MLP235 - Legal Practice and Ethics
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Previously coded as: | MLL235, MLL335 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Alice Witt Trimester 3: Karen Powell |
| Cohort rule: | For Bachelor of Laws (including combined Law awards) students only |
| Prerequisite: | Students must have passed MLP219 |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | MLL235 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | Online independent and asynchronous collaborative learning up to a maximum of 2 hours each week which includes lecture pre-recordings each week and 1 x 2 hour on-campus seminar (recordings provided) each week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | Online independent and asynchronous collaborative learning up to a maximum of 2 hours each week which includes lecture pre-recordings each week and 1 x 2 hour online seminar (recordings provided) each week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:*Community Based Delivery (CBD) is for National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute students only. | |
Content
The unit introduces students to the practice of law and to the ethical obligations they will assume upon becoming lawyers. Topics include: the history and organisation of the Victorian legal profession; current trends in professional practice; professional responsibility and liability; introduction to ethics and ethical concepts; legal ethics and the duties owed by lawyers to the law, to their clients, to the Court and to each other; statutory regulation of the legal profession; and trust accounting.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain and apply the principles, rules and regulations governing the ethical oversight of legal practice. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Locate and appropriately reference high quality primary and secondary resources relevant to the role of lawyers in Australian society and the ethics of legal practice. | GLO3: Digital literacy |
| ULO3 | Identify, evaluate and synthesise evidence from primary and secondary sources to craft a persuasive argument that addresses ethical concerns in legal practice. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Identify elements of the globalised legal workplace and plan for the development of skills, attributes and obligations required to work in such an environment as a lawyer. | GLO8: Global citizenship |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: (Individual) Action Plan | 500 words | 10% | Week 3 |
| Assessment 2: (Individual) Report (Research) | 1500 words | 40% | Week 8 |
| Examination: Specified resources | 2 hours | 50% | End-of-unit assessment period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for MLP235 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.