First Year Handbook 2019 - SCHOOL OF LAW - Western Sydney University

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First Year Handbook 2019 - SCHOOL OF LAW - Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

                       SCHOOL OF LAW

            First Year Handbook
                          2019

westernsydney.edu.au                                          1
First Year Handbook 2019 - SCHOOL OF LAW - Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

                            Our mission is to be a law school that
                               excels in education and research,
                             valuing its students and staff. In the
                               spirit of intellectual freedom, we
                             critically and ethically engage with
                              the law and the issues of our time.

                            We are actively committed to socially
                            just and professional practice, and we
                             support and challenge our graduates
                              to serve their communities with the
                                      same commitment.

                            ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
                             Western Sydney University acknowledges the
                           Traditional Owners of Greater Western Sydney. As
                            a matter of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
                              cultural protocol, and out of recognition that
                            its campuses occupy their traditional lands, the
                           University acknowledges the Darug, Gandangarra
                            and Tharawal peoples and thanks them for their
                             support of its work in Greater Western Sydney.

2                                                                               Western Sydney University
First Year Handbook 2019 - SCHOOL OF LAW - Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

                       Dean’s Welcome

                       Let me begin by wishing you a warm welcome
                       to Western Sydney School of Law. My name
                       is Steven Freeland and I am the Dean of the
                       School, as well as Professor of International
                       Law. It is a pleasure to welcome you to our
                       school, as you begin an exciting phase of your
                       professional development and career path.

                       At Western Sydney Law School, we strive for
                       excellence in everything we do – teaching, research
                       and community engagement. We have amazing
                       academic and professional staff, a very strong and
                       inclusive alumni (3,000+) and, best of all, great
                       students. You will now join us and become an
                       integral part of a vibrant, ambitious and mature
                       law school, with an underlying goal to promote
                       greater social justice for all and to instil an even
                       greater sense among our students of the importance
                       of fairness and equity. We constantly review
                       and update our curriculum to ensure that our
                       students are being offered the most relevant and
                       ‘cutting-edge’ subjects possible to maintain not
                       only student interest but also employability of our
                       graduates. We want our students to be equipped
                       to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

                       Please remember the more you put into your studies
                       and life at the University and Law School, the more
                       you will get out of the experience. There are many
                       interesting extracurricular activities that you should
                       consider, and there are also some excellent University
                       and Law School level support networks. We have an
                       open-door policy and are all very approachable.

                       As Dean of Western Sydney Law School, I am
                       delighted to welcome you into our ranks and I hope
                       that you find your experiences with us enjoyable,
                       stimulating and inclusive. I hope that you feel
                       proud to now be a part of our team, and I very
                       much look forward to meeting you in the first few
                       weeks of semester and also to introducing you
                       to our next Dean, Professor Anna Cody, who will
                       take up the role when I step down in mid-April.

                       Professor Steven Freeland
                       Dean, School of Law

westernsydney.edu.au                                                          3
First Year Handbook 2019 - SCHOOL OF LAW - Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

Hello from the
First Year Advisor

Welcome! We are very pleased
                                       Administrative enquiries     lawenquiry@westernsydney.edu.au
that you are now one of our first
                                       (e.g. timetabling)
year Law students. Your first
year of university sometimes can       Unit enquiries               Refer to the Learning Guide, which
be daunting, and it is our role to                                  includes the contact details for each Unit
support you as much as we can.                                      Coordinator
We organise events for first year
students throughout the year and       Course enquiries             Refer to the online University Handbook:
we are always available to answer      (unit sequencing,            handbook.westernsydney.edu.au/hbook
your queries. This School of Law       progression to completion,   and if you still have queries contact
First Year Handbook should be          unit selection, transfers    courseadvicelaw@westernsydney.edu.au
your first point of call for any       etc.)
questions you have during your
first year of study, but if you find   Miscellaneous first          Refer to the School of Law First Year
that you need further guidance or      year enquiries               Handbook and if you still have
                                       not covered above            queries contact
advice, please feel free to contact
                                                                    firstyearlaw@westernsydney.edu.au
us. We might not always have a
simple answer, but we will often
be able to help with identifying
options and helping you feel
more confident in the choices
you make. On this page is a guide                            Sandy Noakes
to who you should contact for                                First Year Advisor
queries you may have during your                             Parramatta campus, School of Law
time at the School of Law.                                   EK.G.29
                                                             (02) 9685 9106
                                                             S.Noakes@westernsydney.edu.au

4                                                                                         Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

