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Course

Special Elective: Hong Kong Refugee Law Clinic - LAWS3971

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Units of Credit: 12

EFTSL: 0.25000 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 4

Enrolment Requirements:

Pre-requisite: Crime & Criminal Process (LAWS1021/JURD7121) & Criminal Laws (LAWS1022/JURD7122) OR Crim. Law 1 (LAWS1001/JURD7101) & Crim. Law 2 (LAWS1011/JURD7111). Co-requisite: Litigation 1 [LAWS2311/ JURD7211] OR Res. Civil Disp. (LAWS2371/JURD7271)

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

The Hong Kong Refugee Law Clinic is offered to law students at University of New South Wales in partnership with the Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre (HKRAC). HKRAC provides general advice and legal aid to asylum-seekers and refugees in Hong Kong. The Clinic provides law students the opportunity to learn both the theory and practice of domestic and international refugee law under the direct supervision of HKRAC’s Head of Clinical Programs. Students are given substantial responsibility in the provision of legal advice and representation to HKRAC’s asylum seeker clients applying for refugee status before the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Students are also each allocated a substantive refugee law research question which they work on throughout the programme.

The Clinic course takes place in Hong Kong throughout University of New South Wales’ summer period. Prior to travelling to Hong Kong students receive content-specific and skills training such as interviewing and working with survivors of torture and trauma, which is supplemented by additional training on site. The course runs for approximately 6 weeks, and students are expected to work at the Clinic during business hours Monday to Friday each week. Students receive 12 units of credits for the course.

Application information can be found on the Faculty of Law Hong Kong Refugee Law Clinic page.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

Students must be fluent in English, and preference will be given to students who have completed previous courses in refugee law and who have prior legal work experience (such as through volunteering at a Community Legal Centre, undertaking an internship or clinic, or through paralegal work).

Course Objectives

The Clinic is intended to fulfil five main objectives:
  • To instruct students in the theory and practice of domestic and international refugee law.
  • To give students an opportunity to develop and apply their professional skills and professional ethics.
  • To encourage critical analysis of the law, the legal system, clients’ place in the legal system and the lawyer’s role, particularly in an international context.
  • To provide service for unmet legal needs of vulnerable members of the community.
  • To cultivate a pro-bono ethic and long-term commitment to public service.

Assessment

Students are graded for this subject - Pass, Fail, Credit or Distinction.

HKRAC will assess students based on the following factors:

Weekly Seminar: Students are expected to consistently attend weekly seminars and actively participate in the seminars, which include:
  1. Role-playing exercises.
  2. Presentation of client casework.
  3. Discussion about case strategy and research.
  4. Discussion about assigned readings.
  5. Interviewing skills exercises.
Students are expected to write regular reflection pieces, which consider the skills they have learned, the issues they have faced and their observations. Each student meets with the HKRAC Head of Clinical Programs at the end of the semester for an evaluation of the student’s performance. Students are expected to give a thoughtful written analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the course and of their own experience.
Clinical Work: The following elements are considered in evaluating a student’s clinical work:
  1. Professionalism, attentiveness and responsibility to client and cases. NOTE: Students are expected to arrive to client appointments five minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time. If a student arrives late to an appointment, the student will not be allowed to enter that appointment. If a student arrives late to three appointments, the student will not be allowed to continue in the course and will not receive any credit for the course.
  2. Quality of written work, including intake reports, client testimonies, legal briefs and research memos.
  3. Development of legal and factual research, including the student’s legal research memo presented at the end of the semester.
  4. Preparation for and performance at client interviews.

Course Texts

To be advised in the course outline.
Blooming Flowers

Study Levels

Undergraduate Study Postgraudate Study Postgraduate Research Study Non-Award Study

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