Learning, assessment, ground rules

1
Learning, assessment, ground rules

• Melbourne JD September 2004

2
What do you learn?

• Substance
• Principles and procedures of many areas of law
• Australian law
• Common law
• International/transnational/comparative law
• Chosen for their importance
• But by no means comprehensive
• Legal method
• Equally (maybe more) important
• Finding and using law
• NEVER dodge the chance to develop these skills

3
Learning method(s)

• Preparation before class
• Review after class
• Active and not only passive learning, where
  possible
• Participate in class
• Develop comfort with legal terminology
• Opportunity for feedback from instructors peers
• Skills refreshers/LLSU.
• Some will be scheduled
• Others available on demand

4
Marks grades

• Mark/grade equivalents
• H180
• H2A75-79
• H2B70-74
• H365-69
• P50-64
• Upper end of scale rarely used 90
• Real excellence sought for H1, in terms of
  substance skills
• JD students not in competition with each other
  for good marks

5
Assessment

• Types of assessment (both to test understanding
  of substance and to develop and test skills)
• Practical exercises of various kinds, written or
  oral
• Research papers (c 4,000 10,000 words)
• Examinations 3 hour or take-home
• Assessment schedule for each trimester
• Become familiar with it
• Plan timing of assessment tasks
• Use first part of trimester productively
• Note word limit codes and comply with limits set

6
What the Faculty expects

• This is a graduate degree
• Standards deliberately high
• Assessment tests your
• Knowledge of the subject
• Legal skills in eg analysis, communication
• Professionalism in presentation
• Use proper citations.
• Work must be original never the work of others.

7
Specialist interests

• Most JD subjects compulsory
• Optional subjects in trimesters 5 6
• Some flexibility to pursue specialist interests
  in relation to assessment within particular
  subjects
• LRM an example
• Look for opportunities in assessment where
  students can choose topics
• Discuss with course directors if you wish

8
Ground-rules

• Attendance
• All classes
• Notify course directors of any unavoidable
  absence
• 75 minimum for assessment
• Extensions
• Not available
• Special consideration
• Apply to JD office if your performance is
  affected in any significant way

9
Class representatives

• Each JD cohort has 2 class representatives
• Choose them yourselves, by the end of the first
  week
• Meet with course directors once a trimester
• Otherwise act as a conduit for class views
• Change regularly each trimester