LAW5478 Strategic and public interest litigation
Faculty of Law
LAW5478 Strategic and public interest litigation is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2025 in Summer A at Monash Law Chambers. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Summer A
- Monash Law Chambers
- Assessment
- Exam 20%
- and 2 other tasks
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before LAW5478
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW5478
No unit lists LAW5478 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
For Legal Studies students (L4004, L5004, L6013) you must have completed LAW5000 or LAW5081
and
For Juris Doctor students (L6005), you must have completed 72 credit points of study.
Overview
The Unit will first of all instruct students in the core concepts of strategic and public interest litigation (SPIL). This includes:
- trias politica, and the difference in views on the role of courts versus government and statute in deciding societal issues;
- the key legal mechanisms needed to understand SPIL such as the core concepts of ‘conflict of laws’: jurisdiction, applicable law and enforcement;
- an understanding of the many potential for a to which SPIL may be taken: individuals v corporations in the ordinary State courts; individuals v States in the ordinary State courts; State v State litigation, investor-State litigation (and access for non-corporate parties in same); alternative dispute resolution (ADR, including arbitration)
Having delivered the core background understanding, the unit will then thoroughly review key sectors in SPIL using case-law in topical areas across jurisdictions. Examples are climate change; human rights; mass tort claims (for instance: following environmental disaster or consumer class actions); and investor (shareholder) suits).
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Summer semester A | Monash Law Chambers | On campus, block |
Assessment
- Research essayWritten60%
- Take-home examExamination20%
- Mini MootDemonstration20%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Demonstrate understanding of the jurisprudence context to strategic litigation by identifying and articulating different views that exist, including across jurisdictions, on the role of courts in settling societal discussions.
- 2
Identify and explain the various levels of governance and regulation of strategic litigation, from local by-laws via State and federal legislation, up to international law and the role other States’ laws may play in local litigation.
- 3
Demonstrate understanding of the legal technicalities that underpin strategic litigation, including the civil procedure aspects of same.
- 4
Apply strategic thinking, including at the level of forum shopping, to analysing the design of a strategic lawsuit.
- 5
Engage effectively in both oral and written form with the practising legal profession on aforesaid overall principles and technical detail.
- 6
Critically analyse the impact that the enforcement of laws has on the very design of these laws.
- 7
Compare and interpret the different approaches taken to a legal issue across various jurisdictions.
- 8
Make use of effective verbal communication to persuasively express insights on law issues in an adversarial setting.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Students enrolled in this unit will be provided with 24 contact hours of workshops per semester whether intensive, semi-intensive, or semester-long offering. Students will be expected to do reading set for class, and to undertake additional research and reading applicable to a 6 credit point unit.
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.
Where it fits
LAW5478 is part of 5 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
- COMCRPLW05Research-integrated electivesCommercial and corporate lawNo reviews yet
- DISRESLN06Research-integrated electivesDispute resolutionNo reviews yet
- GLBSOCHR04Research-integrated electivesGlobal society and human rightsNo reviews yet
- PSGOVREG05Research-integrated electivesPublic sector governance and regulationNo reviews yet
- TRANSECR04Research-integrated electivesTransnational economic regulationNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Geert Van Calster
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW5478?
LAW5478 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW5478 offered?
In 2025, LAW5478 runs in Summer A at Monash Law Chambers.
Does LAW5478 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 20% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include LAW5478?
LAW5478 is part of Commercial and corporate law; Dispute resolution; Global society and human rights; Public sector governance and regulation; and Transnational economic regulation.