First Year - Court Observation Assignment (1 Viewer)

[Dave2007]

So... we have our first assignment, court observation, to do during midsem break, and I think it deserves a thread (perhaps I'm wrong and deserve a ban though :burn.

So, a few things to discuss -

* How are you meant to make a deep and meaningful analysis of a court observation in under 800 words?

* For later year students, what are the best courts in the city/east to go to (in terms of being interesting, and not being a hassle to get in)?

* What types of observation assignments do people tend to do?: Very specific things, like the varying treatment of witnesses, with a lot of comparative examples - or more general things like how the judge acts, or the mood of the court, with personal observations?

* Do law students make far too big a deal about assessments, even going to the extent of posting on the internet about them?

 

[Bobness]

* Do law students make far too big a deal about assessments, even going to the extent of posting on the internet about them?

Yes. Especially first years.

And just remember my reply to your last post

I'll most likely wipe the floor with you, like waiting servant Blaise Miller in a generic Victorian prose fiction, if you should choose to major in English

Program Code 4760 !!

Also, this is the first time (in at least a couple of years, my 4th year friends did not do this) that they have set the court observation assignment, so it's best to ask your lecturer exactly what he/she wants in this assessment.

Suffice to say, USYD finished this assessment just this week, so if you have any friends from there, it may be best to ask them.

 

[Sound&Fury]

I'm a first year too, but I've asked around a bit. I can't say that I'm sure though...

* How are you meant to make a deep and meaningful analysis of a court observation in under 800 words?

I don't think it's meant to be so meticulous. The assignment sheet does say that it's only meant to be a "short report" and "an outline of the cases you observed". I don't think it's meant to be too fancy or anything; we've barely started Foundations anyway. Just a personal reflection discussing what we observed in relation to the course readings or other sources like the news should be enough, I think...

By the way, according to the sheet it's only supposed to be 500 words.

* For later year students, what are the best courts in the city/east to go to (in terms of being interesting, and not being a hassle to get in)?

A number of people (my tutor and some older students) have recommended that I should visit the Local Courts and/or District Courts in the Downing Centre, which is around the south-western side of Hyde Park. Generally, it's better to go to the lower courts because it's much harder to understand what's going on in the Supreme Court or other superior courts.

I disregarded this advice and went to the Supreme Court terrorism trial at Parramatta though. It was awesome (there 30 barristers in the courtroom!), but difficult to understand the proceedings. Still, it'll make a good point of comparison with other courts.

* What types of observation assignments do people tend to do?: Very specific things, like the varying treatment of witnesses, with a lot of comparative examples - or more general things like how the judge acts, or the mood of the court, with personal observations?

I dunno about this one, but given how individual the responses will be, it probably won't matter as long as you make reasonable points.

* Do law students make far too big a deal about assessments, even going to the extent of posting on the internet about them?

Haha, probably...

 

[mitsui]

so i have done my report.
way over the limit, but still didn't manage to cover everything in depth.
I feel like i have only just answer every dot pts in that assignment sheets.
ie.
expected, unexpected, interesting and comparison.

anyone on the same boat?

 

[beentherdunthat]

She saidddddddddd that it's just to see that you went to court, and what you learnt it from it. So if it was dull. write that it was dull.

and also. it's meant to be 500 WORDS AND THEY HAVE MACHINES THAT COUNT THE WORDS . OMG .

 

[mitsui]

yea. I am gonna have to cut the words.

I pretty much wrote about how I felt, not the case itself.

Beentheredunthat: 'she?" When is ur 1052 class? LOL