Course Title: Practise In A Legal Environment

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2007

Course Code: LAW5109

Course ID: 030850

Course Title: Practise In A Legal Environment

School: 650T TAFE Business

Program Code: C6070 - Advanced Diploma of Business (Legal Practice)

Course Contact : Robyn Lang

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 1565

Course Contact Email: robyn.lang@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Doug Cole
9925 5424
doug.cole@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.

Overview of Learning Activities

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

	Weekly Schedule
Week Beginning	Topics	Assessment
Week 1 – 12th Feb	Introduction, file keeping, taking instructions
Week 2 – 19th Feb	Organisations and people in the legal environment. Obtaining specialist assistance
Week 3 – 26th Feb	Trust and firm accounts, costs
Week 4 – 5th Mar	Ethical duties of legal practitioners and staff
Week 5 – 12th Mar	Labour Day holiday. No class
Week 6 – 19th Mar	Communicating with clients
Week 7 – 26th Mar	Legal language, documentation, the uses and abuses of precedents
Week 8 – 2nd April	Litigation documents
	Mid Semester Break (Student Vacation) – 5th to 11th April
Week 9 – 16th April	Litigation documents
Week 10 – 23rd April	Conveyancing documents
Week 11 – 30th April	Conveyancing documents	Litigation file due
Week 12 – 7th May	Commercial documents
Week 13 – 14th May	Commercial documents
Week 14 – 21st May	Class presentations	Conveyancing file due
Week 15 – 28th May	Class presentations
Week 16 – 4th June	Class presentations	Conveyancing file due
Week 17 – 11th June	Queen’s Birthday holiday. No class
Week 18 – 18th June	Feedback and review of assessment

Overview of Learning Resources

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.
Lewis and Kyrous Handy Hints on Legal Practice (3rd ed.) Lawbook Company.2004

Other Resources

Legal Profession Act 2004 (Vic)
Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2005
Legal Profession Regulations 2005

Online Resources:
Australian Legal Sites (acclaw.bf.rmit.edu.au/legal)
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%

Course Overview: Access Course Overview