Course coordinator
Dr Rebecca Wallis
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Law School
The course provides students with the opportunity to gain practical legal skills and undertake a legal workplace experience that complements and deepens their coursework learning in the LLB(Hons) program.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course is a semester-long, work-integrated (clinical) legal placement. Students should bring to this course a commitment to learning from their supervisors and peers.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
All Level 1 and 2 LAWS courses + LAWS3700 + LAWS3705 + permission from Head of School
Restrictions
LLB(Hons) and LLB(Hons) duals. Quota: minimum of 5 enrolments; maximum of 20 enrolments.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Rebecca Wallis
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
Education Mission Statement
The mission of the School of Law is to educate you in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.
Course Aims
LAWS5114 Legal Internships offers selected students in the Bachelor of Laws (Hons) LLB and the Bachelor of Laws (Hons) LLB dual degree programs the opportunity to gain practical legal experience in a professional setting. Through this course, students apply their legal knowledge in real-world contexts, develop professional skills, and reflect on their emerging professional identity. Because internship opportunities are limited, entry into the course is competitive and by application.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand professional legal practice through engaging directly in legally-oriented work.
LO2.
Understand and critically appreciate the role and value of lawyering in the context of the organisation where the internship is completed.
LO3.
Understand the practice dimensions of the particular legal area relevant to the internship.
LO4.
Have greater insight into their own learning and professional identity.
LO5.
Bring critical insight into some of the challenges and opportunities facing lawyers and/or organisations and the social, financial, and legal frameworks within which they operate.
LO6.
A deeper understanding of, and increased capacity to engage with, law, policy and reform in the area of the internship.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Attendance at Placement (150 hours) AND Attendance at 3 x Teaching Workshops
|
MANDATORY |
16/02/2026 - 25/05/2026 |
| Reflection |
Student Learning Plan
|
MANDATORY |
13/03/2026 2:00 pm |
| Reflection |
Reflective Journal
|
MANDATORY |
29/05/2026 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Attendance at Placement (150 hours) AND Attendance at 3 x Teaching Workshops
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- MANDATORY
- Due date
16/02/2026 - 25/05/2026
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Attendance is an inherent requirement of this course. Students are expected to attend their placement for a total of 150 hours throughout the semester, including any induction or debriefing sessions required by their supervising organisation. Attendance will be verified with supervising organisations. Students are also required to attend and participate in three (3) x 2 hour in-person teaching workshops held throughout semester. These workshops will be held in Week 2, Week 6, and Week 13 of semester - exact time and location TBC (Details will be provided on Blackboard).
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct .
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Student Learning Plan
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- MANDATORY
- Due date
13/03/2026 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L04
Task description
Students are required to complete a Student Learning Plan which provides details of their placement arrangements, an overview of relevant tasks and activities they anticipate being involved with during the placement, and a brief reflection on their learning goals for the semester arising from the placement opportunity. A template will be provided on Blackboard for students to complete and this can also be used as a basis for discussion with placement supervisors, as appropriate.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Learning Plans must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
The maximum extension for an assessment item due within the semester / teaching period in which the course is offered is 7 days. In exceptional circumstances, an extension may be approved for a further 7 days. Where a student is incapacitated for a period longer than 14 days, they are advised to apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure.
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through my.UQ as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than one calendar day after the assessment task submission due date and time. Requests for extensions received after the application due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Decision-Maker Tables in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to determine whether to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Reflective Journal
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- MANDATORY
- Due date
29/05/2026 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Students are required to submit a reflective journal covering a range of topics, including an assessment of the placement experience against their original learning plan, a reflection on activities/insights gained from each of the 3 x teaching workshops, and a thoughtful review of how the placement experience developed their understanding of professional practice and their own career goals and development. A detailed task sheet with prompt questions will be available to students on the Blackboard site to guide reflective responses.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Reflective Journals must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
The maximum extension for an assessment item due within the semester / teaching period in which the course is offered is 7 days. In exceptional circumstances, an extension may be approved for a further 7 days. Where a student is incapacitated for a period longer than 14 days, they are advised to apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure.
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through my.UQ as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than one calendar day after the assessment task submission due date and time. Requests for extensions received after the application due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Decision-Maker Tables in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to determine whether to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Pass/Fails | Description |
|---|---|
| Pass |
Course grade description: Students must: - demonstrate satisfactory performance at their placement and in research/writing work - demonstrate development over the semester of relevant legal skills - attend placement for the required 150 hours (including any mandatory placement induction and debrief sessions), unless they have a reasonable excuse (such as illness) - attend each of the 3 x 2-hour teaching workshops, unless they have a reasonable excuse (such as illness); - complete the required assessment tasks to a reasonable standard - demonstrate good communication skills, - treat (and talk about) clients, supervisors, and colleagues with respect, professionalism, and due deference. The Course Coordinator will liaise with placement supervisors to seek input on performance standards as appropriate. |
| Fail |
Course grade description: Students will fail this course if they: - fail to attend placement for 150 hours (including any mandatory induction or debrief sessions), without reasonable excuse; - fail to attend each of the 3 x 2 hour teaching workshops, without reasonable excuse - fail to complete the required assessment tasks to a reasonable standard - fail to demonstrate any development of relevant legal skills over the course of the semester; - treat any client, supervisor or colleague with contempt, disrespect or discourtesy; - fail to complete work set by the placement supervisor without reasonable excuse The Course Coordinator will liaise with placement supervisors to seek input on performance standards as appropriate. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From O-week To Week 13 |
Placement |
Placement (150 hours) Students are required to attend their placement and engage with required tasks and activities, as agreed with supervising organisation, for total of 150 hours through semester. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 2 (02 Mar - 08 Mar) |
Workshop |
Workshop One: Reflecting on Career Pathways and Preparing for the Workplace Workshop One will be held in Week 2 of semester (exact time and place TBC). Attendance is required and must be in-person. If exceptional circumstances arise that prevent you from attending, you must contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible and provide appropriate documentation in support (e.g. a medical certificate). The 2-hour workshop will cover a range of topics and activities designed to help you finalise your Learning Plan, prepare for your placement, and critically reflect on your learning goals and on the development of your professional skills. Learning outcomes: L02, L04 |
Week 6 (30 Mar - 05 Apr) |
Workshop |
Workshop Two: Developing as a Professional Workshop Two will be held in Week 6 of semester (exact time and place TBC). Attendance is required and must be in-person. If exceptional circumstances arise that prevent you from attending, you must contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible and provide appropriate documentation in support (e.g. a medical certificate). The 2-hour workshop is designed to assist you to reflect on your development to date. A focus of the workshop will be on dealing with challenges in professional contexts, such as managing time, communicating through conflict, and reflecting on the ethical and social contexts within which lawyering takes place. Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05 |
Week 13 (25 May - 31 May) |
Workshop |
Workshop Three: Reflecting on the Placement Experience and Revisiting Career Pathways Workshop Three will be held in Week 13 of semester (exact time and place TBC). Attendance is required and must be in-person. If exceptional circumstances arise that prevent you from attending, you must contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible and provide appropriate documentation in support (e.g. a medical certificate). The 2-hour workshop is designed to assist you to reflect on your placement experience and to use your insights to plan your future professional development and career pathway. The workshop will assist you to complete your final Reflective Journal assessment item, due at the end of week 13. Learning outcomes: L02, L04, L05, L06 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: