Handbook

LAWS1121 – Legal System and Skills A (‘LSSA’) is a core course for Humanities Pathway Program (Law) students.

The focus of LSSA is to examine the nature of law in Australian society. It teaches about the historical foundations and contemporary workings of the Australian legal system by adopting a critical and contextual approach. Students develop an understanding of law in practice through visiting courts and tribunals, which complements theoretical learning about the Australian common law. Integrated into LSSA is the development of introductory academic skills including critical analysis, oral and written communication, academic literacy, problem-solving and research.

These skills and knowledge are an essential foundation for subsequent core courses for Humanities Pathway Program (Law) students in Term 2 and Term 3.

Main Topics

• Lawyers’ work, skills and knowledge
• History of the Australian legal system
• Australian legal principles and institutions
• Introduction to traditional and critical jurisprudence
• Classification of law
• Sources of law
• The doctrine of precedent, judicial method and judge-made law
• Frameworks for legal thinking, reasoning and legal problem-solving
• Legal citation
• Introduction to legal research through the UNSW Library
• Locating and using secondary legal materials and case law