LAW5490 Lawyers: Business and ethics
Faculty of Law
LAW5490 Lawyers: Business and ethics is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Law. It isn't offered in 2027. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2027
- Other periods
- Monash Law Chambers
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
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Requisites
Before LAW5490
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW5490
No unit lists LAW5490 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.
Enrolment rules
For Legal Studies students (L4004, L5004, L6013) you must have completed LAW5000 or LAW5081.
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
This unit considers how lawyers do, can, and should behave in business, for clients and as in-house counsel. Distinct from compulsory ethics units, this unit will examine what it means for lawyers to be increasingly commercial or results-oriented, whether in private practice, in-house, or in government lawyers in their responsibility for, reputational, legal and regulatory risk management. An increasingly demanding skill-set also challenges independence and ethicality. We will consider and explore that skillset, how ethical challenges arise, and what the responses to those can and should be, looking beyond law and philosophy approaches to ethics to examine behavioural, organisational, and economic influences on lawyers. Working with real-life case studies and allowing you to explore your own values as preparation for the world of law and business.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Monash Law Chambers | On campus, block |
Assessment
- Portfolio of exercisesExercise40%
- Written assignmentWritten60%
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
Demonstrate an understanding of the key economic, social, and psychological influences on lawyers’ decision-making and practices when working in or for businesses.
- 2
Engage in critical evaluation of the ethical and commercial implications of those influences with reference to ethical professional norms with Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules applicable in Uniform Law jurisdictions and other relevant standards.
- 3
Clearly and persuasively communicate robust and practical initial strategies for managing ethical conflict;.
- 4
Explain and evaluate the societal and rule of law dimensions of ethics in business and law.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit typically comprises of a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study applicable to a 6 credit point unit. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning, 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.
Where it fits
LAW5490 is part of 5 areas of study in the 2027 handbook.
- COLW-PSPECSpecialisation, Specialisation electivesCommercial and corporate lawNo reviews yet
- DIRE-PSPECSpecialisation, Specialisation electivesDispute resolutionNo reviews yet
- GSHR-PSPECSpecialisation, Specialisation electivesGlobal society and human rightsNo reviews yet
- PSGR-PSPECSpecialisation, Specialisation electivesPublic sector governance and regulationNo reviews yet
- TNER-PSPECSpecialisation, Specialisation electivesTransnational economic regulationNo reviews yet
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW5490?
LAW5490 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW5490 offered?
LAW5490 has no offerings listed in the 2027 handbook.
Does LAW5490 have an exam?
No. LAW5490 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include LAW5490?
LAW5490 is part of Commercial and corporate law; Dispute resolution; Global society and human rights; Public sector governance and regulation; and Transnational economic regulation.
More details
- Credit points
- 6
- Level
- 5
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Faculty
- Faculty of Law
- Type
- Coursework
- EFTSL
- 0.125
- Student contribution
- SCA Band 4
- Study abroad
- Available
- Handbook years
- 20262027