Understanding
Our Terminology

You will soon understand           ≥ vUWS – this stands for ‘virtual
the unusual acronyms                  UWS’ and is the University’s
and terms used at the                 ‘online learning environment’
                                      accessible through the
University, but this
                                      University homepage or your
new language can be                   MyWestern page. Every unit
very confusing at the                 will have a vUWS site which
beginning of your studies.            you must access regularly.
Below is a useful guide.             vuws.westernsydney.edu.au
≥  MyWestern – the main
                                   ≥ LawvUWS – this is a vUWS
  student online portal for
                                      site specifically for Law
  everything you need at the
                                      students. It contains a vast
  University. You can access all
                                      array of information and
  our online services (including
                                      has a folder exclusively
  the Library, your student
                                      for first year students.
  email account and more).
  westernsydney.edu.au/
  mywestern

≥ MySR – a specific site that
   covers enrolment, adding and
   removing units, etc. MySR is
   accessed through MyWestern.
                                   OUR TERM                          COMMON TERM
  mysr.westernsydney.edu.au
                                   Course                            Degree

                                   Unit                              Subject

                                   Core                              Compulsory

                                   Alternate                         Elective

                                   Session                           Teaching term; semester

                                   Blended learning                  Online activities and face-to-face

                                   WSLSA                             Western Sydney Law Students’
                                                                     Association

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                        5
GETTING
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

STARTED
IN LAW
    CHECK LIST
    n Read this Handbook                         Before the first week of classes:
    n Activate Western Sydney email account      n Read the Learning Guides for your units
    n Enrol in your units                        n Buy all of your textbooks
    n Register for seminars/lectures/tutorials   n Do the preparatory reading for your first
    n Log in to vUWS                                classes (check the Learning Guides for this)

    n Attend Orientation                         First week of classes:
    At Orientation:                              n Attend all of your classes with your textbooks,
                                                 notes, pen and paper/electronic device ready to
    n Sign up for MATES                          start work
    n Go on a campus tour
    n Meet some of your teachers
    n Meet your fellow students
    n Visit the Library
    n Visit the Moot Court
    n Visit the Bookshop
    n Locate your classrooms
    n Join the Law Students’ Association
    n HAVE FUN

6                                                                                Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

westernsydney.edu.au                          7
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

Before Session Starts

1. GETTING STARTED                   Below is a quick guide to which       and Critique and Torts in
                                     Law units you are required to enrol   Spring semester. These Units
If you have not already done
                                     in during your first year.            are co-requisites and must be
so, visit westernsydney.edu.au/
                                                                           studied together. If you have
starting
                                     Please note that all first year       any questions about this please
This provides a step by step         students MUST study both              contact courseadvicelaw@
guide to getting started at the      Fundamentals of Australian Law        westernsydney.edu.au
University. It explains how to:      and Criminal Law in Autumn
≥ Activate your MyWestern           semester and Legal Analysis
   account
≥ Plan your course
≥ C alculate your fees
                                     LAW STUDENTS COMMENCING ONLY IN AUTUMN SESSION
≥ Get your student ID card
                                                                  200977 Fundamentals of Australian Law
≥ Enrol in your units and classes
                                                       Autumn     200010 Criminal Law
≥ Check your timetable              Combined Law                 Plus 2 non-LLB units from your other degree
≥ Get prepared for uni to start     Full-Time                    200978 Legal Analysis and Critique
                                                       Spring     200008 Torts
                                                                  Plus 2 non-LLB units from your other degree
2. Y
    OUR FIRST YEAR LAW
   UNITS – A QUICK GUIDE                               Autumn
                                                                  200977 Fundamentals of Australian Law
                                     Combined Law                 200010 Criminal Law
Western Sydney University offers
several different Law courses.       Part-Time                    200978 Legal Analysis and Critique
                                                       Spring
Some are combined with another                                    200008 Torts Law
discipline, e.g. Business, and                                    200977 Fundamentals of Australian Law
others are straight Law courses.                                  200010 Criminal Law
All Law students are required                          Autumn     200011 Contracts Law
to complete 24 LLB (Law) units,                                   200020	Professional Responsibility and
which consists of 16 core LLB        Straight Law                        Legal Ethics
                                     Full-Time
units and 8 alternate LLB units.                                  200978 Legal Analysis and Critique
Each specific combined Law                                        200008 Torts
course has different additional                        Spring
                                                                  200811 Alternative Dispute Resolution
requirements, which you can                                       200984 Government and Public Law
find in the University Handbook                                   200977 Fundamentals of Australian Law
handbook.westernsydney.                                Autumn
                                     Straight Law                 200010 Criminal Law
edu.au/hbook
                                     Part-Time                    200978 Legal Analysis and Critique
                                                       Spring
                                                                  200008 Torts

