GoodToGo
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In answer to Smokin Squirrel's question in another thread about law electives, here a brief critique on the one's I've done:
LAW407 - Labour Law
Taught by a socialist from the public law department. 2-2.5 hours a week of class, no assignments, 90% open-book, sit down final exam. I thoroughly enjoyed the unit. Very entertaining, though Frankie can be a bit extreme at times (actively encouraging the students to protest and take to the streets, with violence if necessary, against the bourgeoise). Course not recorded.
LAW410 - International Trade and Finance
Not all that substantive - I can't remember a single case from the course. More a lesson in international politics from a humanitarian perspective - like I actually knew what those farmers were protesting about in Hong Kong last month. A lot of scope to focus on what you find interesting (you set your own final assignment question). 2 x 2 hr tutes a week...but in the end my 2 assignments had nothing to do with what was covered in class. Thought provoking. Prior to the course I had no idea just how MAJORLY screwed we got in signing the Australia-USA Free Trade Agreement. Course not recorded.
LAW443 - Macquarie Legal Centre
Clincal unit which requires 10 placement days over 10 weeks at the Macquarie Legal Centre in Merrylands. An absolute eye-opener. I couldn't believe how hands-on our work was...we were literally the first people the clients saw. You get a good taste of the different types of law the centre advises on (employment, family, civil). You cover a lot of AVO stuff as well. There are also opportunities to accompany the lawyers for hearings. It can be full on, and you can't help but be affected by some of the people and cases you come across. Hated the assessment: weekly journal entries and the final assignment...but the placement was awesome. Reasonably heavy workload, though only 4 tutes in all. This unit is restricted to 8 students per semester, and is done through an application process at the end of every year.
LAW445 - Australian Journal of Legal History
The formeost australian legal history journal in Australia is produced by Macquarie law school. If you have no interest in legal history, forget it (there are 2 other journals you can work on). In this elective you act as a student editor and work on the upcoming issue of the journal. This requires editing the articles, checking footnotes, etc. Assessment includes a 2 book reviews, a couple article critiques, etc...the most annoying task was having to check footnotes...argh! Very very informal unit...mostly done over email with Dr Buck. I think we met 4 or 5 times over the whole semester in his office. Workload is pretty low. I don't thinK I learnt as much about legal publishing as I thought I would, but nonetheless an interesting option to consider. This unit is restricted to 5 students per semester and is done through an application process (LAW GPA+statement of interest) at the end of every year. Like all restrictive units, it looks pretty good on a resume. Oh, you also get your name published on the front page of an academic journal...if that counts for anything.
LAW407 - Labour Law
Taught by a socialist from the public law department. 2-2.5 hours a week of class, no assignments, 90% open-book, sit down final exam. I thoroughly enjoyed the unit. Very entertaining, though Frankie can be a bit extreme at times (actively encouraging the students to protest and take to the streets, with violence if necessary, against the bourgeoise). Course not recorded.
LAW410 - International Trade and Finance
Not all that substantive - I can't remember a single case from the course. More a lesson in international politics from a humanitarian perspective - like I actually knew what those farmers were protesting about in Hong Kong last month. A lot of scope to focus on what you find interesting (you set your own final assignment question). 2 x 2 hr tutes a week...but in the end my 2 assignments had nothing to do with what was covered in class. Thought provoking. Prior to the course I had no idea just how MAJORLY screwed we got in signing the Australia-USA Free Trade Agreement. Course not recorded.
LAW443 - Macquarie Legal Centre
Clincal unit which requires 10 placement days over 10 weeks at the Macquarie Legal Centre in Merrylands. An absolute eye-opener. I couldn't believe how hands-on our work was...we were literally the first people the clients saw. You get a good taste of the different types of law the centre advises on (employment, family, civil). You cover a lot of AVO stuff as well. There are also opportunities to accompany the lawyers for hearings. It can be full on, and you can't help but be affected by some of the people and cases you come across. Hated the assessment: weekly journal entries and the final assignment...but the placement was awesome. Reasonably heavy workload, though only 4 tutes in all. This unit is restricted to 8 students per semester, and is done through an application process at the end of every year.
LAW445 - Australian Journal of Legal History
The formeost australian legal history journal in Australia is produced by Macquarie law school. If you have no interest in legal history, forget it (there are 2 other journals you can work on). In this elective you act as a student editor and work on the upcoming issue of the journal. This requires editing the articles, checking footnotes, etc. Assessment includes a 2 book reviews, a couple article critiques, etc...the most annoying task was having to check footnotes...argh! Very very informal unit...mostly done over email with Dr Buck. I think we met 4 or 5 times over the whole semester in his office. Workload is pretty low. I don't thinK I learnt as much about legal publishing as I thought I would, but nonetheless an interesting option to consider. This unit is restricted to 5 students per semester and is done through an application process (LAW GPA+statement of interest) at the end of every year. Like all restrictive units, it looks pretty good on a resume. Oh, you also get your name published on the front page of an academic journal...if that counts for anything.
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