A discussion of the expectations for the subject including reflective journals. An overview of why and how pro bono work and community legal centres became established in Australia.
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2. Understanding Rights to Representation in Australia: On paper and in practice
An overview of access to justice and some issues that arise with respect to representation in Australia. The second hour of this seminar will be in the form of an interactive workshop.
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3. Preparing for Clinical Legal Placements
Interactive workshop exploring some of the issues that may arise during placements. Interviewing will be used as a tool to explore several different issues.
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4.Overview of Assessment: Advocacy Writing and Reflective Journaling
Journaling An overview of legal documentation prepared by community legal centres.
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5-9. Placement at a Community Legal Centre for 5 days to take place between week 5 and week 9
n/a
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10. Student presentations and brainstorming session
Student will give a 10 minute oral presentation reflecting on their placement experience.
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11. Student presentations and brainstorming session continued
Continuation of 10 minute oral presentations.
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12. Law Reform Issues and Subject Review
Where do we go from here? An examination of law reform issues that are specific to community legal centres and pro bono work.