Overview
This capstone unit provides you with a choice of a domestic placement, social innovation project, international study tour, or workplace simulation. Placement opportunities available during Terms 1 and 2 are domestic placements, social innovation projects, and workplace simulations. Domestic placements will be facilitated by the Unit Coordinator and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) team, or you may instead submit a placement that you have identified for approval. Social innovation projects will enable you to engage with pressing social issues and contribute to real-world outcomes. The workplace simulation will support the development of your practical legal skills (including advocacy, drafting, client interviewing, negotiating, file management, and problem solving) in the context of a simulated legal workplace. The content of the simulation may vary annually. In Term 3, the only placement option available is an international study tour, facilitated by CQUGlobal, to an international location in conjunction with an external partner organisation. International study tours will require you to pay for travel and accommodation; these costs may be offset by government scholarships such as the New Columbo plan. Prior to and during your placement, you will study cultural competencies, ethical responsibilities, and practical skills necessary to support your placement work. This capstone unit will enable you to apply your knowledge to legal problems in real-life environments. You will undertake legal and academic analysis, integrate reflecting thinking into your work, and present your ideas orally and in writing.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: 24 credit points of law
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator
Improve feedback on assessment items
To consider more constructive feedback so students are empowered to improve in a real and tangible way.
Feedback from Unit Coordinator
Change the live zoom session time
To change the live zoom session from Friday 6pm to a time and day where more students are likely to attend.
- Plan and prepare for a professional experience
- Effectively participate in a professional experience
- Communicate effectively about a professional experience
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||
| 2 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 60% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Textbooks
Practical Legal Skills
- Edition: 5th (2021)
- Authors: Ross Hyams & Adrian Evans
- Oxford University Press
- ISBN: 9780190329839
- Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom
- Microsoft Teams
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th ed
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
l.price@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 10 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Legal Practicum: Preparing for Practice
Chapter
Ross Hyams & Adrian Evans, Practical Legal Skills (OUP, 5th ed, 2021), Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 17 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Managing Professional Responsibilities and Relationships
Chapter
Practical Legal Skills, Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 24 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Learning on the Job
Chapter
Barbara Mescher, ‘Reflective Thinking Can Be the Key to Best Decisions: The Statement of Ethics and the Law in Practice’ (2009) 47(6) Law Society Journal 38
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 31 Mar 2025Module/Topic
Client Interviewing
Chapter
Practical Legal Skills, Chapter 2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 07 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Advising Clients
Chapter
Practical Legal Skills, Chapter 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 14 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 21 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Legal Writing and Drafting
Chapter
Practical Legal Skills, Chapter 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 28 Apr 2025Module/Topic
Negotiation
Chapter
Practical Legal Skills, Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 05 May 2025Module/Topic
Advocacy
Chapter
Practical Legal Skills, Chapter 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
The unit will be delivered on an intensive schedule this term. Alongside your placement, there will be 8 weeks of classes and unit materials.
Students with placement dates that fall outside of the intensive schedule will be accommodated through assessment extensions.
1 Written Assessment
You will be provided a task which you are required to complete by using the unit materials, your placement experience, and your own research.
Your assessment submission should include:
- An answer to your assigned task; and
- A short reflective commentary of how you used your placement or unit experience to complete the task.
The word limit for this assessment is 1500 words (total).
Week 6 Friday (25 Apr 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Week 8 Friday (9 May 2025)
Expected return of results is 2 weeks following the due date
- Knowledge and understanding;
- Critical analysis and reasoning;
- Integration of reflective thinking and processes, and research, into arguments;
- Written expression and referencing.
The rubric will be uploaded to Moodle.
- Plan and prepare for a professional experience
- Effectively participate in a professional experience
- Communicate effectively about a professional experience
2 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
Select three tasks you completed as part of your practicum. These tasks may include, but are not limited to:
- Interview note;
- Letter;
- Memorandum of advice;
- File note;
- Affidavit;
- Brief;
- Other drafting.
For each task, critically reflect on your experience and what you learned:
- Briefly summarise the task you completed;
- Explore and evaluate your experience of undertaking the task;
- Critically analyse the task, its context and outcomes; and
- Based on your experience of the task, propose lessons for the future or an action plan.
Students undertaking domestic placements will receive a Supervisor Evaluation of their practicum work via SONIA or via email, which should be appended to your logbook submission. Students undertaking simulated placements will not receive a supervisor evaluation and should append a Self-Evaluation form (available on Moodle) to their logbook submission.
The word limit for this assessment is 2000 words (excluding supervisor evaluation or self-evaluation).
Week 10 Friday (23 May 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
to be submitted online
Result will be returned on Certification
- Knowledge and understanding;
- Critical analysis and reasoning;
- Use of authorities and other sources;
- Written expression and referencing.
The rubric will be uploaded to Moodle.
- Plan and prepare for a professional experience
- Effectively participate in a professional experience
- Communicate effectively about a professional experience
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
