Course Title: Practise In A Legal Environment

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 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

Robyn Lang (Coordinator)
Telephone 9925 1565
Email: robyn.lang@rmit.edu.au

Joanne Mackay
Telephone 9925 5540
Email: joanne.mackay@rmit.edu.au

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  Lecture  Tutorial

Week 1 - 5 July

Introduction- Aims of the Course
File Management

 Cost Disclosure Statements
 Legal Ethics- Presentation Groups

Week 2 - 12 July Communicating with the Client and Third Parties  Commence Civil Litigation File
Week 3 - 19 July Managing your day in a Legal Office / Preparing a Civil File  Commence Drink Driving File
 File Management to be assessed.
Week 4 - 26 July

Trust Accounts and Office Accounts /Guest Speaker                           

 File Work
Week 5 - 2 Aug Preparing Conveyancing Documentation              Commence Conveyancing File
 Civil Litigation- Magistrate Complaint Due
Week 6 - 9 Aug Taking and Preparing Affidavits, Statutory Declarations  File work
Week 7- 16 Aug Entering Default Judgment  Conveyancing File- Contract of Sale due
Week 8 - 23 Aug Guest Speaker  File Work
29 Aug -  2Sept Mid Semester Break (student vacation)  Mid Semester Break (student vacation)
Week 9 - 6 Sept Practical Placement  Practical Placement
Week 10 - 13 Sept  Brief to Counsel  File work
Week 11 - 20  Sept Statement of Adjustments  Drink Driving File- Brief to Counsel due
Week 12 - 27 Sept Preparing Bill of Costs  Conveyancing File- Statement of  Adjustments due
Week 13- 4 Oct Attending Settlements  File Work
Week 14 - 11 Oct  Conveyanicng File- Settlement  Conveyanicng File- Settlement
Week 15- 18 Oct Guest Speakers  Drink Driving File -Letter to Client enclosing costs due
Week 16 -25 Oct File Work

 File Work
Files to be handed in
File Managment to be assessed

Week 17 - 1 Nov No class - Cup Day  No class
Week 18 - 8 Nov Feedback with tutors  Feedback with Tutors

* This outline is subject to variation please check the learning hub regularly for changes.

The total number of scheduled hours of teaching, learning and assessment involved in this course will include all planned activities. This may incorporate face-to-face classes, lectures, workshops and seminars; wherever possible workplace visits, online learning and other forms of structured teaching and learning. The total scheduled hours includes the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including observation of work performance, discussions with supervisors and others providing third party evidence and one on one and group assessment sessions with students


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

There are no prescribed texts.


References


Other Resources

R. Curnow, A Practical Students’ Guide to Working in a Legal Environment, Law Crest.
Lewis and Kyrous Handy Hints on Legal Practice (3rd ed.) Lawbook Company.2004
Legal Profession Act 2004 (Vic)
Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2005
Legal Profession Regulations 2005
Online Resources:
Australian Legal Sites (www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/just5010/)
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:
1. Submission of three simulated client files 70%
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
- Settlement Attendance
- Contract  of Sale
- Management of Files
2. Ethics presentation and report 15%
3. Practical Placement report 15%

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

Practical
Placement
Report

           
Open client file, take instructions and provide required legislative information X X X    
Consult appropriate specialist(s). X X X    
Obtain, prepare and manage legal documentation X X X    
Maintain communication with the client X X X    
Identify and apply legal ethics and practice       X X

Other Information

Students will require the following stationary items.

• 3 Spring Release Folders
• Stapler
• Holepunch
• Printing (you will be required to print letters/documents therefore you will need an adequate amount of print credits when you attend Tuesday’s class).

Course Overview: Access Course Overview