LAW 3538 - International Law Study Tour
North Terrace Campus - Summer - 2018
-
General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code LAW 3538 Course International Law Study Tour Coordinating Unit Adelaide Law School Term Summer Level Undergraduate Law (LLB) Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Intensive Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Prerequisites LAW1504 Quota Enrolment in the course is by an application process as places are limited depending on funding from DEWRR. Assessment Assessment in this course will include a combination of two or more of the following: interim written assessment; in-class presentation; assessment of contribution to class discussion; and/or research essay. Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Professor Dale Stephens
Summer School
Additional course staff:
Professor Dale Stephens CSM
Quadmester 4
Additional support staff:
Kellie TooleCourse Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
Students selected for this course will be advised of the dates on which activities are scheduled, including:- First preparation session
- Second preparation session
- Study tour
The full timetable for the course will not, however, be available on the Course Planner.
-
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1 Explain the basic principles of international law and the legal system(s) of the country/ies visited, and articulate the main differences and similarities between these systems and the Australian legal system. 2 Evaluate legal information, and critique the operation of the law from an international perspective. 3 Structure and sustain concise and cohesive written arguments for a legal audience. 4 Conduct legal research and analysis at an intermediate level independently in an academic environment. 5 Analyse the operation of the legal system(s) of the country/ies visited from policy and international perspectives, and in the context of social and cultural diversity. 6 Reflect on their ability to work effectively and intensively in a team environment, and adapt to professional life in a different country. 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 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
2 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
3 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
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
5 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
6 -
Learning Resources
Required Resources
MyUni will be used to provide students with information about the required readings for the preparation sessions and for each visit on the study tour (where applicable).Recommended Resources
For Summer School only:
Relevant reference materials are held in the Law Library in the reserve collection under the 'International Law' course.
For Quadmester 4 only:
Books
Chen, Jianfu, Chinese Law: Context and Transformation, revised and expanded edition (Brill Nijhoff Publishers, 2015)
Other
The China Quarterly
East Asia Forum (http://www.eastasiaforum.org)
China Daily
Caijing
South China Morning PostOnline Learning
Students will be expected to contribute to the Course Blog. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
The course will consist of two pre-departure preparation sessions, and participation in a study tour to the United States.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This works out to 156 hours per 3-unit course (including classes, other structured learning activities, independent study, completion of assessment tasks, and other academic activities).
Students in this course are expected to participate in all activities of the study tour (including all seminars and site visits throughout the course, as well as the preparatory meetings and classes) unless excused in advance for compelling
reasons.Learning Activities Summary
A final itinerary will be provided closer to the departure date.Specific Course Requirements
Students will be required to attend and participate in all elements of the program of study at the 成人大片 and the study tour to the United States, including in all academic activities and site visits.
Students who are unable, due to compelling medical, compassionate or exceptional circumstances only, to participate in any session of the course will be offered suitable make-up work in lieu of attendance and participation.
Students will be required to conduct themselves on the study tour professionally and with respect for the host nation and its people. Instances of unprofessional, inappropriate or disrespectful conduct may lead to a student receiving a penalty reducing their final grade, or in serious cases a result of fail for the course; it may also result in students being sent home from the tour. -
Assessment
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 Scheme - Study Tour Stream
Assessment Task Task Type Length Weighting Due Date Redeemable Learning Outcome Participation in the Study Tour Individual 10% No 1, 2, 5, 6 Blog Post Group of 2 800 words max 15% No 1, 3, 5, 6 Reflective Journal Individual 3 x 500 words (1,500 words in total) 25% No 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 Research Essay Individual 3,000 words 50% No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Assessment Scheme - Advocacy StreamAssessment Task Task Type Length Weighting Due Date Redeemable Learning Outcome Participation in the Study Tour Individual 10% No 1, 2, 5, 6 Memorials Group In accordance with the Manfred Lachs Moot Rules 30% In accordance with the Manfred Lachs Moot Rules No 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Oral presentations Individual In accordance with the Manfred Lachs Moot Rules 60% TBA No 1, 2, 4, 5 Assessment Detail
Students will undertake one of two assessment schemes for this course.
