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Unit of Study LAWS3003 - Professional Conduct (2022)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    It is recommended that this unit be undertaken in the final year of study. This unit consists of a compulsory three day workshop for internal students and four day workshop for online students offered on Gold Coast campus. Students must attend this workshop when they are enrolled in LAWS3003 - Professional Conduct, is normally undertaken in the final year of study.

Unit description

Provides an understanding of the principles of legal ethics together with a detailed knowledge of the application of these principles in respect of the legal profession. Emphasis will be placed on the most significant ethical considerations encountered by practitioners such as entry and regulation of the profession, delivery and regulation of legal services, duties to clients, duties to lawyers and duties to the courts.

Unit content

Topic 1 Introduction to the Australian legal profession

Topic 2 The ethical framework for lawyers in Australia: Values in Practice

Topic 3 The Responsibility Climate: Competence and Regulation 

Topic 4 Confidentiality: Boundaries and Disclosure

Topic 5 Conflicting Loyalties

Topic 6 Communication

Topic 7 Ethics in Criminal Justice: Proof and Truth

Topic 8 Civil Dispute Resolution & Excessive Adversarialism

Topic 9 Lawyers’ Fees and Costs: Billing and Over Charging

Topic 10 Conclusion: Personal Professionalism Case Study: Corporate Lawyers and Corporate Misconduct

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast
Session2
Session2
Online
Session2
Session2

Learning outcomes

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:

critically analyse the principles and concepts of legal ethics and apply them to the practice of law

apply critical judgment and research to legal issues and challenges in the area of legal professional conduct

demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to legal audiences

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the body of law relevant to legal professional practice.

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Parker, C & Evans, A, 2018, Inside Lawyers Ethics , 3rd edn, Cambridge University Press , Australia. ISBN: 9781316642009.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.