LAW4813 In-house clinical placement: Client legal assistance
Faculty of Law
LAW4813 In-house clinical placement: Client legal assistance is a level 4, 6-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
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Other periods
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before LAW4813
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW4813
1 unit list LAW4813 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 and undertake ongoing casework in a variety of diverse specialized areas of law such as health law, family law dispute resolution and taxation law. Students acquire subject matter skills and expertise and learn 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. The unit also enables students to 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.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | Clayton | On campus |
| Trimester 2 | Clayton | On campus |
| Trimester 3 | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Legal research and application of legal researchWritten20%
- Casework, ethics and professional responsibilityDemonstration30%
- Project management and file management skillsDemonstration20%
- Community engagement (written and/or oral presentation)Presentation15%
- 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 legal research in order to assess the strengths and limitations of available legal options for clients.
- 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 a theoretical and technical knowledge of the designated problem.
Workload and teaching
- Teaching approachProfessional placement
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 1 full day per week plus follow up research and casework. Students will be required to spend this day on research, case preparation and consultation with their supervisor. 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
- Mrs Sally Andersen
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4813?
LAW4813 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after LAW4813?
LAW4813 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including LAW4814.
When is LAW4813 offered?
LAW4813 has no offerings listed in the 2026 handbook.
Does LAW4813 have an exam?
No. LAW4813 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.