Frequently Asked Questions

Listed below, are the answers to various commonly asked questions by students. It is important to check this page first, prior to contacting staff for information, as you might find you can quickly resolve your query using the answers below.

• Admission to Practice (Dean's Certificate)
• Appeals (Unhappy with an Academic decision? Wish to appeal?)
• Appointments with staff
• Assignments
• Broken Furniture
• Contacting Staff
• Complaints Against Staff or Students
• Curriculum Changes (Degree Restructure)**
• Examinations (& Supplementary Examinations)
• First Aid
• Law Students Society
• Office Hours
• Phone calls to staff
• Photocopying and Printing
• Stationery Supplies

ADMISSION TO PRACTICE (DEAN'S CERTIFICATE)

Q. What is a Dean's Certificate?

A. A Dean's Certifcate is required by the Courts when you are applying for admission to practice.

Q. Who do I contact to obtain one?

A. The Dean's Executive Assistant.

Q. Is there a charge?

A. YES. A standard turn-around (3 days) costs $25. An express certificate costs $30. Payment is via Cheque, Money Order or Cash. Unfortunately we do not provide credit card facilities.

Q. Victoria requires an Academic and Student Misconduct Report - how do I obtain one of those?

A. Submit a form with payment.

Q. How do I apply?

A. You must complete a form.

Q. What's the turn-around time for obtaining a Dean's Certificate/Conduct Report?

A. A standard application can take up to a week. An express is usually completed between one and two days.

Q. I am applying in Victoria and they require an Official Academic transcript to be submitted with my application. How do I obtain one?

A. You must contact the Student Centre and order one. Request that it is sent via internal mail to the Dean's Office. It will then be included and posted directly to the Board of Examiners at the Supreme Court of Victoria together with the certificate.

APPEALS (Student Appeals)

Q. If I am unhappy with an Academic decision - eg. I have applied for a Medical Supplementary and it has been rejected - is there an appeal process?

A. Yes. The Law School has an Academic Appeals Committee for instances such as this. Please explain your appeal in writing and submit in conjunction with any other supporting paper work you may have. Appeals should be directed to the Appeals Committee Secretary.

ASSIGNMENTS - Submission and Collection

Q. What time are assignments due?

A. Assignments are due by 2.00pm on the due date unless the Course Coordinator specifies otherwise.

Q. How do I submit an assignment?

A. Assignments must have a coversheet (available in the foyer) with all details correctly completed. The due date must be stamped and signed.

Q. Can I fudge putting an assignment in late?

A. NO. Office staff know the deadlines for assignments, and collect assignments from the assignment slot on time. Any assignments received after 2.00pm (or the designated deadline time), will be marked late and the Course Coordinator will be notified.

Q. How do I know my assignment is ready for collection?

A. You will be notified via email, MyUni, or student notices. If advice is not received by one of these methods, then your assignment is NOT ready for collection.

Q. Can I call/email/contact the Front Office staff to find out how my assignment is proceeding and when I can collect it?

A. NO. (Refer to the above answer.)

Q. Can I authorise someone else to collect my assignment? A friend, relative or fellow student?

A. YES. You may loan the person your student ID card which they can present upon collection of your assignment.

Q. Can the Front Office staff tell me my result over the phone?

A. NO. It is against School policy and with over 1600 students enrolled, it is also ineffective.

Q. Can I submit my assignment via Fax?

A. NO. Each assignment MUST be date stamped. Transmission problems could prevent the assignment being receieved.

BROKEN FURNITURE

Q. There is broken furniture in my tutorial room. Who do I report it to?

A. Please report any broken furniture to the Law School Front Office staff as it is an Occupational Health & Safety hazard.

COMPLAINTS & COMMENDATIONS: STAFF or STUDENTS

Please refer any complaints or commendations regarding staff or students to the Dean's Office. All correspondence will be handled confidentially.

