This unit introduces students to theories of law, including accounts of the nature and purpose of law, the importance of the rule of law, the interaction of law and morality, the duty to obey law, and the determinacy of law. The unit also examines the wider social context of law from the perspectives of gender, race, and class.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Interpret and evaluate major theories of law through group activities such as discussion and role plays toward a conceptual understanding of the legal profession and law's place in society;
2. Critique case law, legislation and legal processes through persuasive research and writing tasks in preparation for a career in ethically-minded legal practice, law reform advocacy, or policy formation;
3. Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to current legal issues through case studies; and
4. Establish strong theoretical foundations for further study in law subject units, graduate research, and lifelong education.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - use Indigenous histories and traditional ecological knowledge to develop and augment understanding of their discipline

Prerequisites

11251 Foundations of Law and Justice

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

11440 Legal Theory PG

Equivalent units

7046 Legal Theory

Assumed knowledge

None.