Course Title: Legal Internship
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Legal Internship
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
LAW2608 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
660H Graduate School of Business and Law |
Face-to-Face |
Spring2022, Sem 2 2023 |
Course Coordinator: Lloyd England
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3
Course Coordinator Email: Lloyd.England@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: Building 13
Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
You must have completed the equivalent of 96 credit points of study prior to seeking approval to enrol into this course.
Course Description
The legal system in Australia is made up of various agencies, courts, and institutions. It is valuable to observe and reflect on each of the elements of the legal system, critically engaging with their role and purpose. This course provides the opportunity for you to spend time in an external legal institution, for a placement or “shadow” a legal professional such as lawyers, policy advisors, advocates, Magistrates and Judges to gain insights into legal practice and to critically engage with the legal system. You will be required to attend the partner organisation for at least 10 days by arrangement between you and the organisation. The internship should not extend beyond 30 days. You will undertake the placement under the guidance of a workplace mentor and with the support of academic and professional University staff. The range of projects in which you will be involved will be determined according to the project priorities of the partner organisation.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
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On successful completion of this course you will be able to:
CLO1: Analyse the role of the selected legal workplace or organisation in the legal system.
CLO2: Reflect on the design, implementation and evaluation of a work-based project during the placement.
CLO3: Consider the need for law reform options and conduct independent research to make law reform recommendations appropriate to the legal internship.
Overview of Learning Activities
Before you start your proposed role and/or project, you must seek approval by the responsible academic to ensure this is in line with your current study pathway and level.
Details of Learning Activities
This course is designed for students to find THEIR OWN unpaid internship. The College of Business and Law’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team may also advertise industry opportunities on Career Centre for students to apply to.
The process on how to secure an internship and enrol into the course is outlined on the WIL webpage. This is the ONLY legal way you can undertake an unpaid internship as part of your RMIT accredited degree. The WIL webpage states that before applying, students MUST ensure that they have completed at least 96 credit points in their degree/program structure, and that they have at least one unused law elective in their degree/program structure to account for this internship. If you are unsure if you meet this criteria, please contact Business Connect.
If you do not enrol into this course, you are unable to undertake an unpaid internship as part of your RMIT accredited degree. Please note, this course may not be scheduled every Semester, students MUST ensure the course is scheduled before applying for unpaid internships.
As soon as you have found a proposed internship, it is vital that you open an enquiry with Business Connect requesting a program map and the online Expression of Interest Law Form. Please select Work & Study Opportunities category when raising the enquiry. This form is where you will submit your proposed internship for approval.
Your enrolment into the course and WIL compliance MUST be completed via the process listed on the WIL webpage prior to you commencing your internship.
WIL compliance includes completing the WIL Ready module, submitting an InPlace submission, and signing a WIL Agreement (a legal document between you, your host organisation and RMIT) which will be provided according to the process detailed on the WIL webpage. Through this, you agree (amongst other things):
- to comply with the policies, procedures and rules/regulations of both the University and the organisation with which they are placed regarding workplace behaviour, discipline, occupational health and safety and equal opportunity;
- if requested, to obtain and supply necessary licences, approvals, police checks, working with children checks or registrations necessary for the WIL Activity and provide evidence that these have been undertaken /obtained;
Please direct any queries relating to finding an internship and enrolling into the course to The College of Business and Law’s WIL Team via Business Connect.
Once you are successfully enrolled into this course and have completed all WIL compliance, your course coordinator becomes your point of contact. The details of your course coordinator can be found on this Course Guide and the Canvas site for this course.
Learning Activities
- Work integrated learning activities in the workplace linking to your studies through guided experiential learning in your workplace, under supervision.
- Participate effectively as a workplace team member, on individual and group tasks.
- Undertake reflection in reviewing the value of the work experience.
- Suggest law reform proposals relevant to your work experience.
You will engage in briefing sessions to prepare you for the placement and to complete appropriate paperwork required by the partner organisation or business.
Teaching Schedule
No formal classes are scheduled in this course.
Teaching Schedule
This course in based 100% in an approved industry role with a distance learning model via Canvas, there are no face-to-face classes or tutorials. All learning is done in the workplace and online.Therefore, there is also no standard weekly teaching schedule as the length of each internship placement will vary as students work full or part time over the period. However, the we recommend undertaking the following microcredentials in preparation of and alongside the internship experience.
Overcoming Bias and Assumptions
Overview of Learning Resources
Various learning resources are available online through MyRMIT Studies\Canvas. The lecture notes and workshop notes are posted on Canvas.
Resources are also available online through RMIT Library databases and other facilities. Visit the RMIT library website for further details. Assistance is available online via our chat and email services, face to face at our campus libraries or via the telephone on (03) 9925 2020.
Additional resources and/or sources to assist your learning will be identified by your course coordinator and will be made available to you as required during the teaching period.
Additional resources and/or sources to assist your learning will be identified by your course coordinator and will be made available to you as required during the teaching period.
Recommended Texts
Students are encouraged to refer to the following references:
- Christine Parker and Adrian Evans, Inside Lawyers’ Ethics (Cambridge University Press, 3rd edition, 2018)
- Rachael Field, James Duffy and Anna Huggins, Lawyering and Positive Professional Identities (LexisNexis, 2014)
Overview of Assessment
Assessment Task 1: 20%
Linked CLOs: 1
Assessment Task 2: 30%
Linked CLOs: 1, 2
Assessment Task 3: 50%
Linked CLOs: 1, 3