LLB108 Law, Governance and Sustainability

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This core unit requires you to consider the law, and your role in it, within a broader global system. Australian lawyers must be aware of, and consider the global implications of their practice, including different legal and regulatory systems that may be relevant to their practice. The fundamental concepts in this unit are taught through the lens of sustainability. You will learn about different levels of governance, the world’s legal systems, and different methods of resolving disputes by critically analysing current and emerging sustainability issues. This unit provides a foundation for several core skills, including oral communication, critical thinking and reflective practice. 

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Identify your role, the role of law and the legal practitioner in global and local governance and regulation, including the limitations of law (CLOs 1.5, 5.1, 5.2)
2. Critically analyse and reflect on global sustainability principles, ethical duties that relate to sustainability, and both the role of law and your role as a legal practitioner in achieving sustainable futures (CLOs 1.4, 2.3, 5.1, 5.2)
3. Explain the nature of different legal systems (local and global) and apply an appropriate method for resolving disputes in those systems, within a given sustainability context (CLOs 1.1, 1.5, 2.2)
4. Apply appropriate writing conventions to communicate legal analysis and reflection effectively (CLOs 4.1)
5. Apply effective oral communication skills, including constructing persuasive and strategic arguments (CLOs 2.2, 4.2)

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit employs an active, blended and collaborative approach to learning. The unit is inter-disciplinary and will be taught by a range of teachers from different disciplinary backgrounds to give you a broader understanding of yourself as a lawyer, and different non-law considerations that might be relevant to your practice of law. 

It involves alternation between weekly lectures and online, self-led learning practice with live tutorials, where you will learn from experts and your peers. The online component of the unit will require you to work through a set of weekly snapshots of unit material, short podcasts delivered by experts, interactive quizzes and formative learning activities.  

At key, strategic points throughout the unit, you have the option of engaging in on campus, live lectures that facilitate discussion. In these lectures, you will have the opportunity to solidify threshold understandings of unit content and assessment requirements. Live tutorials will be based on collaborative discussions centred around sustainability case studies, where will be supported and engaged to develop core skills. 

Your engagement and participation will include: 

• Engagement with lectures or online content materials 
• Weekly independent preparation for tutorials, including reading prescribed materials and reflecting on learning activities 
• Active engagement in weekly collaborative tutorials, with attendance either in person or online. 
• Discussions on Canvas
• Collaboration with peers in tutorials to share and enhance your understanding of your own, and other people’s perspectives 
• Optional consultation with staff 

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Students are provided with feedback to assist their learning through the semester. Feedback in this unit is provided as follows: 

• By participating in weekly interactive tutorials with your tutor and peers, and online discussion boards.  
• Oral feedback on assessment with the completed Criteria Referenced Assessment form  
• General written feedback will be provided on all assessment items. 
• The option of private consultation with a member of the teaching team during assigned consultation hours. 

Assessment

Overview

The assessment in this unit consists of an oral presentation and client presentation plan, and an exam.

Students may be required to attend campus or an assessment centre for the purposes of assessment, regardless of the attendance mode for the unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan

Acting as a lawyer, your client has asked you to conduct an analysis on a problem of sustainability and the role of law in resolving it. Taking a systems approach, you will use the sustainability principles taught to analyse the problem and provide a solution for your client. You will be required to consider the role of law and where other governance mechanisms may be required in a solution to the specified problem. You will also be required to articulate the ethical duties owed by your client and your firm. You will present your advice via a recorded oral presentation with visual aids to your client. The process of creating your presentation will be scaffolded in tutorials, and different technological options for oral presentations and visual aids will be provided.   

You will also be required to submit a 1000 word written client presentation plan that outlines the main sustainability mindset principles you have considered and the resources you have used to solve your client's problem.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Assessment: Examination

You will undertake a written examination that will assess your understanding of the unit content, including relevant law, theories, and legal systems, as well as a reflective exercise on your role as a lawyer in a given sustainability context.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no unusual risks in this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

LW38 Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

1. The essential principles and doctrines of Australian law and the Australian legal system
   Relates to: Examination
2. The role of law in achieving sustainable futures
   Relates to: ULO2
3. The application, operation and evolution of law in diverse, changing and global contexts
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
4. Thinking creatively to resolve disputes and address clients’ needs, taking into account legal and non-legal considerations
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO5, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
5. Applying critical perspectives, including theoretical, cultural and social perspectives, to evaluate law and policy
   Relates to: ULO2
6. Knowing and using academic and legal writing conventions and communicating clearly, concisely and persuasively in written forms
   Relates to: ULO4, Examination
7. Using effective oral, visual or other professional communication in diverse contexts
   Relates to: ULO5
8. Making professional and ethical judgements
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO4, Examination

LW39 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (Graduate Entry)

1. The essential principles and doctrines of Australian law and the Australian legal system
   Relates to: Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
2. The role of law in achieving sustainable futures 
   Relates to: ULO2, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
3. The application, operation and evolution of law in diverse, changing and global contexts
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
4. Thinking creatively to resolve disputes and address clients’ needs, taking into account legal and non-legal considerations
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO5, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
5. Applying critical perspectives, including theoretical, cultural and social perspectives, to evaluate law and policy
   Relates to: ULO2, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
6. Knowing and using academic and legal writing conventions and communicating clearly, concisely and persuasively in written forms
   Relates to: ULO4, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
7. Using effective oral, visual and other professional communication in diverse contexts
   Relates to: ULO5, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan
8. Making professional and ethical judgements
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO4, Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination
9. Reflecting on feedback, experience and career development
   Relates to: Oral Presentation and Client Presentation Plan, Examination