LAWS2270 Law Reform

Later Year Course

Offered By	Law
Academic Career	Undergraduate
Course Subject	Laws
Offered in	First Semester, 2010 and First Semester, 2011
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	In seminar discussion and case studies, the course will examine theories and processes of achieving law reform. The topics to be covered in the course include: theories of law reform; the politics of law reform; law reform through institutions: parliament, the bureaucracy, commissions and courts; law reform through community action; and the role of the news media and new media.
Learning Outcomes	On successfully completing this course, students will be able to: understand different philosophical conceptions of law reform; explain different theoretical justifications for law reform; describe the different available methods of achieving law reform; analyse the appropriateness of those different methods according to a particular law reform issue; design a law reform strategy that is appropriate to a particular law reform issue; describe the skills necessary for a lawyer to engage effectively in law reform; and act ethically in undertaking law reform.
Indicative Assessment	Students will be assessed for their class participation, reflective journal entries, and a practical assignment which addresses a current or proposed issue of law reform. Details of the final assessment will be provided on the course home page by the first week of semester.
Workload	This course is taught for three hours a week, in one two hour class and one one hour class each week. Depending on enrolment numbers, the class will be a seminar discussion based on the readings, rather than a lecture. There will as well be a weekly practical activity in class that enables students to implement law reform tactics in a hypothetical scenario.
Assumed Knowledge and Required Skills	In engaging in discussion about processes for changing law, this course assumes that students have a general understanding of the conventional processes of making law (eg through legislation, policy, and appellate courts), and a general awareness of contemporary politics and policy debates.
Requisite Statement	Completed or completing five LAWS courses at 1000 level.
Prescribed Texts	Prescribed reading will be in a course brick compiled for the course and available before the first week of semester.
Preliminary Reading	The preliminary reading required for this course, if any, will be available from the course home page at least one week prior to the commencement of the course.
Technology Requirements	Students must have access to and be able to use WebCT to participate in this course, and to complete compulsory assessment tasks.
Academic Contact	Simon Rice

The information published on the Study at ANU 2010 website applies to the 2010 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2009 website.