CURRICULUM RESTRUCTURE

Q1. Am I required to do Legal Research and Writing in semester 2, 2008?

You are required to complete Legal Research and Writing in semester 2, 2008 if you are going to complete Civil and Criminal Procedure in 2009.

Q2. Can I count Income Tax Law III from my Commerce studies towards my law program?

If you completed Income Tax Law III as a 4 unit course then this can count in lieu of 4 law elective units. If from 2010 you complete Income Tax Law III as a 3 unit course then this can count in lieu of 3 law elective units. Students cannot then present Tax and the Revenue Concept, Capital Gains Tax or Revenue Law towards their LLB as well.

Q3. I am a transition student and I want to take advantage of the new curriculum rules. Do I have to complete the course Principles of Public Law?

There are 3 different scenarios:

• a) If students have studied Australian Constitutional Law and Administrative Law (old curriculum) then they are not required to do Principles of Public Law.

• b) If students have studied Australian Constitutional Law (old curriculum) but not Administrative Law then they must complete the New Administrative Law as well as "Transition Course - Principles of Administrative Law".

• c) If students have studied Administrative Law (old curriculum) but not Australian Constitutional Law then the must complete New Australian Constitutional Law and Principles of Public Law.

Q4. I have completed 80 units of my degree and I want to use the new curriculum rules and the new Automatic Honours system.  Can I only count 72 units towards my GPA calculation?

No, all courses completed will be counted. It is not possible to disregard any units.

Q5. If I want to graduate under the new rules, can I still get automatic honours with a 5.0 GPA?

No, in accepting the new rules, you graduate with the entirety of the new rules which includes the new automatic honours calculations.

Q6. How do I calculate my GPA?

A spreadsheet for calculating your GPA can be found on the Automatic Honours webpage http://law.adelaide.edu.au/student/honours/auto/.

Q7. Can you please advise if it is correct that Law of Contract 2 is not necessary for double degree students to study?

In the new curriculum Law of Contract 1 is being replaced by a course called Contracts.  Contracts will also cover some of the information currently taught in Law of Contract 2 but none that are essential for admittance. What this means is that Law of Contract 2 is a sensible choice still but in the event that you do not complete it you will not be required to complete Contracts as it is considered that what you will have studied in Law of Contract 1 is sufficient for admittance.

Q8.I have studied Law of Torts 1 in 2008, do I need to complete Law of Torts 2?

All students enrolled in Law from 2007 onwards MUST complete Law of Torts 1 and Law of Torts 2.

Students enrolled in Law prior to 2007 and who completed Law of Torts 1 in 2007 or 2008 have a choice:

• If you wish to graduate under the old curriculum, Law of Torts 2 continues to be optional

OR

• If you wish to graduate under the new curriculum you MUST complete Law of Torts 2. 

Students who completed Law of Torts in 2006 or earlier are not required to complete Law of Torts 2 as a compulsory course under either curriculum. 

Q9.Will my fees be increased because of the new curriculum?

Fees are not linked to the changes.  The changes to the curriculum are rule changes and are not directly linked to the fee structure.  For information and advice on fees please see http://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/finance/

Q10. I am a double degree student, how do the changes in the curriculum affect my non law degree?

The rule changes in Law do not affect your other non law degree however your revised study pattern may.  Once you have revised your study pattern for Law you will need to seek course advice from your non law Faculty.  The Law School will be publishing Transition Study Patterns in the coming months which will help with your planning.

Q11. I have completed my compulsory courses and in total 76 units. I wish to graduate with the new curriculum and only need 72 units to graduate. Does this mean for the 4 units I am over I will be charged at the Non-Award rate?

You will not be financial disadvantaged if you are over the 72 units but equal to or under 84 units.  However if you are a current double degree or graduate entry student and study over the 84 units, the additional units are charged at the non award rate.  For current single degree law students who study over the required 96 units, the additional units are charged at the non award rate.

