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Unit Summary
Unit aim
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
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 | employ techniques of effective written communication and use plain legal language to draft legal documents clearly, concisely and accurately |
| 2 | demonstrate knowledge and application of academic integrity |
| 3 | efficiently and accurately research, apply appropriate legal research methods to identify and retrieve legal and non-legal resources relevant to the resolution of legal issues |
| 4 | apply, evaluate and clearly articulate in writing the results of the student’s legal research to solve problems |
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- employ techniques of effective written communication and use plain legal language to draft legal documents clearly, concisely and accurately
- demonstrate knowledge and application of academic integrity
- efficiently and accurately research, apply appropriate legal research methods to identify and retrieve legal and non-legal resources relevant to the resolution of legal issues
- apply, evaluate and clearly articulate in writing the results of the student’s legal research to solve problems
Prescribed texts
- Bott, B & Talbot-Stokes, R, 2021, Nemes & Coss’ Effective Legal Research, 8th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW. ISBN: 9780409353303.
- Corbett-Jarvis, N & Grigg, B, 2021, Effective Legal Writing: A Practical Guide, 3rd edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW. ISBN: 9780409351484.
- This resource can be purchased in hardcopy or downloaded from http://mulr.law.unimelb.edu.au/go/aglc where it is available in Read-Only Adobe: Melbourne University Law Review, Australian Guide to Legal Citation, latest edition, MULR Association Inc, Melbourne.
- Bott, B & Talbot-Stokes, R, 2021, Nemes & Coss’ Effective Legal Research, 8th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW. ISBN: 9780409353303.
- Corbett-Jarvis, N & Grigg, B, 2021, Effective Legal Writing: A Practical Guide, 3rd edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW. ISBN: 9780409351484.
- This resource can be purchased in hardcopy or downloaded from http://mulr.law.unimelb.edu.au/go/aglc where it is available in Read-Only Adobe: Melbourne University Law Review, Australian Guide to Legal Citation, latest edition, MULR Association Inc, Melbourne.
- Bott, B & Talbot-Stokes, R, 2021, Nemes & Coss’ Effective Legal Research, 8th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW. ISBN: 9780409353303.
- Corbett-Jarvis, N & Grigg, B, 2021, Effective Legal Writing: A Practical Guide, 3rd edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood NSW. ISBN: 9780409351484.
- This resource can be purchased in hardcopy or downloaded from http://mulr.law.unimelb.edu.au/go/aglc where it is available in Read-Only Adobe: Melbourne University Law Review, Australian Guide to Legal Citation, latest edition, MULR Association Inc, Melbourne.