8                                                                                       Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

3. H
    OW TO ENROL                       4. HOW TO REGISTER                  5. USEFUL APPS
   IN A UNIT                               FOR A CLASS                      Consider downloading one of
A step by step explanation of how      Once you have successfully           several apps from the App Store
to enroll in your units and register   enrolled in your units (e.g.         which will be useful throughout
for your classes is available at       Fundamentals of Australian           your Law degree. They include:
westernsydney.edu.au/starting          Law) you will need to register       ≥≥ Blackboard Mobile Learn. This
                                       for the specific classes that           is essentially vUWS on your
Before you enrol, you will need        you will attend (e.g. Monday            mobile device westernsydney.
to have a University student ID        9am). This is known as ‘Tutorial        edu.au/webservices/wsu/
card (available from the Student       Registration’. To register for all      uws_app_-_info_page
Central any time after you have        your classes, go to 2019 Tutorial
accepted the offer).                                                        ≥≥ The Australian Constitution
                                       Registration from the WSU
                                                                               itunes.apple.com/
                                       Home Page: tutorialregistration.
Students may enrol in units until                                              au/app/consitution/
                                       westernsydney.edu.au/aplus/
the end of the second week of                                                  id301301300?mt=8
                                       student. Or register through
session (15 March 2019). After         MyWestern at                         ≥≥ A law dictionary, such as
this time, but before HECS census      westernsydney.edu.au/                   lexisnexis.com.au/en-AU/
date (31 March 2019) you will          mywestern                               Products/mobile-app.page
need to complete a Rule Waiver
Request via eForms (accessible         If you have an unavoidable
via Western Central) eforms.           timetable clash once your
westernsydney.edu.au                   timetable is complete,
if you want to enrol in a unit.        please email lawenquiry@
See also: westernsydney.edu.           westernsydney.edu.au
au/currentstudents/current_
students/forms/online_forms

Students cannot enrol in units
after the HECS census date, and
you can only withdraw from units
if you make a formal application
to do so.

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                          9
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

≥≥ An app for taking and            6. PREPARING                         If you would like to read
   organising notes such as             FOR CLASSES                       something to prepare for the
   itunes.apple.com/au/app/                                               session, the following texts may
                                    Before the first week of session
   evernote/id281796108?mt=8                                              be useful:
                                    you should access the vUWS site
   or                                                                     ≥≥ Michael Brogan and David
                                    for each of your units. On vUWS
   itunes.apple.com/au/app/                                                  Spencer, Becoming a Lawyer:
                                    you will find a Learning Guide
   dropbox/id327630330?mt=8                                                  Success at Law School (Oxford
                                    for each unit, which provides
   or                                                                        University Press, 3rd ed, 2014)
                                    all relevant information about
   itunes.apple.com/au/app/
                                    the unit, including reading           ≥≥ Claire Macken, Law Student
   google-drive-free-online-
                                    requirements, assessment tasks           Survival Guide: 9 Steps
   storage/id507874739?mt=8
                                    and contacts. You should also            to Law Study Success
≥≥ An app for accessing             access the LawvUWS site, which           (Thomson, 2nd ed, 2010)
   documents and ebooks             provides helpful information
                                                                          ≥≥ Richard Krever, Mastering
   such as itunes.apple.com/        to Law students. There is a
                                                                             Law Studies and Law Exam
   au/app/adobe-reader/             First Year folder specifically for
                                                                             Techniques (LexisNexis,
   id469337564?mt8                  first year students with tips for
                                                                             9th ed, 2016)
   and                              studying Law, details about first
   itunes.apple.com/au/             year events and other relevant        ≥≥ Enid Campbell and Richard
   app/bluefire-reader/             links.                                   Fox, Students’ Guide to Legal
   id394275498?mt=8                                                          Writing and Law Exams and
                                    Once you have read the Learning          Self Assessment (Federation
You may also like to follow the     Guide for each of your units, you        Press, 3rd ed, 2010)
Law School on Twitter               should purchase the required          ≥≥ Anthony Marinac et al,
@Westsydlaw                         textbooks from coop.com.au/              Learning Law (Cambridge
                                    western-sydney-university                University Press, 2018)
For IT assistance, please contact
itservicedesk@westernsydney.                                              ≥≥ survivelaw.com
                                    We recommend that you attend a
edu.au                              Library tour so you can meet the
                                    Law librarians and learn how to
                                    borrow a book, print, photocopy,
                                    and order an item from another
                                    campus. Further information on
                                    the University Library is available
                                    via the MyWestern portal or
                                    library.westernsydney.edu.au

