Course Title: Legal research method

Part A: Course Overview

Program: C6106 Advanced Diploma of Legal Practice

Course Title: Legal research method

Portfolio: BUS Portfolio Office

Nominal Hours: 51

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
LAW5200	City Campus	TAFE	650T Vocational Business Education	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face or Internet or Workplace	Term1 2012, Term2 2013, Term2 2014, Term1 2015, Term1 2016

Course Contact: Doug Gourlay

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925-5944

Course Contact Email: doug.gourlay@rmit.edu.au

Course Description

To provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake research as might be required of a person working in a legal office or in associated fields in the public and private sectors.

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Pre-requisites: VU20111 Legal Process

National Competency Codes and Titles

National Element Code & Title:	VU20124 Legal research method
Elements:	N/A

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 1 - Analyse a fact situation and identify the research questions raised. Identify and propose legal categories to which those questions relate.
Assessment criteria
1.1 Analyse a fact situation in relation to case study material and identify and discuss the research questions raised with reference to subject matter and persons involved.
1.2 Apply case study material to examine and evaluate legal categories to which a research question may relate with reference to cause of action (or defence) and remedies sought.

Learning Outcome 2 - Analyse and evaluate sources of legal information.
Assessment criteria
2.1 Identify sources of legal collections and examine and discuss the legal materials held by those libraries.
2.2 Determine government or community organisations that may be a source of legal information.
2.3 Identify and evaluate sources of legal information on the Internet.

Learning Outcome 3 - Determine the format for the citation of sources of legal information.
Assessment criteria
3.1 Analyse and detail conventions in legal citation.
3.2 Determine the method of citing cases.
3.3 Assess and specify the methods of citing Acts of Parliament, regulations and other delegated legislation.
3.4 Determine the methods of citing secondary sources of legal information.

Learning Outcome 4 - Determine and evaluate techniques for searching for legal information in computer databases.
Assessment criteria
4.1 Distinguish between the different ways of searching for computer based information with reference to full text searching and hypertext navigation.
4.2 Determine methods of free text searching for information.
4.3 Evaluate the use of hypertext for text searching and navigation. Include reference to access mechanisms, cross referencing, navigation functions and working with the text.

Learning Outcome 5 - Identify secondary sources of legal information, search secondary sources and locate and analyse legal information relevant to case study material.
Assessment criteria
5.1 Analyse textbooks and legal encyclopaedias.
5.2 Analyse indexes to legal periodicals.
5.3 Evaluate on-line computer based resources with reference to full-text electronic databases and Internet.
5.4 Search secondary sources and locate and analyse legal information relating to case study material.

Learning Outcome 6 - Determine methods of searching for case law and locate and analyse case law relevant to case study material.
Assessment criteria
6.1 Determine methods of finding case law on a particular subject.
6.2 Specify methods of finding the subsequent history of a case.
6.3 Determine methods of finding case notes and case citations.
6.4 Search for and analyse case law relating to case study material.

Learning Outcome 7 - Evaluate methods of searching for legislation and locate and analyse legislation relevant to case study material.
Assessment criteria
7.1 Evaluate methods of finding legislation on a particular subject, and whether or not it has been amended.
7.2 Determine methods of finding whether legislation has been reprinted,
7.3 Assess resources available to establish whether legislation has been judicially in relation to annotation services and full-text electronic databases.
7.4 Search for and analyse legislation relevant to case study material.

Learning Outcome 8 - Analyse and determine methods of finding delegated legislation and locate and analyse delegated legislation relevant to case study material.
Assessment criteria
8.1 Specify methods of finding delegated legislation on a particular subject and whether it has been amended.
8.2 Determine methods of finding whether delegated legislation has been reprinted.
8.3 State and analyse resources available to determine whether delegated legislation has been judicially with reference to annotations and full-text electronic databases.
8.4 Search for and analyse delegated legislation relevant to case study material.

Overview of Assessment

Assessment will be by various methods as outlined for each learning outcome and may be assessed separately or together.  Assessments may include:

• Class tests
• Written assignments
• Practical exercises
• Class discussion
• Use of electronic databases

Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.