Course Title: Practise In A Legal Environment
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2011
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 – 7 Feb | Introduction, file keeping, taking instructions | |
Week 2 – 14 Feb | Organisations and people in the legal environment. Obtaining specialist assistance | |
Week 3 – 21 Feb | Trust and firm accounts, costs | |
Week 4 – 28 Feb | Ethical duties of legal practitioners and staff | |
Week 5 – 7 Mar | Communicating with clients | |
Week 6 – 14 Mar | Labour Day holiday. No class | |
Week 7 – 21Mar | Legal language, documentation, the uses and abuses of precedents | |
Week 8 – 28 Mar | Litigation documents | |
Week 9 – 4 April | Litigation documents | |
Week 10 – 11 April | Conveyancing documents | |
Week 11 – 18 April | Conveyancing documents | |
Week 11 - 25 Apr | Mid Semester Break (Student Vacation) – 21 to 27 April | |
Week 12 – 2 May | Commercial documents | Litigation file due |
Week 13 – 9 May | Commercial documents | |
Week 14 – 16 May | Class presentations | Conveyancing file due |
Week 15 – 23 May | Class presentations | |
Week 16 – 30 May | Class presentations | Commercial file due |
Week 17 – 6 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.legislation.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