10                                                                                     Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

7. ORIENTATION                        8. STUDENTS ENROLLING
First year Orientation is a               MID-YEAR
wonderful way to meet Law staff       There is no-mid year (Spring)
and fellow Law students, pick up      entry for students in straight Law
a few tips about studying Law         (2501 and 2502), full time or part
and let your hair down before you     time, because the first year units
embark on what is a challenging       must be completed in order. If
few years ahead. It will also equip   you are enrolling in a combined
you with information about how        Law degree mid-year, you should
to successfully manage your           complete some of your non-Law
transition into university life.      units in Spring, and commence
                                      your first year LLB units the
For more information see              following year.
westernsydney.edu.au/starting/
orientation

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                             11
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

During Session

1. WHAT IS EXPECTED                  (generally in the form of readings)   Referencing your work adequately
    OF STUDENTS                       and completing assessments.           is particularly important. A failure
                                      Given the substantial workload        to do so may lead to a claim of
(a) Workload
                                      required in order to successfully     plagiarism, for which significant
Studying at university is very
                                      complete a Law degree, students       penalties may apply – including
different from studying at school.
                                      are strongly advised to keep their    being permanently excluded
At school you may have been
                                      non-university commitments            from the University. Plagiarism
given a lot of direction by your
                                      to a minimum. We recommend            involves submitting or presenting
teachers – how to study, what to
                                      no more than ten hours of non-        work as if it were your own, when
write, where to go for resources
                                      university work a week. If this is    in fact, it is not. It also includes
etc. At university you are
                                      not possible, we recommend that       submitting the same piece of
expected to be an independent
                                      you consider enrolling on a part-     work for two different units.
learner. This means that the
                                      time basis.
onus is on you to enrol correctly,
                                                                            Allowing someone to copy from
complete the work for class and
                                      All Law classes commence in the       you is also academic misconduct.
to find out what is required for
                                      first week of session. Students       You must not feel pressured to
assessment tasks. Some students
                                      are required to attend their          supply a friend with information
struggle with this responsibility,
                                      scheduled classes and be ready        which you know may get you
but the important thing to
                                      to participate in discussions and     into trouble. If you are in this
remember is that the more you
                                      take notes. You should bring the      position, direct your friend to the
put into your university studies,
                                      Learning Guide for each unit, plus    strict policies on plagiarism at
the more you will get out of them.
                                      any notes, textbooks or other         westernsydney.edu.au/policy.
                                      materials posted on vUWS for the      Of course, the same thing applies
In addition to the nature of
                                      relevant class.                       if you find a USB stick or a printed
university study in general, Law
                                                                            paper in the library or computer
is a demanding (and rewarding)
                                      (b) Academic Standards                lab. Don’t look at it! It is not worth it.
degree. It requires reading and
                                      As a university student your
synthesising large amounts
                                      work is expected to comply with       Collusion is another form of
of often difficult materials.
                                      universal academic standards.         academic misconduct for which
Assessment tasks are designed
                                      This means that all work must be      penalties apply. If you have an
to challenge you and they will
                                      well researched and thoroughly        individual assignment, you may
require a significant amount
                                      referenced. The method of             discuss generally with other
of preparation. Students are
                                      referencing legal work is set out     students what the assignment
expected to spend at least ten
                                      in the Australian Guide to Legal      requires you to do, and how you
hours a week studying for each
                                      Citation (AGLC). Students can         are going with it. However, it may
unit – for a full-time course, this
                                      access the current edition of the     be regarded as collusion if you
represents a forty hour week.
                                      AGLC here: law.unimelb.edu.au/        have detailed discussions, look at
These hours are made up of class
                                      mulr/aglc/about                       each other’s drafts or write the
attendance, preparing for class
                                                                            assignment together.
12                                                                                          Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

