LA4038 - Legal Ethics and Trust Accounting

Credit points:	03
Year:	2010
Student Contribution Band:	Band 3
Administered by:	School of Law Office

The subject covers the rules of ethics and professional conduct, including the statutory and other requirements for the maintenance of Trust Accounts, that are relevant and required for practice as a member of the legal profession in Queensland.

Learning Outcomes

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the functions, duties and privileges of solicitors and barristers in democratic capitalist society; the structure of the legal profession in Queensland and in other Australian jurisdictions and of the regulatory scheme and specific parts of the scheme, enacted in The Legal Profession Act 2004;
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the meaning and nature of ethics and professionalism and how such forces interact with the practice of law and of the consequences of unethical and unprofessional behaviour;
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the responsibility of lawyers for outcomes based on the processes that they are empowered to initiate as professionals and of key concepts and organising principles which form the basis of ethical practice in law including its political framework, social and gender dynamics, business practices and cultural makeup;
• demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively an understanding of the complex legal and ethical solutions that can arise in the study and practice of law and other professions (generally);the appropriate steps that can and should be taken in advance to avoid these risks; and an understanding of the implications for law reform, policy and practice and the application of law to solve particular problems;
• demonstrate an ability to recognise and suggest solutions to trust account related problems which may arise in legal practice; knowledge and understanding of general accounting principles and the legislative requirements governing the operation of trust accounts in a legal practice setting and to accurately complete all documentation required for the proper operation of a trust account under the relevant legislative requirements.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The ability to find and access information using appropriate media and technologies;
• An understanding of the economic, legal, ethical, social and cultural issues involved in the use of information;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to manage future career and personal development;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to generate, calculate, interpret and communicate numerical information in ways appropriate to a given discipline or discourse;
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams;
• The ability to work individually and independently.

Prerequisites:	(LA2017 or LA1005) and (LA2018 or LA1004) and (LA2020 or LA1012) and LA3013
Inadmissible Subject Combinations:	LA4009 and CO3201

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 25-Mar-2010
Coordinator:	Professor Stephen Graw
Lecturers:	Mr Terence Browne, Mr Bill Mitchell.
Contact hours:	24 hours workshops/Seminars - Legal Ethics Component of the subject (maximum 24 hours contact) 16 hours - Trust Accounts Component of subject (maximum 16 hours contact)
Assessment:	end of semester exam (50%); (50%).
Special Assessment Requirements:	Students must pass both the Legal Ethics component and the Trust Accounts component to receive an overall pass in the subject.
Cairns, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 25-Mar-2010
Coordinator:	Professor Stephen Graw
Lecturers:	Mr Terence Browne, Dr Helen Sungaila, Mr Bill Mitchell.
Contact hours:	24 hours workshops/Seminars - Legal Ethics Component of the subject (maximum 24 hours contact) 16 hours - Trust Accounts Component of subject (maximum 16 hours contact)
Assessment:	end of semester exam (50%); (50%).
Special Assessment Requirements:	Students must pass both the Legal Ethics component and the Trust Accounts component to receive an overall pass in the subject.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.