SOLS10001: Law In Society

1xmid sem research assignment (40%), 1xgroup presentation (10%) [more on this in comments], take home eoy exam (50%). Minimum hurdle of 75% tutorial attendance.

Artsy law. I’m not trying to offend anyone, but I refer to this subject as ‘artsy’ simply because it is so heavily based on subjectivity. It has no direct relation to statutes and their application to specific cases, rather, it analyses the system and explores how it both addresses harm and can be a form of harm.

Lectures/Lecturer: The content you go through in the lectures is generally an overview of the topic you focus on for the week. This is usually linked with a major theme and both are explored concurrently. Dave will go through some situations that link with the theme, and this material is usually expanded upon in tutes. This said, you could probably pass this subject without going to lectures.

Content: The topics covered were interesting, especially controversial contemporary issues such as asylum seekers. It also went through things such as how and why new law is formed (which could then be linked to all of the other topics). It was interesting to realise that some of the topics I thought were very one-sided (such as torture) were not, and in this sense this subject expands on your views and challenges you to see issues from more than one angle. Some of the topics were closely interlinked, and there was a strong emphasis on these links and then how these actually extended throughout the whole course.

Assessments: 1. Group presentation (10%): This is referred to as ‘a written exercise of 500 words due early in the semester’ in the handbook, but the actual assessment is more on the presentation, and isn’t necessarily going to be ‘early in the sem’. Basically people in the tute pick a topic that they’re interested in, and in the corresponding tute after the topic is covered in lectures, two/three people group up and give a presentation. It isn’t hard to get a good mark, as long as you discuss the topic in depth and attempt to engage the audience.
2. Mid-sem Research Essay (40%): The major piece of assessment. 2000 word essay on a prompt you could pick from a list. You can liken this to a context piece from VCE English. There is no correct contention; rather, you have to critically analyse the topic and explore it in detail through your arguments. We were encouraged to research other sources for ideas, but my tutor said he wouldn’t deduct marks for not using external resources. Referencing is very strictly marked.
3. Exam (50%): Very similar to the research essay in all aspects, except you’re given the prompts at the start of the exam period and have a one week deadline. It was fine to use sources outside of the readings, but I would suggest against it, since time is of the essence. Referencing is again really important.

Tutes/Readings: Tutorials were good in that they explored ideas more broadly, and there was some new content that wasn’t discussed in lectures. You could reinforce your understanding by participating in the discussions, and the tutor often challenged some of the typical views people had. Some readings were also very interesting, although these weren’t really discussed in tutorials. Hence, although we were told to do the readings before going to tutes, you could probably get off by not doing them. Regardless, if you are someone like me who is stubborn and reads every last prescribed reading, then they are the part of the course that will take up the most time.

Overall: At first, I thought this would be a good breadth to take because I enjoy discussions and controversial ideas, and this indeed was the case, however, the actual assessment of the subject dimmed my enjoyment.
Not only is there no real way to study for this subject, your scores depend strongly on how strict a marker your tutor is, and the marking rubric is bad. Because the content is so subjective and there are only two major assessments, a clear marking scheme is really important, but is missing.
At this stage, I don’t really see the significance of this subject and how the exploration of law and these issues can help, since there are no answers to anything. Basically, what you ‘learn’ is that everything is subjective, and you need to be open-minded. Also not so sure about how useful this ‘knowledge’ would be for the practice of law itself. Or maybe I’m just harsh and arts isn’t for me.
If you are competent in writing deep essays and can reference well, I guess this subject would be good because it has a quite low work-load. You can do well with average effort, but a H1 will require higher exponential effort, imo.
If anyone wants the subject guide or has any further questions, feel free to drop a PM.

Yes.

Dave McDonald.

None.

2/5

Reading pack of all required readings for the subject, which are also available in online pdf version. Probably best to buy the book which costs ~$15 so you can annotate/highlight and save the trouble of printing the readings yourself.

2x1hr lecture, 1x1hr tute.

2013, Semester 2.

10% Group Report (+500 word report summary), 40% Mid-term Essay, 50% Take-home Essay Exam
NOTE: I believe for Semester 2 2014 they will change it to 50% Mid-term Essay, 40% Take-home Essay Exam

I had no idea at all about this breadth subject but I gave it a try (the schedule fits well on my timetable). I find it very interesting because the subject matter is quite confronting - topics include terrorism and torture, female genital mutilation, payback, child sexualisation, same sex marriage, etc. Nevertheless, it challenges the mind to question your point of view on the role that law plays in society.

There are about 3-4 cases per topic, which Dave summarises pretty well. The group report is easy peasy - providing a 10-minute summary on the cases of the assigned topic including the group's insight. Tutorials are very interactive and if you really like to speak your mind - this is a good subject for you.

The midterm essay (2000 words) requires extensive research about a certain topic (you choose that topic from a given list). The final take-home essay (1500 words) is done during the exam period and is just like the midterm essay except you don't have to do much research. These essays assess on how well you identify the main issue, and how you construct and explain your arguments.
Although some may feel that the subject matter goes against their principles (some people feel that way) this subject does not aim to change one's beliefs. Rather, the aim is to enhance critical thinking and instil open-mindedness. I recommend this subject for everyone.

Yes with screen capture

Dave McDonald

N/A

4.5 out of 5

SOLS10001 Reading Compilation at the Coop. It's good to buy one because it contains all the readings throughout the semester, although the PDF versions are uploaded on the LMS.

2x 1-hour lecture, 1x 1-hour tutorial
NOTE: Hurdle requirement minimum 75% tutorial attendance

Semester 2 2013

H1