c) Professional Standards             (including Discussion Boards on      hours chute at the School of Law
It is important for lawyers to        vUWS/study groups on social          building of the relevant campus.
maintain high standards of            media) should ensure that they
professional conduct at all           follow the netiquette guide          Some units will use Grademark,
times. University is a good place     available at: westernsydney.edu.     which enables your teachers to
to practise and develop these         au/tld/home/how_to/how-to_           mark and comment upon your
professional skills. Students         resources/internet_resources/        assignment/essays online. The
are expected to be polite and         outlook_online_netiquette            work will then be returned to you
courteous in their dealings                                                electronically. In other units, your
with members of academic              Inappropriate conduct in online      written work will be marked in
and professional staff, and with      forums can constitute student        hard copy and academic staff will
other students. This extends          misconduct at University:            hand back your assignments in
to behaviour in class, as well as     westernsydney.edu.au/about_          class. If you do not attend class,
online.                               uws/leadership/governance/           your assignment will be placed
                                      student_misconduct_rule              at the Law reception on each
Prior to emailing any member                                               campus for collection.
of staff, you should check to see     (d) Submitting and
whether the information you           Collecting Assignments               (e) Sitting Examinations
need is already available, for        To assist students in recognising    Some units will have a mid-
example, in this Handbook, on         whether their work is adequately     session exam, which will usually
the University website, in the Unit   referenced, all written              be held in class time or on a
Learning Guide or on vUWS. You        assessment tasks must be             Saturday. Please see your Unit’s
must always use your student          submitted electronically via         Learning Guide for more details.
email address to communicate          vUWS and Turnitin – online text-     Final examinations are held during
with the University. All emails       matching software that highlights    the formal exam period, which
should contain full student           similarities between your text and   usually commences two weeks
details, including your full name     another text.                        after the last week of session.
and student number. You should                                             You can find out when the exam
ensure that you address academic      In some units, a hard copy of        period is scheduled, and the exam
staff appropriately (eg Dear Dr,      your assignment must also            timetable, via your MyWestern
Professor, Ms/Mr) in your email       be submitted at the School of        portal westernsydney.edu.au/
correspondence. Academics and         Law. Refer to the assessment         mywestern
professional staff will not respond   information for each unit to find
to emails which do not follow         out what is required.
appropriate email protocol.
                                      Hard copy assignments should
Students who participate in           be deposited in the lecturer’s
online forums of any description      assignment box or in the after

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                          13
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

(f) Assessment Results                 2. WITHDRAWING FROM                  3. STUDENT SUPPORT
Marks for assignments will be              A UNIT                                SERVICES
displayed via the MyGrades page
                                       Sometimes, first year students        One of the best ways to survive
on vUWS. If your mark does
                                       find it difficult to cope with the    and thrive at the University
not appear, contact the Unit
                                       workload of a law degree. This is a   is to become engaged in the
Coordinator for that unit.
                                       marathon-not a sprint. We would       activities on offer. Students who
                                       rather you succeed in 2 or 3 Units    make connections with other
Marks for final exams will be
                                       than be disappointed with your        students feel less isolated and
included in your overall result,
                                       results in 4. If you are finding a    more confident at university,
which is released on a set date
                                       full load of Units challenging, you   which positively impacts on
across the whole University.
                                       might want to consider dropping       their studies. The University
If you are unhappy with your           one. If you do this before 31         has a range of support services
results, you should read the           March 2019 you will not incur any     and initiatives to help students
feedback on your assignment            academic or financial penalty.        settle into university life. Some
or in the case of an exam,                                                   of these are run by the School of
                                       You should consult Student            Law, while others are run by the
seek feedback from the Unit
                                       Central prior to withdrawing          University and are available to all
Coordinator. Having received the
                                       from a Unit, to make sure you         students.
feedback, refer to the Learning
                                       follow the correct procedure:
Guide and consider how you
                                       westernsydney.edu.au/                 Below is an outline of what is
performed against the criteria and
                                       currentstudents/current_              available.
standards outlined. If you are still
                                       students/services_and_
dissatisfied, or you feel some error
                                       facilities/student_central            (a) MATES
has been made, you may consider
                                                                             MATES is a voluntary program
seeking a review of your grade.
                                                                             which provides first year students
This is NOT a re-mark, it is simply    Please also note that you MUST
                                                                             with an opportunity to connect
a decision as to whether there has     study both Fundamentals of
                                                                             with other new students and
been a mistake in the marking or       Australian Law and Criminal Law
                                                                             mentors in later years of study.
calculating process.                   in Autumn semester and Legal
                                                                             This helps new students meet and
                                       Analysis and Critique and Torts
                                                                             network with other students as
                                       in Spring semester. These Units
                                                                             well as gain knowledge and skills
                                       are co-requisites. You cannot drop
                                                                             to settle into life at university.
                                       one and remain enrolled
                                       in the other.                         Every attempt is made to match
                                                                             a participating first year Law
                                                                             student with a later year Law
                                                                             student.

