Get ahead in your career with a Graduate Certificate in Government Law
UC’s Graduate Certificate in Government Law is an elite program tailored for public sector law professionals and consultants looking for further career success.
Addressing issues at the core of legal practice within the public sector, the program offers advanced insight into government practice in the world of the Cloud, FOI, Public-Private Sector Partnerships, the GDPR and Big Data.
What’s in it for you?
- Gain in depth knowledge of government contracting and procurement, data management law, public sector workplace law and professional practice in government.
- Enhance your understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing professional legal practice in government.
- Learn to navigate the legislation that regulates legal practice in government.
- Develop a broader network of contacts and peers in the sector.
- Better position yourself with the knowledge, skills and credentials for promotion, career progression or service delivery.
Program inclusions
Facilitated by experienced government solicitors
Interactive lectures
Problem-solving workshops
Student presentations
Assessments modeled on workplace tasks
Program units
Data Management Law
This unit provides participants with an in-depth look at areas of law that are critical for legal professionals within or servicing government:
- Privacy
- Freedom of information
- Archives
- Confidentiality
- Open Data
- Secrecy
- Datacrime
Public Sector Workplace Law
This unit provides participants with a detailed analysis of the relevant provisions of the following pieces of legislation:
- Fair Work Act
- Work Health and Safety Act
- Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act
- Public Service Act
- Public Interest Disclosure Act.
Professional Practice in Government
This unit aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the professional practice of government lawyers, reviewing:
- government law and ethics
- public law limitations in practice
- strategies negotiating policy and skills for statutory drafting
- litigation and enforcement in the government context.
Government and Corp Contracting
This unit covers a core of government practice, the procurement and contracting of goods and services, reviewing:
- Commonwealth privileges and immunities
- the Commonwealth procurement framework
- issues in corporate contracting: templates, privacy, confidentiality, IP, liability, indemnities and termination.
Further information
The program
The program has been designed in consultation with members of the Australian Government Lawyers Network, the ACT Law Society Government Law Committee, IP Australia, Canberra Law School and the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis of the University of Canberra.
About Canberra Law School
Canberra Law School is the ACT’s local, professionally focused law school. It is a dynamic school ranked among the top five law schools nationally for generic skills development. Our research is rated as “performance at world standard” by the Australian Research Council (ARC). We provide an outstanding experience for undergraduate and graduate students.
Program facilitators
Canberra Law School integrates the best of academia with the best of practice in high quality teaching teams to ensure that its programs are fit for purpose and provide space for exploration and practice of new skills and thinking. The educators are all seasoned government practitioners with significant academic experience. They are well suited to building the knowledge and skills of participants.
The course will also utilise the skills of current and former APS members to speak on both hot and perennial issues to provide additional insight and value to participants.
UC acknowledges the Ngunnawal people, traditional custodians of the lands where Bruce campus is situated. We wish to acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of Canberra and the region. We also acknowledge all other First Nations Peoples on whose lands we gather.