Language and Academic Skills in Law

The Language and Academic Skills Adviser, Dr Anthony McCosker, provides individual consultations for graduate research students in the Law School.  Consultations focus on academic skills generally, and research project management skills and thesis writing and English language skills in particular.  These consultations are for all graduate research students and will be most beneficial for ESL and international students, and for research students who have been away from study for some time.

Language and Learning Consultations

Consultations with the Language and Academic Skills Adviser can help you develop the following skills:

• Effective research: including time and project management, reading and note-making skills, academic and thesis conventions
• Legal and thesis writing: including grammar, vocabulary, clarity, structure, critical analysis and appropriate use of sources

An effective way to improve your academic writing is to bring in a written draft of work in progress to a consultation (see the guidelines below).

How to arrange a consultation

Graduate research students (Masters by thesis, PhD, SJD or MPhil) can arrange a consultation through the Office for Research on the mezzanine level GM30, by email: law-research@unimelb.edu.au, telephone: 8344-8946 or by contacting Anthony mccosker@unimelb.edu.au.

Please indicate the type of consultation you would like:

• Standard consultation: ½ hour appointment to discuss language and academic skills such as reading, note-making and research and referencing conventions; time management; oral presentations; writing skills etc; and for referral to resources and planning personal strategies

• Stand consultation, pre-read: ½ hour appointment to develop academic and writing skills with a focus on a specific piece of written work
  
  
  • Please submit work to room 333 no less than 24 hours prior to the arranged consultation.  Include a name and student number on your work

• Drop-in consultation (no booking required): Short consultation to discuss language and academic skill issues, resources and strategies and other short inquiries.  Drop in time is Thursday 9am to 10.30am.
   

NB:  If the Adviser is fully booked and you are unable to drop in at the times above, you can see an adviser at the University's Language and Learning Skills Unit - 723 Swanston Street, phone: 8344 0930.

Where to go for your consultation

Language & Academic Skills consultations in the Law school are held in room 333 in the Legal Academic Skills Centre (LASC). It is on the third floor of the Law building, in the Law Library, (to the right of the Loans Desk).  

Procedures:

Please note that:

• You can book a consultation up to two weeks in advance. Availability may be limited, so it’s best to book early

• You can arrange only one consultation per week

• Students who are not able to attend the Parkville campus of the University can arrange for an email or telephone consultation

• If you wish focus on a piece of writing within a consultation, please submit work to the Language & Academic Skills Adviser, room 333, no less than 24 hours prior to the arranged consultation. Include a name and student number on your work and a copy of assessment details where possible

• A consultation is generally 30 minutes. The adviser will spend up to an hour reading your work prior to the arranged consultation

• Please be punctual – or give 24 hours notice, where possible, if cancelling. Your cooperation will allow another student to use that appointment time

• This is NOT an editing or a proofreading service. When working with a specific piece of writing, the adviser will generally focus on key issues or sections for instructional purposes.