Most students will undertake the 'Study Tour Stream' assessment.
Students who applied to participate in International Law Moot in 2018, and have been selected to participate in the Manfred Lachs Moot Court Competition, will undertake the 'Advocacy Stream' assessment.
Study Tour Participation
Students are expected to actively participate in all academic activities and site visits associated with the study tour. 10% of each student's final grade will be a mark awarded for the quality of their participation in the study tour.Study Tour Stream Assessments
Blog Post
Students will be assigned to write a blog post regarding one day of the study tour. The blog post (maximum 800 words,
or a series of photographs presented in lieu) is to be submitted by 8am of the following morning, so that it can be posted to the tour blog, where it will be read by friends and family of tour participants.
The blog post will partly inform the audience about what has happened on the day in question, but should not be merely descriptive. Students should also reflect (wherever possible) on legal aspects of the trip, whilst keeping the blog accessible to a non-specialist audience.
On days with extensive activities, two students may be selected to each write about different aspects of that day's experiences.
Reflective Journal
The journal is an opportunity to reflect upon the legal and social issues that emerge from the study tour.
There should be 3 entries (500 words each).
Two entries will be on distinct legal topics or issues arising from the study tour. They will explain the topic, using relevant literature where appropriate. A critical reflection on the topic is required.
One entry will be a final reflection on the study tour. How has the tour assisted me to understand the law? What are the lessons for Australia? Highlight(s) of the trip in terms of my legal education?
These are formal assessment. They should be structured (introduction, outline of issues, development of
argument/observations, conclusion). Their form and substance will be assessed.
Research Essay
The Research Essay is an opportunity to explore legal issues arising from the study tour in greater depth.
You are expected to bring independent research and analysis to a space law topic.
It is a research essay. Essays will be judged on their structure, the development of an argument in answer to
the question, the quality of the research undertaken, the skill with which sources are used and the strength of their overall conclusions.
Students will be free to design any relevant topic they would like, and selected possible topics will be presented progressively through the course for consideration. However, all topics must be approved by the course coordinator, preferably by the last day of the study tour.Advocacy Stream Assessments
Memorials
Please note – compliance with the Manfred Lachs Moot rules relating to date and time of submission is required.
Failure to meet the Manfred Lachs Moot rules will be penalised – submitting a copy for assessment in this course by 2pm on the following day will be acceptable, providing the copies required by the Manfred Lachs Moot rules are submitted within the timelines dictated by the Manfred Lachs Moot rules.
The group memorials must comply with all rules specified in the Manfred Lachs Moot rules. Any failures to comply with those rules may be punished either in accordance with the provisions listed below, or in accordance with the rules of the Manfred Lachs Moot, or in any other appropriate manner at the discretion of the Course Coordinator.
The group memorials assessed will be those submitted by the team to the Manfred Lachs Moot competition. The
memorials will be assessed against the following criteria:- Coherent organisation of memorial
- Logical structure of argument
- Clarity of expression
- Identification of relevant legal principles
- Identification of the sources and nature of those principles
- Identification of the application of the principles to the parties
- Appropriate argument for each party given the factual information provided
- Presentation of a balanced and persuasive argument (including acknowledgement and appropriate handling of weaknesses)
- Compliance with obligations to the court.
Each member of the group will receive the group mark for this assessment item, except in exceptional circumstances. Without limiting the circumstances that will be considered relevant, a common mark is awarded to group work on the basis that the contribution and performance of each student has been roughly equal. Each student’s contribution is measured in respect of the quality of the academic work they individually performed within the group, but also takes into account their contribution to the group more broadly (including performance of administrative tasks, regularity and equity of contribution, cooperative behaviour, time and task management etc). If inequity of contribution is identified as an issue, the student(s) involved will be informed of the manner in which it is believed that have performed unequally, and will be asked to explain their contribution to the group and justify why they believe they are entitled to share in the joint group mark. Having considered all relevant submissions from group members, the Course Coordinator will decide as to whether individual marks should be awarded to a student or students, and if so, what those marks should be. Students experiencing group work issues are urged to contact the Course Coordinator at the earliest possible opportunity. When a difficulty is notified, action will then be taken to seek a cooperative solution to the problem. Difficulties notified only after group work has been completed are unlikely to justify separate marks being awarded.
