Advocacy

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

100 hours.

Legal Method and Reasoning; Principles of Public Law; Torts; Legal Theory or in each case their equivalents.

Students who have completed 730-385 Evidence or LAWS30012 Evidence and Proof will have first preference to enrol in this subject. Students who are taking 730-385 Evidence or LAWS30012 Evidence and Proof will have second preference to enrol in the subject.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills, and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to providing support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/.

This is a limited enrolment subject in which students will receive intensive exposure to and experience of the theory and practice of court room advocacy. The aim of this subject is to introduce students to practical aspects of litigation including the nature of the adversary process and the role of the advocate, to provide students with an introduction to basic advocacy skills in the context of a trial including presentation, strategies and ­conceptualisation of a case (how the case will be run), opening and closing address, examination in chief, cross examination, general communication skills; and to provide students with the opportunity of applying those skills in a series of performance workshops.

At the end of this subject students should be able to:

• Perform basic advocacy skills;
• Identify good and bad advocacy;
• Prepare for and conduct a mini trial and have an appreciation of court room ethics and etiquette.

Each assessment task will involve students performing a series of advocacy skills: lead evidence in chief; cross examination; deliver and address (either and opening or closing). These tasks will be assessed on the basis of conceptualisation, preparation and communication. Students are required to present a summary of their oral submission in written form. Each student will perform three 7-minute assessment tasks (chief, cross, examination, address), each of which has equal weight (33.3%) and each of which is assessed according to the 40:40:20 scheme set out as follows: oral communication 40%; conceptualisation 40%; written submission 20%.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of the subject, students should have developed the following generic skills:

• The capacity to communicate;
• Attitudes towards knowledge that include, valuing truth, openness to new ideas and ethics associated with knowledge creations and usage;
• The capacity for close reading and analysis of a range of sources;
• The capacity for critical and independent thought and reflection;
• The capacity to solve problems, including through the collection and evaluation of information;
• The capacity to plan and manage time.