Unit Outline

This unit focuses on advancing your technical and practical knowledge in the areas of client interviewing, drafting (including writing letters) and advocacy skills which are then developed throughout the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. You will participate in a combination of individual or group-based tasks within lectorial and workshop settings. The Unit is organised into five modules: 1. Lawyers’ Skills 2. Ethics and Professional Responsibility 3. Problem-solving Skills 4. Work Management and Business Skills 5. Workplace Experience Assessment will be both formative and summative. Tasks or assignments that will be summatively assessed will be identified by the Unit Co-ordinator and general and individual feedback will be provided. Opportunity will be provided for an activity, task or assignment to be resubmitted if you do not meet the requisite standard on first submission.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Demonstrate oral communication skills, and undertake actions relating to legal interviewing, advocacy negotiation and dispute resolution, letter writing and legal drafting skills
2.	Prioritise ethical actions and act professionally in interactions with clients, the Courts, the community and other lawyers
3.	Investigate and analyse legal concepts, and produce legal documents that communicate legal plans and legal advice in support of clients’ interests
4.	Manage workload, work habits and work practices to ensure that clients’ matters are dealt with in a timely and cost-effective manner

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	Admission into L6B - Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice

Alterations as a result of student feedback

We have provided more guidance on how your final result is determined.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Assessment Task: Skills Intensive	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Assessment Task: Skills, Ethics and Professional Responsibility	Refer to Assessment Description	30 %	LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Assessment Task: Lawyers’ Skills	Refer to Assessment Description	40 %	LO1, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Assessment Task: Skills Intensive

Task Description:

You will participate in a two-day Skills intensive that will provide a practical focus on Lawyers’ skills including interviewing clients, ethical decision making, problem solving, and wellbeing in practice and advocacy. In addition to learning concepts, you will engage in a range of group-based practical activities during the workshop to practise these legal skills.

Attendance at the workshop is compulsory to achieve the learning outcomes. You will be provided with formative feedback throughout this task to assist your ongoing development of core legal skills, which are identified and summatively assessed in one or more of the connected practice units.

Due Date: Week 3.

Task Length:

2 days

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Demonstrate lawyers’ skills by actively participating in workshops and integrating formative feedback	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
2	Use a variety of oral and written communication methods to demonstrate progress	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 2: Assessment Task: Skills, Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Task Description:

In response to learning and content delivered via several workshops you will participate in a range of interactive class activities that have a practical focus on considering ethical problems, one of the key Lawyers’ skills required as an entry-level lawyer. Using authentic scenarios you will apply concepts and learnings to ensure compliance with professional conduct, legal duties, and obligations and ethics.
Due in Week 23.
You will be provided with formative feedback throughout this task to assist your ongoing development of this core legal skill, which is identified and summatively assessed in one or more of the connected practice units.
These skills-based tasks are hurdle tasks, and you must demonstrate your competency in each activity. You are provided with an opportunity to resubmit a task if you do not meet the required standard.

Due Date: Week 23

Task Length:

Varies

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Provide evidence of progress in the skill areas of ethics and professional responsibility	LO2, LO4
2	Use a variety of communication methods to demonstrate work management and business skills	LO2, LO4

Assessment Task 3: Assessment Task: Lawyers’ Skills

Task Description:

In response to learning and content delivered via several workshops and workshops you will participate in a range of interactive class activities that have a practical focus on drafting legal documentation, one of the key Lawyers’ skills required as an entry-level lawyer. Using authentic scenarios you will apply concepts and learnings to record these in activity documents and produce legal documentation including letters of advice.

Due Date: Week 23

You will be provided with formative feedback throughout this task to assist your ongoing development of core legal skills, which are identified and summatively assessed in one or more of the connected practice units.

These skills-based tasks are hurdle tasks and you must demonstrate your competency in each activity. You are provided with an opportunity to resubmit a task if you do not meet the required standard.

Task Length:

Varies

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Provide evidence of progress in the skill areas of written communication and problem solving	LO1, LO3
2	Use a variety of communication methods (letters of advice, legal documents) that communicate options and meet client objectives	LO1, LO3

How your final result is determined

No assessment process in this Unit or across the GDLP will involve the awarding of “marks”, in percentage terms, or otherwise. That is because, in legal practice, service to clients is not measured in percentage terms, but in being efficient and effective.

Your work in this Unit will be assessed against the standard required of an entry level lawyer and if it meets that standard it will be awarded a “pass”.

To pass this Unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of the competency standards outlined above, to a “satisfactory” standard. As assessment for each Unit is both formative and summative, in the event you do not initially attain competency to a “satisfactory” standard regarding a task or assignment, you may be requested and provided with an opportunity to resubmit that task or assignment.

Any discussion regarding resubmission requirements will be communicated to you by the Unit Co-ordinator or Course Director on behalf of the Unit Co-ordinator.

Subject to attendance requirements being met, you may expect to satisfactorily complete this Unit if you demonstrate you have met the required competency standard.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.