Course Outline

LAW105 Legal Interpretation and Persuasion

Course Coordinator:Ashley Pearson (apearson@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2026Trimester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

Online You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement.

Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course introduces you to the critical and analytical skills required to study law. You will study logic and methods of argumentation, legal problem solving and critical skills in interpreting and applying both case law and legislation. You will also develop your legal written and oral skills, which will be crucial for your study of law. 

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Online Learning Materials 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On-Campus Mandatory Contact Point during Orientation Week 3hrs Orientation week Once Only
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – On-Campus Tutorial 2hrs Week 2 10 times
Online
Learning materials – Online Learning Materials 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On-Campus Mandatory Contact Point during Orientation Week 3hrs Orientation week Once Only
Tutorial/Workshop 2 – Online Tutorial 2hrs Week 2 10 times

Course Topics

This course focuses on building your critical and analytical skills, and is aligned with your study of LAW100 Introduction to Law to maximise your legal understanding and skill development. Legal Interpretation and Persuasion will enable you to navigate your study of the law by teaching you:

  • The structure of legal authority and how to craft legal arguments (including addressing questions of authority and sources of law, logic, argument, syllogism and legal problem solving)
  • How to read and interpret the law (including theories of interpretation, understanding the law as a process of meaning-making, reading cases and statutory interpretation)
  • The art of legal persuasion (including written persuasion skills and oral presentation and persuasion skills)

What level is this course?

100 Level (Introductory)

Engaging with discipline knowledge and skills at foundational level, broad application of knowledge and skills in familiar contexts and with support. Limited or no prerequisites. Normally, associated with the first full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Understand the structure of legal authority and argumentation Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
2 Develop and utilise critical thinking, analysis, and sound judgement to generate appropriate and practical responses to legal problems and ethical issues. Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
Ethical
Problem solving
3 Develop and demonstrate the ability to apply the techniques of legal interpretation to understand and produce legal meaning. Creative and critical thinker
Empowered
4 Demonstrate effective, persuasive, and contextually appropriate written and oral communication. Empowered
Communication

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Enrolled in UB008 or AD001 or AR013 or AR390 or AR391 or AR392 or AR396 or AR397 or AB310 or AB311

Co-requisites

LAW100

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

Microcredential Information

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Early feedback will be provided in Weeks 2-4 throughout the tutorials.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1a Activity Participation Individual 0%
3 hours
Refer to Format In Class
All 1b Activity Participation Individual 10%
Weekly two-hour tutorials
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) In Class
All 2 Portfolio Individual 50%
2500 Words
Refer to Format Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check and in class
All 3 Oral and Written Piece Individual 40%
1000 Words (worth 20%) 
+ 10 minute oral presentation (worth 20%)
Exam Period Exam Venue
All - Assessment Task 1a:Mandatory Contact Point attendance
Goal:
To successfully complete LAW105 Legal Interpretation and Persuasion and meet the Bachelor of Laws accreditation requirements at UniSC, students must attend in-person and participate in the Mandatory Contact Point held in Orientation Week.
Product: Activity Participation
Authorship Statement:
Format:
In-person attendance during scheduled orientation week activities
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Engagement with course content
1
Generic Skills:
All - Assessment Task 1b:Tutorial Participation
Goal:
To demonstrate consistent and active engagement during tutorials about legal argument, interpretation and persuasion.
Product: Activity Participation
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Oral responses to questions and engagement in discussion within the weekly tutorials.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Applied knowledge of legal language, argumentation and problem solving
1 2
2
Applied knowledge of reading and interpreting the law
3
3
Develop skills in written and oral persuasion
4
Generic Skills:
Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving
All - Assessment Task 2:Portfolio
Goal:
To assess your skills in legal problem-solving, reading, interpretation and communication
Product: Portfolio
Authorship Statement:
Format:
A collection of tasks, including written submissions, peer-review and reflection. Portfolio tasks to be submitted at specific points across Weeks 4 to 11.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Legal Analysis, Problem-Solving and Argumentation
1 2
2
Knowledge and Understanding of case law and the doctrine of precedent
2 3
3
Knowledge and understanding of the principles of statutory interpretation
3
4
Appropriate academic communication
4
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Oral and Written Persuasion Task
Goal:
To assess your knowledge of legal argument, statutory interpretation and skills in written and oral presentation and persuasion.
Product: Oral and Written Piece
Authorship Statement:
Format:
Submission involves two components: a 1,000 word written response through the online submission point in Canvas; a 10minute oral presentation delivered live.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1
Apply legal knowledge effectively to generate appropriate and practical responses to legal problems.
2 3
2
Demonstrate clear and persuasive communication skills
4
Generic Skills:
Communication, Problem solving, Organisation

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Required D Hamer; J Jones; P O'Mara; B Smith; T Taylor 2023 Laying Down the Law, 12th Edition 12 LexisNexis

Specific requirements

To successfully complete LAW105 Legal Interpretation and Persuasion and meet the Bachelor of Laws accreditation requirements at UniSC, students must attend in-person and participate in the Mandatory Contact Point held in Orientation Week. Failure to attend the Mandatory Contact Point will mean that students are not able to pass the course. 

Online options will be offered for all in-trimester classes, in-person attendance is only required for Orientation Week.

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.

The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.  

For other enquiries or to access support, please contact Student Central: