Outline

Overview

This unit of study is offered annually under the supervision of a member of the academic staff of Sydney Law School and the Law Publishing Manager. The unit is limited to 10 students per semester and enrolment is by way of departmental permission on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants must have a minimum WAM of 70 and be in their final year of study. Each student will complete a range of tasks with respect to the Sydney Law Review, including copyediting and reference checking a submission, writing a review note (for assessment purposes only) and writing a case note or law reform essay for assessment and potential publication. The writing of the case note/law reform essay is under the supervision of a member of the academic staff of Sydney Law School. Students selected for this unit must be prepared to serve for six months, so that duties may start before, and may continue after, the formal teaching and examination period.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	LAWS5165
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Jacqueline Mowbray, jacqueline.mowbray@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Essay (80%) Law review essay or case note	0%	Formal exam period Due date: 21 Nov 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 31 Dec 2025	6000 words / 10 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Essay presentation (non-graded) Oral presentation of essay topic	0%	Multiple weeks	5-10 minutes	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Meeting attendance (non-graded) Meeting participation	0%	Multiple weeks	3 group meetings and one Board meeting	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Group B: Copy-editing exercise (non-graded) This exercise involves the copy-editing of content that will be published	0%	Week 04 Due date: 25 Aug 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	1–2 pages / 2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Group A: Critical review (20%) Written report that critically reviews an article	0%	Week 04 Due date: 25 Aug 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	1000 words / 2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Group C: Copy-editing exercise (non-graded) This exercise involves the copy-editing of content that will be published	0%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	1–2 pages/ 2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Group B: Critical review (20%) Written report that critically reviews an article	0%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	1000 words / 2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Group A: Copy-editing exercise (non- graded) This exercise involves the copy-editing of content that will be published	0%	Week 11 Due date: 21 Oct 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	1–2 pages / 2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Group C: Critical review (20%) Written report that critically reviews an article	0%	Week 11 Due date: 21 Oct 2025 at 16:00 Closing date: 30 Nov 2025	1000 words / 2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Essay (6000 words) 80%: Students are to critically evaluate a recent piece of law reform or a recent case (generally an important decision of the High Court of Australia). Your essay should include an abstract of up to 150 words. A bibliography is not required. NB: The abstract and footnote citations as well as acknowledgements of assistance from editors, automated writing tools or generative AI are not included in the word count (but discursive text in footnotes is included).

Examples of published case notes and law reform essays can be found in previous issues of the Sydney Law Review (SLR). The submission due date is on Friday, 21 November 2025 at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time). Details as to the topic and the supervisor must be emailed to the Unit of Study Coordinator by Friday, 12 September 2025 at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time).

Critical review (1000 words maximum) 20%: Each student undertakes a critical review of an article submitted for publication in the SLR. Examples of critical reviews (ie referee reports) will be distributed in the first meeting. For the critical review and copy-editing exercise, you will be allocated to one of three groups. The group lists will be published on Canvas. The groups will alternate in completing this and the copy-editing exercise. The tasks will be emailed to your University of Sydney email address at 4:00pm on the distribution date (Group A: Monday, 11 August 2025; Group B: Monday 8 September and Group C: Tuesday, 7 October 2025) and are due respectively on Group A: Monday, 25 August 2025; Group B: Monday, 22 September 2025 and Group C: Tuesday 21 October 2025. All tasks are due at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time).

Copy-editing exercise (non- graded): Each student must complete a copy-editing exercise in relation to journal content. You will be required to copy-edit content that has been accepted for publication or may be published in the SLR. No mark is allocated to this task but it must be completed to a satisfactory standard. In addition to submitting your marked-up copy-edit of the article you are allotted, you must include an editing report of approximately 1–2 pages, summarising the edits you have made to the article. The editing report will assist the Publishing Manager in assessing the changes you have made and your thinking behind them. The articles will be distributed to each group at 4:00pm on the distribution date. The distribution dates are: Group A: Tuesday 7 October 2025; Group B: Monday 11 August 2025 and Group C: Monday 8 September 2025 and are due respectively on Group A: Tuesday 21 October 2025; Group B: Monday, 25 August 2025 and Group C: Monday 22 September 2025. All tasks are due at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time).

Meeting attendance (non-graded): Each student must attend one allocated meeting of the SLR Editorial Board. No mark is allotted to attendance but attendance is mandatory. Meeting dates will be advised as soon as they have been finalised with the Editorial Board. Students will be allocated to attend a particular meeting.

