Assessor Resource

DEFDPL007
Provide high-level support on legal assistance matters

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


This unit specifies the skills and knowledge required to provide high-level support on legal assistance matters within a Defence legal environment. This includes knowledge of Defence military law.

It includes planning and preparing to provide support, clarifying complex legal issues and performing legal research. It also includes preparing complex legal documents and finalising matters.

This unit applies to Defence personnel who are required to provide highlevel paralegal support services.

The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to.

Persons undertaking this unit work mostly independently while part of a team, and perform routine and complex tasks. They work with limited supervision, with identified approval authorities. They apply solutions to a variety of predictable and complex problems, in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Plan and prepare to provide high-level support on legal assistance support

1.1

Receive high-level task instructions

1.2

Analyse task requirements and identify task legal issues

2

Clarify legal issues

2.1

Review and clarify task legal issues with instructing legal officer

2.2

Obtain additional information as required to address task requirements

2.3

Clearly outline paralegal legal limits of responsibility to stakeholders and establish clear responsibilities with client in accordance with operational procedures

3

Perform legal research

3.1

Conduct legal research to meet task requirements

3.2

Analyse and document information gathered in accordance with task requirements

4

Prepare legal documents

4.1

Prepare required legal documents for task consultation with instructing legal officer

4.2

Review prepared legal documents with instructing legal officer and amend as required

5

Finalise matter

5.1

Finalise legal documents in accordance with task and organisational requirements

5.2

Communicate task outcomes to stakeholders, as required

5.3

Update file notes and place outcomes on file in accordance with operating guidelines

5.4

Appropriately store and secure task file

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and include:

communicating effectively on complex legal matters

coordinating with instructing legal officer to prepare for complex trial or service discipline proceedings

ensuring trial/tribunal and post-trial/tribunal administration is completed in accordance with legal and operational procedures

implementing written and oral instructions to prepare effective complex briefs

preparing and processing documents involved in complex criminal law matters

preparing legal documents to support legal assistance matters

preparing summaries of cases in complex legal matters

providing appropriate support on complex legal assistance matters

undertaking analysis of information to determine status and value

undertaking complex research to support instructing legal officer.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

complex legal practices and procedures

criminal law matters, legal assistance matters and service discipline proceedings

Defence Force Discipline Act (DFDA) and related legislation

legal terminology relevant to both simple and complex legal matters

relationship between trials and tribunals, and potential impacts on legal proceedings

relevant legal practices and procedures

relevant legal process, documents and exhibits, legislation and sections, and stages involved in the legal process

summary hearing/court/tribunal processes and their relevance to paralegal operational procedures

trials and service discipline proceedings and their relevance to paralegal operational procedures.

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations where it is appropriate to do so; where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in simulated workplace operational situations that replicate workplace conditions.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Resources for assessment must include access to:

a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulations

relevant and appropriate materials, tools and equipment currently used in industry

applicable documentation including operational procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1

Plan and prepare to provide high-level support on legal assistance support

1.1

Receive high-level task instructions

1.2

Analyse task requirements and identify task legal issues

2

Clarify legal issues

2.1

Review and clarify task legal issues with instructing legal officer

2.2

Obtain additional information as required to address task requirements

2.3

Clearly outline paralegal legal limits of responsibility to stakeholders and establish clear responsibilities with client in accordance with operational procedures

3

Perform legal research

3.1

Conduct legal research to meet task requirements

3.2

Analyse and document information gathered in accordance with task requirements

4

Prepare legal documents

4.1

Prepare required legal documents for task consultation with instructing legal officer

4.2

Review prepared legal documents with instructing legal officer and amend as required

5

Finalise matter

5.1

Finalise legal documents in accordance with task and organisational requirements

5.2

Communicate task outcomes to stakeholders, as required

5.3

Update file notes and place outcomes on file in accordance with operating guidelines

5.4

Appropriately store and secure task file

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and include:

communicating effectively on complex legal matters

coordinating with instructing legal officer to prepare for complex trial or service discipline proceedings

ensuring trial/tribunal and post-trial/tribunal administration is completed in accordance with legal and operational procedures

implementing written and oral instructions to prepare effective complex briefs

preparing and processing documents involved in complex criminal law matters

preparing legal documents to support legal assistance matters

preparing summaries of cases in complex legal matters

providing appropriate support on complex legal assistance matters

undertaking analysis of information to determine status and value

undertaking complex research to support instructing legal officer.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

complex legal practices and procedures

criminal law matters, legal assistance matters and service discipline proceedings

Defence Force Discipline Act (DFDA) and related legislation

legal terminology relevant to both simple and complex legal matters

relationship between trials and tribunals, and potential impacts on legal proceedings

relevant legal practices and procedures

relevant legal process, documents and exhibits, legislation and sections, and stages involved in the legal process

summary hearing/court/tribunal processes and their relevance to paralegal operational procedures

trials and service discipline proceedings and their relevance to paralegal operational procedures.

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations where it is appropriate to do so; where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in simulated workplace operational situations that replicate workplace conditions.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Resources for assessment must include access to:

a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulations

relevant and appropriate materials, tools and equipment currently used in industry

applicable documentation including operational procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Receive high-level task instructions 
Analyse task requirements and identify task legal issues 
Review and clarify task legal issues with instructing legal officer 
Obtain additional information as required to address task requirements 
Clearly outline paralegal legal limits of responsibility to stakeholders and establish clear responsibilities with client in accordance with operational procedures 
Conduct legal research to meet task requirements 
Analyse and document information gathered in accordance with task requirements 
Prepare required legal documents for task consultation with instructing legal officer 
Review prepared legal documents with instructing legal officer and amend as required 
Finalise legal documents in accordance with task and organisational requirements 
Communicate task outcomes to stakeholders, as required 
Update file notes and place outcomes on file in accordance with operating guidelines 
Appropriately store and secure task file 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

DEFDPL007 - Provide high-level support on legal assistance matters
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

DEFDPL007 - Provide high-level support on legal assistance matters

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: