Course Title: Practise In A Legal Environment
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2008
Course Code: LAW5109
Course Title: Practise In A Legal Environment
School: 650T TAFE Business
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6070 - Advanced Diploma of Business (Legal Practice)
Course Contact : Doug Cole
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5424
Course Contact Email:doug.cole@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Nominal Hours: 68
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.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
LAW5040 Legal Process [VBM898]
LAW5041 Law of Torts [VBM894]
LAW5042 Property Law [VBM896]
LAW5043 Law of Contract [VBM895]
LAW5048 Commercial Law [VBM899]
JUST5009 Law of Evidence [VBM897]
Course Description
This module covers open client file, take instructions and provide required legislative information, consult appropriate specialist(s), obtain, prepare and manage legal documentation, maintain communication with the client and identify and apply legal ethics and practice
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
VBJ207 Practise in a Legal Environment |
Learning Outcomes
1. Open client file, take instructions and provide required legislative information.
2. Consult appropriate specialist(s).
3. Obtain, prepare and manage legal documentation.
4. Maintain communication with the client.
5. Identify and apply legal ethics and practice.
Details of Learning Activities
Students will study Practise in a Legal Environment skills and theory in class sessions and through prescribed exercises and assessment work. These concepts will also be explored through the investigation of appropriate real world and simulated environments.
Teaching Schedule
Week Beginning (subject to variation) | Topics | Assessment |
Week 1 – 11th Feb | Introduction, file keeping, taking instructions | |
Week 2 – 18th Feb | Organisations and people in the legal environment. Obtaining specialist assistance | |
Week 3 – 25th Feb | Trust and firm accounts, costs | |
Week 4 – 3rd Mar | Ethical duties of legal practitioners and staff | |
Week 5 – 10th Mar | Labour Day holiday. No class | |
Week 6 – 17th Mar | Communicating with clients | |
Mid Semester Break (Student Vacation) – 20th to 26th March | ||
Week 7 – 31st Mar | Legal language, documentation, the uses and abuses of precedents | |
Week 8 – 7th April | Litigation documents | |
Week 9 – 14th April | Litigation documents | |
Week 10 – 21st April | Conveyancing documents | |
Week 11 – 28th April | Conveyancing documents | Litigation file due |
Week 12 – 5th May | Commercial documents | |
Week 13 – 12th May | Commercial documents | |
Week 14 – 19th May | Class presentations | Conveyancing file due |
Week 15 – 26th May | Class presentations | |
Week 16 – 2nd June | Class presentations | Commercial file due |
Week 17 – 9th June | Queen’s Birthday holiday. No class | |
Week 18 – 16th June | Feedback and review of assessment |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
There is no prescribed text for this course. |
References
R. Curnow, A Practical Students’ Guide to Working in a Legal Environment, Law Crest. |
Other Resources
Online Resources:
Australasian Legal Information Institute (www.austlii.edu.au)
CCH Online (www.cch.com.au)
ComLaw (www.comlaw.gov.au)
LexisNexis Butterworths Online (www.butterworthsonline.com)
Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents (www.dms.dpc.vic.gov.au)
High Court of Australia (www.hcourt.gov.au)
Federal Court of Australia (www.fedcourt.gov.au)
Federal Magistrates Court (www.fms.gov.au)
Supreme Court of Victoria (www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au)
County Court of Victoria (www.countycourt.vic.gov.au)
Magistrates’ Court of Victoria (www.magistratescourt.vic.gov.au
Overview of Assessment
Assessment will consist of assignments, a presentation and practical exercises (simulated client files).
Assessment Tasks
Assessment that learning outcomes have been achieved will be by:
Submission of three simulated client files 80%
Students will need to satisfactorily complete all work on files to achieve a pass. Marks will be determined by assessment of the following:
- Magistrates’ Court Complaint
- Brief to Counsel
- Letter to client
- Statement of Adjustments and Settlement Statement
- Settlement instructions
- Contract
Oral presentation and report 20%
To pass this course students must satisfactorily complete all assessment and have a total mark of not less than 50%.
Assessment Matrix
Learning outcome | File 1 | File 2 | File 3 | Presentation |
Open client file, take instructions and provide required legislative information | X | X | X | |
Consult appropriate specialist(s). | X | |||
Obtain, prepare and manage legal documentation | X | X | X | |
Maintain communication with the client | X | X | ||
Identify and apply legal ethics and practice | X |
Course Overview: Access Course Overview