14                                                                                         Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

If you would like to request a      Other events are organised             (f) Individual Consultation
MATE, register at westernsydney.    during the academic year and we        Sandy Noakes, School of Law,
edu.au/currentstudents/             encourage students to attend.          First Year Advisor, is available
current_students/services_          Law school is less daunting when       for individual consultation with
and_facilities/student_welfare_     you have others to talk to.            first year Law students by phone,
services2/mates_@_western                                                  email or face to face. Contact
                                    (d) ‘At Risk’ Program                  s.noakes@westernsydney.edu.
(b) Western Sydney Law              This program is designed to            au or phone 9685 9106.
Students’ Association (WSLSA)       identify and make contact with
The WSLSA is an association         students who may be struggling         (g) Academic Workshops
run by Western Sydney Law           with the workload of university.       and Programs
students. It hosts various events   During your first session, the         If you do not feel confident
throughout the year, including      first year team will monitor your      that your previous studies have
practical legal skills workshops,   attendance and your academic           adequately prepared you for
mooting competitions, careers       results. A senior Law student          studying at university, some free
events, industry competitions       will then contact students who,        academic preparation programs
and socials. The WSLSA has a        through poor attendance or             are available through the
significant presence within the     poor marks, appear to be having        University. There are also several
legal community, both within        difficulties. We are concerned         workshops held throughout the
and outside of the University.      for your welfare and we want to        year to assist you with academic
Their events are always highly      help you succeed in your studies.      reading, writing and researching,
anticipated and very successful.                                           as well as assistance with the
                                    (e) LawvUWS – First Year Folder        University’s computer systems.
Membership is voluntary but         LawvUWS is a general School of
highly recommended. For more        LawvUWS site, which provides           Face-to-face workshops are
information see wslsa.com.au        regularly updated information to       available for academic literacy
                                    students about various aspects         and grammar.
(c) First Year Law Social Events    of their university study. This
Early in the session the WSLSA      includes career opportunities          A series of online workshops are
organises a function for first      and internships, extracurricular       also available including:
year Law students, giving them      activities and social events. This     ≥≥ Online writing and literacy
a chance to meet each other and     site includes a folder dedicated          support (Library Study
senior Law students informally.     to first year Law students. It            Smart) at westernsydney.
Details will be posted on the       provides information relevant to          edu.au/studysmart
LawvUWS site.                       first year students, including tips
                                                                           ≥≥ Library Study Smart Advisors
                                    for settling in to university study,
                                                                              (westernsydney.edu.au/
                                    details about first year events and
                                                                              studysmart/home/find_help/
                                    links to other helpful information.
                                                                              study_smart_advisor_hours)

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                          15
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

≥≥ Returning to Learning           (h) The Peer Assisted Learning        For more information see
   (westernsydney.edu.             (PASS) Program                        westernsydney.edu.au/
   au/currentstudents/             PASS is a program in which a          currentstudents/current_
   current_students/services_      later year Law student provides       students/services_and_
   and_facilities/study_and_       guided study to a study group         facilities/counselling_services
   life_skills_workshops)          made up of first year students.
                                   It is offered to all first year Law   There is also helpful information
≥≥ Introduction to e learning
                                   students in one or more first year    about health and wellbeing
   online workshops
                                   units. More information on PASS       on westernsydney.edu.au/
   (westernsydney.edu.
                                   is provided at Orientation and will   wellbeing_mentalhealth
   au/currentstudents/
   current_students/services_      also be posted on the relevant
                                   first year unit’s vUWS site early     In addition, the Chaplaincy offers
   and_facilities/study_and_
                                   in the session. westernsydney.        a free and confidential service,
   life_skills_workshops)
                                   edu.au/currentstudents/               providing spiritual guidance
≥≥ Study, money and life skills                                          and support. It is available to
                                   current_students/services_
   online workshops and ibooks,                                          people of all faiths and none.
                                   and_facilities/study_and_life_
   (logincms.westernsydney.                                              It also provides facilities for
                                   skills_workshops/pass_-_peer_
   edu.au/currentstudents/                                               meeting, prayer, reflection and
                                   assisted_study_sessions
   current_students/                                                     meditation. For more information
   services_and_facilities/        (i) Counselling                       see westernsydney.edu.au/
   study_and_life_skills_          If you are having personal            currentstudents/current_
   workshops/?a=365511)            difficulties at home, in your         students/services_and_
≥≥ The Desk online learning        relationship or at university, or     facilities/chaplaincy
   (thedesk.org.au)                you otherwise wish to talk to
                                   the University Counsellor, this
See westernsydney.edu.au/          service is offered free of charge
currentstudents/current_           and is entirely confidential. There
students/services_and_facilities   is a counselling service on each
                                   campus and you can request an
                                   appointment by calling
                                   9852 5199 or emailing
                                   counselling@westernsydney.
                                   edu.au

16                                                                                    Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