Oral Presentations
Each student will be expected to participate in moots in Adelaide and Nebraska in preparation for the oral rounds of the Manfred Lachs Moot competition.
Each student will be assessed on two oral presentations, which will be undertaken as close as possible to the competition. Each exercise will be marked by either the Course Coordinator or the guest judge, and an average of the two marks awarded will be credited to the final grade.
The assessment criteria will mainly follow the Manfred Lachs Moot guidelines, which are:- knowledge of law (approximately worth 30% of each oralist’s score);
- application of law to the facts (approximately worth 25% of each oralist’s score);
- ingenuity and ability to answer questions (approximately worth 30% of each oralist’s score);
- style, poise, courtesy and demeanour (approximately worth 10% of each oralist’s score); and
- time management and organization (approximately worth 5% of each oralist’s score).
The assessment criteria will also take into account your ability to anticipate and persuasively respond to your opponent’s argument, your compliance with appropriate ethical and procedural obligations, and the overall quality of your engagement with the judge(s).
Submission
Students will be provided with submission instructions as part of the assessment instructions for each item of assessment which will be made available on MyUni.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.
Courses for which a result of conceded pass has been obtained may not be presented towards the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Laws or the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws programs, or any postgraduate law program, nor to satisfy prerequisite requirements within any law course.Final results for this course will be made available through .
Finality of Assessment Grades
Students are advised that Course Coordinators will not enter into negotiations of any kind with any student regarding changes to their grades. It is irrelevant, in any given circumstance, that only a minimal number of additional marks are required to inflate a student’s grade for any individual assessment item or course as a whole. Pursuant to the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policyand the Adelaide Law School Assessment Policies and Procedures, grades may only be varied through the appropriate channels for academic review (such as an official re-mark).
Moderation
In accordance with the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, course coordinators ‘ensure that appropriate marking guidelines and cross-marking moderation processes across markers are in place’ in each course. Procedures adopted by Adelaide Law School to ensure consistency of marking in courses with multiple markers include:- assurance of the qualifications of markers, and their knowledge of the content covered in each course;
- detailed marking guidelines and assessment rubrics to assist in the marking of items of assessment;
- sharing of example marked assessments at various grade bands across markers;
- reviewing of selected marked assessments from each marker by the course coordinator;
- comparison of the marks and their distribution across markers;
- automatic double-marking of all interim assessment receiving a fail grade, and of final assessments where a student’s overall result is a fail grade;
- the availability of re-marking of assessments in accordance with Adelaide Law School’s Assessment Policies and Procedures.
Approval of Results by Board of Examiners
Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the University are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Access Adelaide at the end of each semester. -
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
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
The provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the 成人大片.
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.Lex Salus Program
Lex Salus (law and wellbeing) is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at destigmatising mental health issues; promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness; building a strong community of staff and students; and celebrating diversity within the school. It also seeks to promote wellness within the legal profession, through the involvement of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable Chris Kourakis, as the official Patron of the program.
Students can participate in the Lex Salus program by attending barbecue lunches, pancake breakfasts, knitting and crochet circles, seminars, guest speakers, conferences and other activities. Our , and regular all-student emails promote upcoming events, and have tips and information on wellness.
Our Lex Salus YouTube channel also includes videos on topics like managing stress, and interviews with LGBTQ lawyers and their supporters which celebrate diversity and individuality. Students who commit to 10 hours of volunteering with Lex Salus in one year can have their service recognised on their academic transcript and through a thank you morning tea with the Chief Justice and law school staff.
Student Life Counselling Support
The University’s service provides free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Student Life Counselling Support service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life. -
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.
Academic dishonesty is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Academic dishonesty (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia 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鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.