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Unit of Study LAW00051 - Legal Research and Writing (2016)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Introduces students to a law library and develops the skills necessary to locate use and apply law reports, statutes, and secondary legal sources, using both computer assisted legal research and hard copy methods. Students also examine the principles of good legal writing, including an understanding of the use and preparation of legal research material, and an introduction to drafting using 'plain' legal language to prepare legal documents.

Unit content

Part 1: Legal writing and academic skills
Topic 1 Researching and understanding Australian laws
Topic 2 Writing style: using plain language
Topic 3 Legal writing
Topic 4 Legal problem solving and law exams
Topic 5 Understanding cases
Topic 6 Understanding legislation
 
Part 2: Legal research
Topic 7 Methods of legal research
Topic 8 Computerised legal research methods
Topic 9 Secondary sources & commentary
Topic 10 Secondary sources & updating
Topic 11 Finding and noting up cases
Topic 12 Finding and updating legislation

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast Session 1 Session 1
Lismore Session 1 Session 1
Online Session 1,  2 N/A

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 demonstrate increased confidence in their use of the basic technologies in an online learning environment.
2 employ techniques of effective written communication and use plain legal language to draft legal documents clearly, concisely and accurately.
3 demonstrate knowledge and application of academic integrity.
4 demonstrate competence in computerised research skills and knowledge of legal research methods, tools and techniques.
5 efficiently and accurately identify and retrieve legal and non-legal resources relevant to the resolution of legal issues.
6 evaluate and clearly articulate in writing the results of their legal research.
7 demonstrate an ability to apply their legal research results to solve legal problems.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate increased confidence in their use of the basic technologies in an online learning environment.
    • GA5:
  2. employ techniques of effective written communication and use plain legal language to draft legal documents clearly, concisely and accurately.
    • GA5:
  3. demonstrate knowledge and application of academic integrity.
    • GA1:
  4. demonstrate competence in computerised research skills and knowledge of legal research methods, tools and techniques.
    • GA4:
  5. efficiently and accurately identify and retrieve legal and non-legal resources relevant to the resolution of legal issues.
    • GA4:
  6. evaluate and clearly articulate in writing the results of their legal research.
    • GA5:
  7. demonstrate an ability to apply their legal research results to solve legal problems.
    • GA1:

Prescribed learning resources

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Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.