Course overview
The rule of law is the bedrock of our society. For it to function effectively, it is crucial that lawyers adhere to professional ethical conduct. Adhering to professional ethical conduct not only requires compliance with the law and professional conduct rules but also necessitates the ability to recognise and address the ethical dimensions of interactions with courts, clients, and other professionals. The increasing complexity of society, laws, and the digitalisation of legal work has made navigating these professional ethical dimensions of legal practice more challenging, underscoring the need for lawyers to be equipped with a clear set of values to successfully traverse this complex terrain.
This compulsory course meets the accreditation requirements for ethics and professional responsibility. It aims to empower students to recognise and deploy their personal values and conceptions of justice in alignment with the principles underpinning the legal system and professional conduct. Through an immersive, experiential learning approach, the course will equip students to identify, analyse, and address common ethical dilemmas encountered in legal practice while considering the broader context of lawyers’ roles, professional identities, and guiding ethical frameworks. By providing this knowledge and practical skills, the course aims to prepare students to flourish as responsible legal professionals in their future careers as they adapt to the ever-evolving legal landscape.
- Professional Responsibility
- Lawyers' Duties To Clients
- Administration Of Justice
Course learning outcomes
- Explain and apply substantive sources of law and regulation governing lawyers’ professional conduct to complex problem scenarios
- Describe the ethical dimensions of lawyers’ professional conduct through written and verbal communication
- Identify professional and ethical issues encountered in legal practice and critique the substantive legal and statutory standards
- Demonstrate awareness of ethical dilemmas lawyers face when fulfilling their professional duties and analyse the broader context of lawyers ’roles, professional identities, and ethical frameworks
- Reflect on personal values, conceptions of justice, and their implications for legal practice and professional development