(j) Disability Support                 (k) Financial, Welfare and         (l) Careers Service
The Disability Service provides        Advocacy Supportt                  Careers can help you with
confidential advice and support        The Student Welfare Service        everything from finding a part-
for students who have a disability     provides professionally trained    time job, placement or internship,
or chronic health condition.           staff to help you work through     through to helping you with
Where a student is affected by         the unexpected problems that       preparing your resume or assisting
a disability or chronic illness, the   sometimes catch you by surprise.   you with career planning and
Disability Service will assist the     Student Welfare staff can assist   development. These free services
student in arranging reasonable        you with advocacy, financial       are available to all current students
adjustments (such as providing         assistance, accommodation          and recent graduates. For more
special equipment or a note            issues, textbook vouchers,         information see westernsydney.
taker or preparing unit materials      sexual health concerns and         edu.au/careers/home/students_
in an alternative format such as       bullying. For more information     grads
Braille). For more information         see westernsydney.edu.au/
see westernsydney.edu.au/              currentstudents/current_
currentstudents/current_               students/services_and_
students/services_and_                 facilities/student_welfare_
facilities/disability_service          services2

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                         17
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

Progression Through
Your Studies

During your years as a
                                    (a) What are the core (compulsory) Law units I will be required to
Law student you may have
                                    complete?
specific questions about the
progression of your studies.
                                    Fundamentals of Australian Law      Government and Public Law
Below is an outline of the
more common questions that          Criminal Law                        Equity & Trusts
students want to know.              Legal Analysis and Critique         Law of Associations
Information about progression in    Torts Law                           Remedies
your particular law course, and     Contracts                           Constitutional Law
the order in which you should
study your Units, can be obtained   Professional Responsibility         Property Law
through the University Handbook:    and Legal Ethics
                                                                        Criminal Procedure and Evidence
handbook.westernsydney.edu.au       Alternative Dispute Resolution
                                                                        Civil Procedure and Arbitration
If the information you need         Administrative Law
is not located here, you can
contact courseadvicelaw@
westernsydney.edu.au.

18                                                                                   Western Sydney University
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

                                                                                                (c) Can I get credit for previous
(b) What alternate (elective) Law units can I do?
                                                                                                studies that I have done?
Advanced Constitutional Law                     International Climate Law                       This is known as ‘Advanced
Advanced Family Law                             International Criminal Law                      Standing’. You can apply for
Advanced Taxation Law                           International Environmental Law                 Advanced Standing through
                                                                                                the School of Law for both Law
Advanced Torts and Civil Wrongs                 International Moot Court                        and non-Law units. To obtain
Advocacy                                        International Trade Law                         Advanced Standing for a Law
Anti-Discrimination Law                         Islam, International Law and                    unit, the previous study must have
                                                Human Rights                                    been part of an accredited law
Australian Competition Law                                                                      degree (this excludes law related
Australian Consumer Law                         Issues in the Criminal Justice System
                                                                                                business degrees, for example).
Banking and Securities Law                      Judicial Internship                             Work experience is not applicable
                                                Jurisprudence                                   to Advanced Standing for Law
Bioethics
                                                                                                units but it may be relevant to
Clinical Legal Placement                        Law Economics and Business Ethics
                                                                                                non-Law units.
Comparative Law: Legal Systems                  Law and Public Policy
of the world                                    (Development and Implementation)                To obtain Advanced Standing
                                                Law of Employment                               you must submit an Advanced
Conflicts of Law
                                                                                                Standing form available at
Corporate Governance                           Law of International Organisations
                                                                                                westernsydney.edu.au/
Cyber Law and Justice                           Law of the Sea                                  currentstudents/current_
                                                Law Honours Dissertation                        students/forms
Elder Law
Elder Law Industry Placement                    Law’s Self Understanding
                                                                                                Once you have submitted the
Family Law                                      Media Law                                       form, the Deputy Dean, will
                                                Mediation                                       determine whether the unit
Family Dispute Resolution
                                                                                                studied at the other university is
Financial Services Law                          Medical Law
                                                                                                sufficiently similar in content to the
First Peoples and the Australian                Mental Health Law                               Western Sydney University unit.
Legal System                                    Moot Court
                                                                                                (d) Can I study a unit at
Foundations of Chinese Law                      Planning and Environment Law
                                                                                                another institution?
Foundations of Indian Law                       Practising in the Public Interest               Students may apply to study a
Human Rights Law                                Public Health Law                               unit at another institution, both
                                                                                                in Australia and overseas (known
Immigration and Refugee Law                     Public International Law
                                                                                                as cross institutional study), if
Independent Study (Law)                         Revenue Law                                     it is a subject that is not offered
Information and Data Governance                 Revenue Law Industry Placement                  at Western Sydney University or
Law and Regulation                                                                              where the student is temporarily
                                                Space Law – Commercial Aspects
                                                                                                moving interstate for a period of
Insolvency Law and Policy                       Work, Health and Safety Law                     time. Students must apply and
Intellectual Property                           Wills and Succession                            obtain permission before they
International Business                                                                          commence the study, otherwise
Transactions Law

