Class participation (Non-weighted): Candidates’ interaction with their peers in scholarly contexts is an essential component of LAWS7001 and involves preparing for seminars in advance by completing set readings, leading discussion, eliciting the experiences and opinions of others, and soliciting solutions to common issues.

Candidate’s participation demonstrates their ability to communicate (ULO3) and requires them to leverage peer support in addressing issues (ULO2).  

Thesis re-statement task (10%): Candidates must re-state their thesis's core argument and describe its structure, in a maximum 1000-word outline. This outline is due at 6.00PM Wednesday 28 August 2024 (Sydney, Australia time) and must be submitted via Canvas. Further instructions and guidance will be provided in class. 

The thesis restatement asks candidates to apply the conventions of academic and legal writing (ULO3) to developing and sustaining an argument (ULO2). 

Plain writing task (10%): Candidates are required to rewrite a maximum 500-word excerpt, concentrating on clarity while maintaining accuracy and ensuring the original meaning and stance is retained. The excerpt will be released to candidates at 9.00AM 09 October 2024 (Sydney, Australia time) on the unit Canvas site and is due at 6.00PM 16 October 2024 (Sydney, Australia time) and must be submitted via Canvas. Further instructions and guidance will be provided in class. 

Rewriting the excerpt supports candidates to highlight a main argument (ULO2), apply academic and legal writing skills (ULO 3) 

Core Argument chapter draft (80%): There are two [2] parts to this assessment task: 

1. A short (non-weighted, maximum 250 words) synopsis of what is proposed in terms of the thesis chapter. This must be submitted for approval before 8.00PM 30 October 2024 (Sydney, Australia time) and must be submitted via Canvas. 
2. The principal assessment task in this unit is to prepare a near-complete draft of a thesis chapter that best articulates the basis of a candidate’s core argument, its relationship to previous research, and the structure of the analysis. This late draft is due by 8.00PM on 28 March 2025.   

Further instructions and guidance will be provided in class. 

This task aims to encourage deep-level substantive work on issues at the core of the thesis topic (ULO1, ULO2) and communicate the core argument professionally and in scholarly contexts (ULO3, UL4). 

Word Count penalty: No word count penalties apply. Assessment tasks are tailored to a candidate's core argument chapter or involve short tasks (thesis restatement and plain language tasks) requiring economy of language.

Use of editors or proof-readers: In completing unsupervised assessments, students may use editors, proof-readers, and automated writing tools (including translation software, grammar checkers, reference generators and artificial intelligence), provided that all use is acknowledged and consistent with University policies and procedures including Academic Integrity Policy. Acknowledgment must be made in writing on the front of the work submitted for assessment, or in an appropriate footnote or other reference, and state the name of the person or software.  

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.