Units

You are here

Legal Research Methods

On this page

This is a foundation unit for law students and for students studying in the justice professions. This unit of study involves three related areas - understanding legal discourse, application of legal research skills and developing legal literacy. Each focus area is delivered and assessed by a different strategy. Like any discipline, law uses its own language and media forms and mastering these is a lifelong task. Legal authorities must be recorded in a certain official format and discussion about these rules systems takes certain shape, using conventional modes of expression. Law is fundamentally concerned with written text and this unit introduces a variety of genres within legal texts and encourages students to develop critical legal reading and comprehension strategies.

Unit details

  • Location:
  • College:
    College of Law and Justice
  • Study level:
    Undergraduate
  • Credit points ?
    12
  • Unit code
    BLB1114
Back to top

Prerequisites

Nil.

Back to top

Assessment

Assessment typeDescriptionGrade
ReportReflective Tutorial Paper (1000 words)30%
Research PaperResearch Folio (3500 words)70%
Back to top

Required reading

The Law Workbook 3rd edn
Beattie S, 2010
Sydney, Federation Press

Talking Legal Literacies
Beattie S, 2010
Available from legalliteracies.org

Back to top

Where to next?

If you are interested in this unit as part of a course, refer to our how to apply page to find out more about our application process.

If you are a current VU student, you may be able to enrol in this unit as an elective.

  • Contact the College of Law and Justice to see if you are able to take the unit.

You can also contact us directly:

  • Ring us on +61 3 9919 6100
  • Find answers and ask questions at GOTOVU

VU takes care to ensure the accuracy of this unit information, but reserves the right to change or withdraw courses offered at any time. Please check that unit information is current with the Student Contact Centre.

Back to top

How to apply

Already a VU student?

You may be able to enrol in this unit as an elective.

For more info contact the
College of Law and Justice

Courses this unit belongs to