Note that not all LLB alternate units are offered every year or on each campus. More information about Units can be found in the Handbook at
handbook.westernsydney.edu.au. For a full list of LLB alternate Units, see: handbook.westernsydney.edu.au/HBOOK/course.aspx?course=2501.9

westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                                                     19
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

they will be required to pay            student pays the Western Sydney        In general, you need an average
up front full fees at the other         University fees rather than the        mark of 70 in your law units at the
institution and risk not being able     fee at the overseas university. You    time you apply to be admitted to
to count this study towards their       can only go on an international        the Honours program, although
Western Sydney University degree.       exchange after you have                students on the cusp of that
If you are granted permission to        completed at least four units and      average are encouraged to
study a unit at another university,     if you have a grade point average      examine the specific admission
you will be granted unspecified         (GPA) of 4.5 out of 7 (effectively     rules set out in the School of Law
credit (i.e. satisfactorily completed   a high pass average). For more         Honours Award Level Guidelines,
or unsatisfactorily completed).         information see westernsydney.         which can be found on the
                                        edu.au/globalmobility or email         Honours in Law website.
For more information and to fill        exchange@westernsydney.edu.au
in the relevant documentation                                                  For more information see
see westernsydney.edu.                  (g) Can I do Honours?                  westernsydney.edu.au/law/
au/currentstudents/                     Honours in Law is a special            school_of_law/honours or email
current_students/forms                  commendation that appears              lawhonours@westernsydney.
                                        on your University degree and          edu.au
(e) Can I enrol in units                academic record. Rather than
over summer?                            ‘B.Laws’ after your name, your         (h) Can I change courses?
The period between Spring and           degree is listed as ‘B.Laws(Hons)’.    The process for changing courses
Autumn sessions is the Summer           It is a distinguishing feature that    depends on which course you
session. In your first year, you        stays with you for life. Completing    are changing to. If you want to
will be ineligible to complete any      your degree with Honours is an         change from a combined degree
Law units in your first Summer          effective way of making you more       to a straight Law degree or to a
Session of study. This is due to        competitive in the job market.         different course within the same
progression requirements and            Anyone wishing to do further           UAC code (such as from Arts/
restrictions. You are however           study should consider doing Law        Law to Social Science/Law), you
eligible to study units for             Honours Dissertation.                  must complete a Course Variation
your second degree (if you                                                     Application. See westernsydney.
are studying a combined Law             Unlike other courses, Honours in       edu.au/currentstudents/
degree). If you want to study up        Law does not require an extra year     current_students/forms
to two units during the summer          of study – Honours takes the place
session, they will be covered by        of two alternate units in your final   If you want to change to a course
HECS just like your other units.        year of study, and is a year long      with a different UAC entry
You enrol into Summer Session           Unit.                                  code you must reapply through
the same way as you enrol for                                                  either MySR or UAC. If you are
Autumn and Spring sessions. See         Students receive training in           successful in changing your course,
westernsydney.edu.au/summer             research methodology and then          you may apply for Advanced
                                        must write a research dissertation     Standing for the units you have
(f) Can I study at a                    of 10,000-12,000 words on a legal      completed in your initial course.
foreign university?                     topic, under the supervision of an
The University enables students to      academic in the School of Law.         For more information see
study either one or two sessions                                               westernsydney.edu.au/
                                        Honours gives students the             currentstudents/current_
overseas at specified universities.
                                        opportunity to further develop         students/enrolment/adding,_
The arrangement between the
                                        and refine their legal research        dropping_and_changing_units
overseas university and Western
                                        and writing skills and to explore      or email courseadvicelaw@
Sydney University, known as
                                        and analyse a legal topic of their     westernsydney.edu.au
international exchange, is that
                                        choice to produce a high quality
the Western Sydney University
                                        piece of academic work.
20                                                                                          Western Sydney University
ROAD
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                                                                                                                                                                                 21 Support
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

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FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

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     westernsydney.edu.au                                                                                                                                                                               23
FIRST YEAR HANDBOOK 2019

                           Western Sydney University
                                Locked Bag 1797
                           Penrith NSW 2751 Australia

                           WESTERNSYDNEY.EDU.AU
24                                                      Western Sydney University
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