LAW4328 Professional practice
Faculty of Law
LAW4328 Professional practice is a level 4, 12-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law. It isn't offered in 2026. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 1 unit.
- Credit points
- 12
- Offered in 2026
- Other periods
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before LAW4328
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW4328
1 unit list LAW4328 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed at least 72 credit points of law study.
Overview
Students undertake a practical placement at a community legal centre which endeavours to meet the needs of its community. Under supervision by qualified solicitors, students provide legal advice to clients, undertake ongoing casework, brief Counsel, and in appropriate cases, represent clients in Court. Students acquire a diverse range of practical legal skills essential for legal practice including: the capacity to undertake legal research and apply legal research to factual scenarios; the ability to synthesise professional, technical and ethical knowledge acquired in the law degree and apply it in a practical legal context; skills in critical thinking and legal judgment; the capacity to independently devise legal solutions for complex legal problems and to provide non-adversarial options to clients for dispute resolution; and the capacity to identify and respond to ethical, moral and professional dilemmas in legal practice. Students also develop an appreciation of social justice and access to justice issues and have a heightened awareness of the operation of the justice system, law reform and policy issues. The skills learnt in this unit will be useful for students who wish to practise law, along with students interested in policy, government and social justice career pathways.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | Clayton | On campus |
| Trimester 2 | Clayton | On campus |
| Trimester 3 | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Performance of responsibilities at clinicDemonstration70%
- Community and EngagementWritten15%
- Reflective journalWritten15%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Independently undertake complex legal research and, using such research: (a)Assess and articulate adversarial and non-adversarial options for clients, including the strengths and weaknesses of available legal options; (b)Pro-actively develop solutions to complex legal problems; and (c)Demonstrate a capacity for recognising and appropriately responding to the strategic and ethical implications of different legal approaches.
- 2
Effectively communicate (both orally and in writing) legal advice, information, options for litigious and non-litigious pathways, arguments and strategies with a wide range of audiences involved in the justice system.
- 3
Demonstrate practical legal skills of interviewing, advocacy and drafting; and appropriate use of non-adversarial methods and principles for the resolution of client disputes (mediation, negotiation, collaboration, arbitration).
- 4
Assess their own capabilities and performance as future legal practitioners by having developed skills of self-reflection and self-management, with the ability to independently synthesise this information to aid in the exercise of sound professional and ethical decisions.
- 5
Independently identify a law reform or policy problem of relevance to the clinic, isolate and critically analyse the relevant legal principles that underpin that problem, and articulate recommendations for reform through an advanced theoretical and technical knowledge of the designated problem.
Workload and teaching
- Teaching approachProfessional placement
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is one half-day Legal Service client intake session per week for 16 weeks (including non-teaching period) plus one and a half days per week client follow-up, which equals two days per week, and including one onsite seminar day and 4/5 online seminars over the clinical period. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, client interviewing and advice sessions, supervision and online engagement.
Learning resources
Required resources
See the Moodle unit page for prescribed and recommended resources. Prescribed texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Ms Jackie Weinberg
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4328?
LAW4328 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after LAW4328?
LAW4328 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including LAW4814.
When is LAW4328 offered?
LAW4328 has no offerings listed in the 2026 handbook.
Does LAW4328 have an exam?
No. LAW4328 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.