The College of Law & Justice offers several clinical legal education programs designed to ensure our students will graduate with practical experience in the field of law.
Our partnerships with the courts, community legal services and industry organisations provide unique exposure to the Victorian justice system.
Get the grounding needed for a real and rewarding career in law with one of our programs.
The College of Law & Justice equips graduates for success in the real world with a world-class moot program.
A moot court is a mock court which simulates the proceedings of a live court room (or a similar dispute resolution setting).
Your participation in the program offers a significant professional advantage by developing your legal skills to be better equipped for practice in the real world.
The Annual Michael Kirby Contract Law Moot Competition is hosted by Victoria Law School in the College of Law and Justice at Victoria University (VU).
This four-day annual competition is open to teams across Australia. It is one of the largest moot court competitions in Australia, and has been running since 2011. It is Australia’s only Contract Law Moot. Winners of this competition win prize money and usually go on to compete in international mooting competitions.
Mooting competitions are regularly offered locally and internationally.
They give you the opportunity match your skills against other students, and are a great way for you to develop fundamental skills to better help your career. By participating in competitions you get a chance to practice what you learn in the classroom.
VU has been successful over the years, including being awarded the winner of the 2014 Shanghai Moot competition, competing against 28 international law schools.
Other successes include finishing in the the top 5% of international law schools in the Vis Moot competition, which included some of the world's best universities such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, the London School of Economics, and the University of Munster.
VU has worked in partnership with WEstjustice since 2010 to establish a variety of clinical legal education programs for our students.
These programs provide you with real life practical experiences, giving you a head start in your legal career.
At this clinic you will gain professional experience alongside specialist family lawyers, working with clients from diverse backgrounds.
You will work across a range of areas including the following organisations:
Tasks are allocated according to the abilities you demonstrate - the the more skill you show, the more complex the work you will be given.
The clinic runs twice a year for a three-month period.
Within the WEstjustice Fines Clinic you will have the opportunity to work as a paralegal. You'll be trained in all aspects of the infringements system and have the opportunity to:
The clinic runs three times per year for a four-month period.
The "Hear Me" program provides legal triage to ensure legal problems are correctly understood and that matters are appropriately supported. This could be an internal referral to a specialist clinic or an external referral.
Attending one day per week for the duration for the three month program, students enhance their professionalism, and written and oral communications skills relevant to working directly with clients.
The clinic is designed to provide practical legal experience and training for students to assist in their professional development and increase their appeal to prospective employers. Given the wide-ranging complexity of legal problems and direct client contact, this is a senior internship and is only open for application by students who have previously completed a WEstjustice internship.
The Sunshine Youth Clinic is a four-month program for law students and operates in partnership with WEstjustice. The program is delivered at Visy Cares Hub, a co-located youth services centre in Sunshine. Visy Cares Hub is jointly funded by Visy Cares, the Australian Government, the City of Brimbank and the Victorian Government.
The centre provides legal guidance, support and advice to young people in the western region between the ages of 15 and 25 years. The areas of assistance include but are not limited to:
Operating from a professional legal practice, you will work with real clients and issues under the supervision of an experienced lawyer. You'll have the opportunity to interview clients, liaise with police and appear in court, gaining practical experience in the justice system as it relates to individuals and communities.
The program runs three times per year for a four-month period.
Our partnership with Victoria Legal Aid Melbourne and Sunshine offers you a unique experience within the following:
The Victoria Legal Aid Duty Lawyer Service (Magistrates' Court) program operates in partnership between the College of Law and Justice and Victoria Legal Aid.
Working with the Victoria Legal Aid Duty Lawyer teams servicing the Magistrates' Courts at Melbourne, Sunshine and Werribee, you'll have the opportunity to develop skills that will make a difference to the lives of real people.
You'll gain valuable grassroots insight into the criminal justice system and experience firsthand the role the Duty Lawyer plays in the Magistrates' Court system.
This program runs three times per year for a four-month period.
Work alongside specialist family lawyers assisting families from diverse backgrounds in a range of working contexts, including:
Under the guidance of the VLA team, you will help people resolve family disputes and achieve safe, workable and enduring care arrangements for children.
The program runs twice a year, for a six-month period.
The Victoria Legal Aid General Clinic offers you the opportunity to work under the direct supervision of Legal Aid lawyers. You'll work with clients from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds on a variety of tasks including:
You'll be exposed to a number of practice areas, including criminal law, family law and infringements (fines).
The clinic runs twice a year for a six-month period.
Under the direct supervision of Legal Aid lawyers in the Sunshine office, you'll work with clients from a range of disadvantaged backgrounds. You'll assist with infringements (fines) and work on a variety of tasks including:
This opportunity is offered twice a year and runs for a six-month period.
Students accepted into the Victoria Legal Aid IVO Program have the opportunity to shadow the IVO lawyer at the Werribee Magistrates’ Court. Students assist in handing out clipboards, ensuring the client has completed the paperwork correctly, copying the client’s IVO’s and shadowing the lawyer.
This program is recommended for students that have gained experience at the Magistrates’ Courts in the Duty Lawyer Service program and are able to maturely observe and assist in often complex personal situations that arise when dealing with cases involving interventions orders.
Students are required to attend one day per week for the duration of the three month program.
The Victoria Police (Prosecutions Division) Program is a ten-week placement with Victoria Police in their Prosecutions Division.
You'll be exposed to the various legal units within Victoria Police and interact with police prosecutors and police lawyers. You'll shadow lawyers/prosecutors at court, attend therapeutic courts, and conduct research tasks and file reviews.
The program is offered twice a year for a period of ten weeks.
The State Trustees Program is your opportunity to gain valuable skills in various areas of law including:
As part of this program you'll conduct research, work on documents and assist State Trustees legal teams. There may be opportunities to attend VCAT with the supervising lawyer.
This program is offered to students four times per year and runs for a twelve week period.
The Young Workers Victoria Clinical Placement offers you the opportunity to assist young workers with employment law issues.
Gain experience interviewing and advising clients on employment-related issues, drafting legal correspondence and researching issues of employment law.
The program runs twice a year during Semester 1 and 2.
The County Court Internship Program is a joint initiative of VU's College of Law & Justice and the County Court. This four-day intensive internship offers you the opportunity to gain experience and insight into the County Court structure and its inner workings.
This program allows you to spend a week with County Court Judge Phillip Misso examining court processes. You'll observe Judge Misso as he undertakes his judicial duties, including conducting research for judgments.
The internship includes daily lectures by a sitting County Court judge. You can also go on a behind the scenes tour of the various areas in the court building, including the Registry and a Judge's chambers. In this program you'll gain a practical and detailed understanding of the how the County Court works, how a file is run from start to finish, and exposure to various court proceedings.
The Supreme Court Internship Program has been developed following the success of the County Court internship program. With the support of the Hon. Justice Maxwell, President Court of Appeal and adjunct professor, VU's College of Law and Justice will be piloting the program with the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.
The program is modelled on the intensive County Court internship program and will offer you a unique opportunity to gain experience and insights into the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal structure and its inner workings.
Current LLB students - For information regarding your legal placement please visit VU Collaborate: COMM – College of Law & Justice Clinical Legal Education Programs (student login required)
For further information about placements in the College of Law & Justice contact:
Pam Christou
Legal Placements Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 3 9919 1007
