Macquarie Law School
LAW438 Access to Justice Placement Program -
4 credit points
First and second semesters 2009
APPLICATIONS FOR 2009 ARE NOW OPEN
This information is a summary. Further details will be available in the unit study guide.
In 2009 there is a single clinical placement unit at Macquarie Law, called LAW438 Access to Justice Placement Program. This unit replaces the previous LAW438 Practising in the Public Interest and LAW443 Macquarie Legal Centre Clinical Program.
Within the new unit LAW438 Access to Justice Placement Program, students will attend a placement program with either the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) or Macquarie Legal Centre (MLC). As part of the enrolment process students must elect which organisation, PIAC or MLC, they would prefer to be placed with.
The unit will run twice in 2009: in semester 1 and again in semester 2. Each semester there will be a new intake of students.
PIAC is a community legal centre in Sydney. PIAC undertakes litigation, campaigns, advocacy, research and training in matters which go beyond the interests and rights of individuals, and which affect citizens, consumers and members of communities. For more information about PIAC see www.piac.asn.au. For more information about community legal centres see www.naclc.org.au.
The PIAC placement program gives students the opportunity to learn the strategies and issues in advocating for the public interest, and to explore and reflect on strategies to achieve legal change, in placements with the pro bono section of a law firm and a law-related agency.
The placement requires attendance at a city venue – to be advised – every day for five consecutive days, likely to be in the last week of the break, i.e. the week prior to week 1. For semester 1 this is likely to be the week commencing Monday 18 February 2009 for semester 1 (to be confirmed). For semester 2, it is likely to be either the week commencing 20 July or the week commencing 27 July 2009 (to be confirmed). As well it requires attendance at four evening seminars at Macquarie Law during semester or, for external students, participation in webCT discussions.
Students will be assessed on the basis of (1) their participation in the training and placement, (2) their own written reflective reports on the training and placement, and (3) an assignment that addresses issues in public interest advocacy. There will be options available for the format and content of the assignment.
MLC is a community legal centre at Parramatta. It provides legal information, referrals, legal advice and representation for low income earners living in the Western Sydney Region. For more information about MLC see www.macquarielegal.org.au . For more information about community legal centres see www.naclc.org.au.
The MLC placement gives students the opportunity to participate in community legal centre practice, as the basis for studying and reflecting on issues of public access to justice, the operation of law in society, and the roles that lawyers play.
The placement requires attendance at MLC for a rostered day each week for 10 weeks during the semester. As well, it requires attendance at four evening seminars Macquarie Law during semester.
Students will be assessed on the basis of (1) their participation in community legal centre practice, (2) weekly written reflective journal entries of 500 words each, and (3) a research assignment on a topic arising from or related to the placement experience.
Teaching method
The unit is uniquely characterised by its teaching method: clinical legal education. Through supervised engagement with, and reflection on, legal practice, students learn about the structures and processes of law, and the values and dynamics of systems of justice. The nature of the placements focus particular attention on public interest lawyering and access to justice issues.
At the same time, education is itself part of the content. To ‘learn by doing’ is itself something to be learnt; students will discover how, through reflection, they can develop their professional knowledge, understanding and skills, and better understand themselves.
The essence of the unit is using the rich and diverse nature of legal practice to better understand the place and operation of law, and lawyers, in society. The ‘clinical’ (field placement) experience provides a basis for reflection and analysis that will challenge your assumptions about the law, and help make sense of much of what you have learnt, and will learn, in your law degree.
Eligibility
The unit is open to both internal and external students, but access for external students is limited by the requirement (for students wishing to attend the PIAC placement) to attend the PIAC training course for a week in Sydney, and (for students wishing to attend the MLC placement) to attend Macquarie Legal Centre at Parramatta in Western Sydney weekly for ten weeks.
Students who have met the pre-requisites of 6 credit points at 300 level may apply. Students who have completed the previous unit LAW438 Practising in the Public Interest or the previous unit LAW443 Macquarie Legal Centre Clinical Program are eligible to apply, but will have lowest priority for enrolment.
You must be available to attend (for the PIAC placement) all five days of the training and placement, or (for the MLC placement) all ten days of the placement, to be eligible to apply.
If your circumstances change and you cannot attend as required, then you must withdraw from enrolment.
Enrolment
Places in this unit are limited. The application and selection process is described on the application form.
You must lodge an Application for enrolment with Joyce Stephens, Division of Law, W3A Room 531, by 4 pm Monday 24 November 2008. Application forms are available from Joyce Stephens in room 531, or from the law website
Late applications will not be accepted.
You will be advised of the result of your application by email by 29 November 2008.
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