Q12.  At the end of semester 2, 2008 I will have completed all the requirements of my degree however I want to graduate under the new curriculum rules in 2009. What do I do now?

You will need to update your expected to graduate date in Access Adelaide.  At some point you will be contacted by the Law School and asked to advise us which rules you are graduating under so please check your emails regularly.

Q13.  What are the advantages of the new curriculum over the old curriculum?

This is really a question for each individual student to answer.  Depending on your situation you may find one curriculum is better for you or you will benefit from either system.  It is really a matter of personal preference and which one is best suited to your situation.

EXAMINATIONS & SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATIONS

QU1. I'm going away during the Examination period. Can I arrange to sit my examination one week earlier?

Students are advised NOT to make any plans to leave Adelaide during the Primary and Supplementary Examinations periods.

Special examinations can be arranged when exceptional and unforseen circumstances exist. An administration charge of $110 per course (incl GST) will be charged to students sitting such special examinations. Students must also meet any further costs associated with the examination supervision and mailing.

To apply:

Students must apply in writing (supplying all supporting documentation) to sit an exam with alternative arrangements. The application should be submitted to the Examinations Officer, Ms Panita Hirunboot, Rm 1.07 Ligertwood. The application will be assessed by the Student Applications Officer. The student will be advised of the outcome of their application in writing.

Under no circumstances will a student be granted a special or supplementary examination on the grounds of misreading or failing to read the timetable.

FIRST AID

Q. Can the First Aid Officer Supply me with Panadol?

A. NO. Please obtain it from your local pharmacist or supermarket.

Q. How do I contact the Law School First Aid Officer?

A. First Aid Officer details.

LAW STUDENTS' SOCIETY (LSS)

Q. Where is the Law Students' Society located? How can I contact them? How do I pay for tickets for LSS functions?

A. The Law Students' Society is located in Room 3.31 of the Ligertwood building. The contact phone number is 08) 8303 4678 and most information can be found via the link to the LSS website. The Law Students' Society is responsible for all its own functions, sales and promotions. The General Office staff at the Law School DO NOT assist. Please contact the LSS for anything LSS related.

OFFICE HOURS

The Front Office is open Monday to Thursday 10.00am to 5pm, and Fridays 10.00am to 2pm.

PHONE CALLS TO STAFF

Q. Can I contact both professional staff and academic staff directly?

A. Yes. Go to Law Staff page for contact details or check the Photo Directory Board in the front foyer of the Ligertwood building.

Q. Should I call the Front Office staff to be connected to a staff member?

A. No. Go to Law Staff page and contact staff directly.

Q. Can I leave messages for Academic staff with Professional staff?

A. No. It is recommended students leave messages for staff via voicemail or email.

Q. Can I make appointments to see administrative staff?

A. Yes. Appointments are generally preferred.

Q. How do I make an appointment to see the Student Advisor?

A. Appointments are necessary. Please make an appointment via the Front Office staff who manage the Student Advisor's diary.

Q. What are the contact hours for Academic staff?

A. Academic staff generally display their individual contact hours on their office doors and sometimes on MyUni. Many Academic staff also prefer to see students via appointment.

PHOTOCOPYING AND PRINTING

Q. Can I request Front Office staff to photocopy documents for me?

A. If the photocopying relates to an application for supplementary examination or a letter regarding enrolment issues, etc, then - YES. However, if the photocopying is personal or relates to documents you need to copy for your study, then - NO.

Q. Can I request Front Office staff print documents for me?

A. NO. Printing facilities are available in the Law Library or the Student Computer suite (Room 1.15 Ligertwood building.)

Q. Where can I collect/purchase my course materials from?

A. Unless you are informed via a notice, please collect/buy your materials from the Image and Copy Centre.

STATIONERY SUPPLIES

Q. Does the Front Office have a stapler I can use?

A. YES.

Q. Who do I report computing problems to?

A. Contact the ITS Helpdesk via internal phone: x33000 or email.