Legal Practice Management and Professional Conduct

• Topics

  • Admission to practice - the requirements for and process of admission
  • The life of the lawyer - the personal skills and responsibilities of professionals
  • Relationship with clients - covering the life of the relationship - including billing and trust accounting
  • Relations with the profession and third parties -including fellow practitioners, negotiation, and communication
  • Duties to the Court - including court etiquette, dealing with officials, contempt, witnesses, and instructing
  • Civil and Disciplinary Complaints (where things go wrong and managing the process).

• Study resources

  • Online Materials

    • Audio-Video streaming

Entry Requirements

You are recommended to have completed the following subjects(s) or have equivalent knowledge before starting this unit:

• RMI-OJD110-Introduction to the Australian Legal System and Legal Methods

Others

You are normally expected to have completed all core subjects of the JD. Exceptions may be granted, at the Program Director's discretion, if you are approaching your final Session(s) of the degree.

Special requirements

No special requirements

This subject explores lawyers’ professional obligations, the work that lawyers do, the history and ongoing changes in the Australian legal profession. The rules of Ethics and Professional Conduct of the legal profession in Victoria will be studied, together with issues such as trust account management, handling conflicts of interest, client confidentiality, client illegality, ethics in the adversary system and accountability.

• Assignment 1 - Memorandum of Advice (30%)
• Assignment 2 - Discussion board submission (20%)
• Assignment 3 - Invigilated Exam (50%)

Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a subject.