LAW5050 Professional practice (JD)
Faculty of Law
LAW5050 Professional practice (JD) is a level 5, 12-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Law. It isn't offered in 2027. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 1 unit.
- Credit points
- 12
- Offered in 2027
- Other periods
- Monash Law Chambers
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
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Requisites
Before LAW5050
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW5050
1 unit list LAW5050 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
Juris Doctor students (L6005) who commenced their course in or before 2026 must have completed a minimum of 72 credit points of study.
Juris Doctor students (L6005) who commenced their course in 2027 or later must have completed a minimum of 60 credit points of 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 practice law, along with students interested in policy, government and social justice career pathways. Students will develop the capacity to be flexible, adaptable, independent legal practitioners.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Trimester 1 | Monash Law Chambers | On campus |
| Trimester 2 | Monash Law Chambers | On campus |
| Trimester 3 | Monash Law Chambers | On campus |
Assessment
- Community and EngagementWritten15%
- Reflective JournalWritten15%
- Performance of responsibilities at clinicDemonstration70%
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 and transmit solutions to complex legal problems; (c)Demonstrate a capacity for recognising and appropriately responding to the strategic and ethical implications of different legal approaches; and (d)Critically analyse legal principles and the legal system, from a variety of perspectives including theoretical perspectives, identifying gaps and inadequacies in the provision of legal supports to communities.
- 2
Effectively communicate (both orally and in writing) legal advice, information, options for litigious and non-litigious pathways, arguments, strategies and theories of justice (including non-adversarial justice) 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
Reflect on and assess their own capabilities and performance as flexible, adaptable, independent future legal practitioners by having developed skills of self-reflection and self-management, and to independently synthesise this information to aid in the exercise of sound professional and ethical decisions to a sophisticated degree.
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.
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW5050?
LAW5050 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
What can I take after LAW5050?
LAW5050 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including LAW4814.
When is LAW5050 offered?
LAW5050 has no offerings listed in the 2027 handbook.
Does LAW5050 have an exam?
No. LAW5050 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.