Availabilities:
Unit Summary
Pre-requisites
Must have completed LEGL1001 - Legal Research and Writing AND LEGL1005 - Legal Process
Anti-requisites
Not available for students admitted to the Associate Degree in Law (Paralegal Studies) or Bachelor of Legal and Justice Studies.
Unit aim
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
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: | |
|---|---|
| 1 | critically analyse the principles and concepts of legal ethics and apply them to the practice of law |
| 2 | apply critical judgment and research to legal issues and challenges in the area of legal professional conduct |
| 3 | demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to legal audiences |
| 4 | demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the body of law relevant to legal professional practice. |
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 texts
- Parker, C & Evans, A, 2018, Inside Lawyers Ethics , 3rd edn, Cambridge University Press , Australia. ISBN: 9781316642009.