Handbook

Course overview

The RACS Clinic is an experiential learning program in which students gain practical experience in refugee law practice, while critically reflecting on best practice legal service delivery methods.

Attending the clinic through attendance at RACS, students have significant responsibility working for, or in collaboration with, individual clients, under RACS’ supervision. The clinic’s casework and projects involve speaking with and directly assisting RACS’ clients under supervision. Students will be interacting with RACS volunteers including barristers, lawyers and volunteer interpreters.

The clinic’s partners include our community partners including the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, Auburn Community Centre, Settlement Services Parramatta. Attendance with RACS two days per week students will be expected to see RACS clients at these outreach locations and also to attend our Randwick office totaling two days each week.

Topics to be covered

The topics to be covered in the course will include:

1. The Australian refugee status determination process

2. Ethical legal practice

3. Working with clients and partners from culturally diverse backgrounds

4. Working with interpreters

5. Working with traumatized clients

6. File management

7. Community engagement

8. Law reform