LAW 1100 - Introduction to Law

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

An introduction to the Australian legal system including the role of the Constitution, parliaments and courts. An Introduction to the basic rules of contract, the tort of negligence, liability for unsafe products, the consequences of misleading conduct, the criminal process and the law relating to property ownership (including intellectual property).

Open All

Course Details

Course Code	LAW 1100
Course	Introduction to Law
Coordinating Unit	Adelaide Law School
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Incompatible	LAW1501 Foundations of Law
Restrictions	Not available for LLB students

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Lorne Neudorf

Telephone 83130584
Email lorne.neudorf@adelaide.edu.au

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Explain the history and contemporary features of the Australian legal system, including its key institutions, doctrines and principles.
Understand the fundamental legal rules and principles relevant to a wide range of selected areas of the law.
Conduct legal research and analysis.
Communicate effectively in small group settings.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 3
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	4
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1-4
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1-4

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Reading / Texts

The required readings (the Course Materials) for this course will be made available online on MyUni.

Recommended Resources

None.

Given the breadth of content in this course, there is no one text or collection of texts which adequately covers all of the material. Moreover, much of the content is legal in nature and the principal texts in each area are designed for scholars and students of the law. However, should you require assistance with any particular area of the law as covered in the course, there are plenty of useful resources available in the Law Library and the staff there would be more than willing to assist you in this regard. You are also very welcome to consult your teachers for guidance on particular texts that might be of use to help deepen your understanding of particular legal concepts.

Online Learning

The MyUni course page for this course can be accessed at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/.

Besides this Course Profile, students can use MyUni to access copies of the PowerPoint slides used in lectures, recordings of lectures, assessment tasks and other course materials. Students are expected to check MyUni regularly to keep up to date with these materials and additional learning resources throughout the course.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

The delivery of this course consists of a weekly 2 hour lecture and a 1 hour weekly seminar. All lectures will be recorded and posted to MyUni. Seminars are not recorded.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The University expects full-time students (ie those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies during semester. This means that in addition to lectures and seminars, students should spend an additional 9 or 10 hours per week in private study in the course across the semester – this includes doing the readings, watching the pre-lecture videos, taking the pre-lecture quizzes, preparing for the lecture and seminar activities, participation in group work, and undertaking the assessment tasks.

Learning Activities Summary

Learning activities will involve weekly lectures and seminars.

- Lectures are a teacher-driven learning activity; relaying of knowledge and information.
- Seminars are more interactive than lectures. Students are expected to prepare answers to seminar questions to facilitate useful in-class discussions between peers. As such, seminars are largely student driven. Seminar leaders are learning facilitators.

Assessment tasks are also learning activities.

- The three assessment activities for this course assess student understanding of course content in three differnt ways.
- Quiz: online task (technological platform);
- Media Analysis: research-based task to assess understanding and application of legal principles;
- Essay: research-based task to assess understanding and application of legal principles.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment item	% of final mark	Dates (week)	Length	Redeemable	Related learning outcomes
Online Quiz	20%	Week 3 Opens 8 August 9am Closes 10 August 9am	48 hour completion window	No	1-3
Media Analysis	30%	Friday 1 September 2pm	1000 words	No	1-4
Essay	50%	Friday 3 November 2pm	2000 words	No	1-4

Assessment Detail

1. Online Quiz - 20% of final grade
This assessment item requires all students to take an Online Quiz which assesses student comprehension of principles discussed in the first 2 weeks of the course themed aroung the Australian Legal System. The Quiz involves answering 30 multiple choice questions and will be available for completion during a 48 hour period. During this time students may log in and out of the Quiz. Completed answers can be saved but cannot be resubmitted. Questions will be randomised from a large pool of questions.

Quiz will open Tuesday 8/8 at 9am and close 10/8 at 9am (Week 3)

2. Media Analysis - Letter to the Editor - 30% of final grade
This assessment item requires all students to submit a written paper of no more than 1000 words in length. Students will be required to respond to a hypothetical inflammatory statement (as printed in a newspaper editorial). Responses are to be framed as a 'letter to the editor'. Valid arguments should support any assertions made in the paper.

Due date: Friday 1 September 2pm (Week 6)

3. Essay - 50% of final grade
The final assessment item requires all students to submit a written essay of no more than 2000 words in length. Students will be given a choice of essay questions towards the end of the semester.

Due date: Friday 3 November 2pm (end of SWATVAC)

Submission

Submission of Assessment items 2 (Media Analysis) and 3 (Essay) via MyUni.

Penalty for Late Submission
When an assessment is submitted after the due date, without an extension, 5% of the total mark possible will be deducted for every 24 hours or part thereof that it is late, including each day on a weekend and public holidays. For example, an essay that is submitted after the due date and time but within the first 24 hour period, and that has been graded at 63%, will have 5% deducted, for a final grade of 58%. An essay that is more than 24 hours late will lose 10%, etc.

Penalty for Exceeding Stipulated Word Length
5% of the total mark possible for a written assessment will be deducted for every 100 words (or part thereof) by which it exceeds a stipulated word limit. For example, a 3000 word essay graded at 63% will have 5% deducted if it is between 3001 and 3100 words long for a final mark of 58%. If the essay is between 3101 and 3200 words long, 10% will be deducted for a final mark of 53%, etc. Word limits include all words in the text, in headings, in quotations, but exclude citations in footnotes. Any separate cover page, table of contents, bibliography or list of sources is excluded from the word limit. If the word limit is misstated, this may be regarded as academic dishonesty.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

The centre offers practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

For more information please check out the Writing Centre website at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/

Lex Salus Program

Lex Salus was founded in 2013 by Adelaide Law School Wellbeing officers Ms Corinne Walding, Ms Kellie Toole and Dr Mark Giancaspro. Lex Salus is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at raising law student awareness of the importance of mental, physical and nutritional health across all year levels of the degree, and of the various counselling, disability and equity services both within and outside the University that can provide help. Research shows that law students, both in Australia and in many jurisdictions around the world, experience the highest levels of stress, anxiety and depression out of any other discipline. Many do not get enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet or achieve a realistic work/life balance. Making matters worse, they are unwilling or afraid to speak up for fear of feeling 'weak' or because of the negative stigma that attaches to seeking help. Lex Salus is dedicated to tackling these problems head-on.

Counselling Service

The University Counselling Service provides a free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Counselling service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life. More information is available at https://www.adelaide.edu.au/counselling_centre/.
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Further information regarding the Law School Policies and Procedures in relation to Supplementary Assessment, Extensions, and remarks can be found at:

https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/law-school/policies-and-procedures

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating

Plagiarism is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the Adelaide Law School Enrolment Guide, and should note in particular the sections relating to plagiarism, grievance procedures and academic conduct within the Law School and the University.

Plagiarism is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Please be aware that “academic dishonesty” (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to refuse to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator