School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.


Description

This unit is designed to enable a third year or later undergraduate law student to further engage in quality supervised legal research by successful completion of a legal research paper on a topic formulated by the student, approved in writing by the supervising academic member of the School of Law and Justice and the Law Course Coordinator. The student must actively participate in the research and supervision process, which must culminate in the writing of a legal research paper on that approved topic of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices. Interested students should initially consult with the Law Course Coordinator.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

No formal contact hours, but regular meetings with the Supervisor.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 3 units from LAW2312, LAW2314, LAW2350

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Conduct relevant legal research into the approved topic, applying research skills to contemporary legal issues and law reform.
  2. Formulate a clearly defined and appropriate legal research topic.
  3. Synthesise the legal research, clearly articulating legal issues and critical legal analyses.
  4. Write a legal research paper of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices on the approved topic, which demonstrates critical analysis, reflection and synthesis, as well as promoting awareness on any need for law reform.

Unit Content

  1. The unit content will be the outcome of the research process engaged in by the student in an approved topic.

Additional Learning Experience Information

No formal contact hours, but regular meetings with the Supervisor are required.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ReportLegal research proposal not exceeding 1,000 words.10%
AssignmentLegal research paper of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices.90%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ReportLegal research proposal not exceeding 1,000 words.10%
AssignmentLegal research paper of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices.90%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

LAW3700|1|1

School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.


Description

This unit is designed to enable a third year or later undergraduate law student to further engage in quality supervised legal research by successful completion of a legal research paper on a topic formulated by the student, approved in writing by the supervising academic member of the School of Law and Justice and the Law Course Coordinator. The student must actively participate in the research and supervision process, which must culminate in the writing of a legal research paper on that approved topic of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices. Interested students should initially consult with the Law Course Coordinator.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

No formal contact hours, but regular meetings with the Supervisor.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 3 units from LAW2312, LAW2314, LAW2350

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Conduct relevant legal research into the approved topic, applying research skills to contemporary legal issues and law reform.
  2. Formulate a clearly defined and appropriate legal research topic.
  3. Synthesise the legal research, clearly articulating legal issues and critical legal analyses.
  4. Write a legal research paper of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices on the approved topic, which demonstrates critical analysis, reflection and synthesis, as well as promoting awareness on any need for law reform.

Unit Content

  1. The unit content will be the outcome of the research process engaged in by the student in an approved topic.

Additional Learning Experience Information

No formal contact hours, but regular meetings with the Supervisor are required.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ReportLegal research proposal not exceeding 1,000 words.10%
AssignmentLegal research paper of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices.90%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ReportLegal research proposal not exceeding 1,000 words.10%
AssignmentLegal research paper of 7,000 words, excluding footnotes, tables and appendices.90%

Core Reading(s)

  • Melbourne University Law Review Association. (2010). Australian guide to legal citation. (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Melbourne University Review Association Inc.

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

LAW3700|1|2