Essay presentation (non-graded): In addition, students must make a presentation of their essay topic. The presentation must be completed to a satisfactory standard in order to complete the unit. The essay topic presentations are informal (5-10 minutes, oral only, no PowerPoint slides) and are designed to give you an opportunity to share the details of your topic with the rest of the group and to get some feedback on the topic.

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for the essay is as described in the "Essay" description above.

Referencing: The Sydney Law School expects you to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition, 2018) for your footnoting style, although you should confirm this with your lecturer. A link to the library website where this is set out comprehensively is available at Referencing and Citation Styles: AGLC4.

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate.

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	• Completely answers the question. • Contains striking originality of approach or analysis. • Demonstrates exhaustive or innovative research (where independent research required). • Exceptionally well written, structured and expressed. • Is otherwise exceptional in some way.
Distinction	75 - 84	• Completely answers the question. • Achieves a critical and evaluative approach to the issues. • Content and structure is well organised in support of the argument. • Demonstrates extensive research and analysis to support a well-documented argument. • Generally well expressed and free from errors. • Has a clear structure and is well articulated.
Credit	65 - 74	• Covers main issues fairly well in answering the question. • Contains no significant errors • Demonstrates an attempted critical approach to the issues. • Demonstrates reasonably sound research and analysis in addressing the key issues. • Has a clear structure and reasonably clear expression.
Pass	50 - 64	• Identifies the key issues, but does not follow through with a reasoned argument. • Contains some significant errors. • Displays satisfactory engagement with the key issues. • Offers descriptive summary of material relevant to the question. • Superficial use of material, and may display a tendency to paraphrase. • Demonstrates little evidence of in-depth research or analysis. • Adequate expression. • Overall, demonstrates the minimum level of competence in the assessment and satisfies the requirements to proceed to higher-level studies in the degree or subject area.
Fail	0 - 49	• Does not answer the question. • Contains significant or numerous errors. • Few or no identifiable arguments. • Content that is inappropriate or irrelevant. • Lack of research or analysis. • Difficult or impossible to understand through poor grammar, expression or structure. • Overall, does not demonstrate the minimum level of competence in the assessment.

Guide to Grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late submission of a piece of assessment, without an approved extension, will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment per calendar day or part thereof. For example, a submission after the due time specified in the assessment summary but by 11:59pm on the due date will attract a 10% penalty. A submission after midnight of the due date will attract a 20% penalty. A submission on the following day after midnight will attract a 30% penalty, and so on. Penalties for late submission will be applied strictly, subject to a 10 minute grace period.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Attending meeting of Sydney Law Review Board	Practical (1 hr)
Ongoing	Copy-editing exercise	Independent study (7 hr)
	Critical review	Independent study (8 hr)
	Law reform essay or case note	Independent study (17 hr)
Week 01	Introduction and editing skills	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Topic presentations	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Topic presentations	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend three meetings with the unit coordinator plus one meeting of the Sydney Law Review Editorial Board to satisfy the pass requirements for this unit of study. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an Absent Fail grade being recorded as the student’s result for this unit (see The University of Sydney Law School Resolutions: Coursework Awards cl 11).

Essay assignment: Students are required to find a member of the academic staff to act as supervisor for their long essay. The role of the supervisor is to provide initial assistance to the student by making suggestions as an appropriate topic and useful starting places for reading and research. They may also provide ongoing advice as the work progresses. Students are responsible for ensuring that they arrange their supervision in adequate time having regard to the due dates for assessment. The Academic Convenor will mark all essays for the Unit of Study. The assessment of the copy-editing exercise will be undertaken by the Convenor with advice from the Publishing Manager. Please note, due to the iterative and consultative nature of these assessment tasks, anonymous marking may not be practical or achievable.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

The Sydney Law Review is edited in compliance with the latest edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed, 2018), which can be accessed via the University of Sydney Library and/or online at https://law.unimelb.edu.au/mulr/aglc.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate competence in reviewing scholarly work
LO2. demonstrate competence in editing scholarly work
LO3. demonstrate the ability to develop a novel contribution to scholarly literature on an aspect of law
LO4. undertake independent research into aspects of law
LO5. demonstrate the ability to develop an original argument on an aspect of law
LO6. produce an extended piece of legal writing based on extensive research into a chosen topic
LO7. explain the processes involved in producing a peer-reviewed scholarly journal and the place of journal publication within the legal publishing landscape

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Due to scheduling difficulties for some students when we started the unit prior to week 1, we have pushed the timing of seminars and assessments back, so we do not commence the unit prior to week 1.

Additional information

Resources - Sydney Law Students

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

LAWS3465: Sydney Law Review

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links