NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY
LEGAL EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA
WELCOME TO OPEN POLYTECHNIC Whether you are looking to improve your career prospects, or learn something new, we can help you achieve your goal. We specialise in open learning – learning that gives you more freedom to decide what you study and where you study. Our courses are specifically designed for delivery by distance, which means you can fit your study around your life. And just because you are learning by distance, this doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. You will have access to your lecturers by email or phone and to other students studying the same course through the Online Campus, the student support section of our website. It is our goal to make sure that you enjoy your study and that you succeed. So welcome to learning for today’s world, and congratulations on taking up the challenge of further education.
Please note that information contained in this brochure may be subject to change without notice.
Key dates for 2015 Enrolments open for 2015 Enrolments close Academic year begins
1 November 2014 28 February 9 March
Law Society registrations due
March/April
Last day to apply to sit exams
30 June
Last date for late exam applications
31 August
All course work must be with Open Polytechnic
1 October
Exams (dates to be notified) Enrolment period ends
October 31 October
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NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY LEGAL EXECUTIVE DIPLOMA Programme code: OP6600 Level: 6
QUALIFICATION This programme will give you a recognised formal qualification, and practical and theoretical skills that will help you advance your legal career. You will be able to apply for legal executive positions in law offices, banks, accounting and property firms, insurance companies, share-broking firms, local authorities, government departments and state-owned enterprises.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE The diploma is made up of six courses, and you must pass all six to get the qualification. Some courses have prerequisites. A prerequisite is a course you must pass before you can enrol in another course. COURSE
PREREQUISITE
ILS
Introduction to the Legal System
None
LOP
Introduction to Law Office Practice
None
Property Law and Practice
ILS Introduction to the Legal System and LOP Introduction to Law Office Practice
BLP
Business Law and Practice
ILS Introduction to the Legal System and LOP Introduction to Law Office Practice
ELP
Estates Law and Practice
None
LLP
Litigation Law and Practice
None
PLP
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TITLE
FIRST YEAR STUDY If you’re applying to enrol in the diploma for the first time, we recommend you apply for ILS Introduction to the Legal System. Approval must be given by the Academic Registrar for enrolment in more than one course.
QUALIFICATION TIME LIMIT All six courses must be passed within a 10-year period unless the New Zealand Law Society (NZLS) chief examiner is satisfied that a candidate for the qualification has been working for a sufficient period of time in a relevant legal field. You can resit exams for course passes that expire.
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General information ASSESSMENT Each course includes a number of progress reviews that you need to do and send to the lecturer for marking. These do not decide your result, but you must finish them and send them to us by 1 October in the year you sit your examination. Your marks for these assessments become your course mark, which is used by the New Zealand Law Society if you cannot sit your exam and need to be considered for an aegrotat or impaired performance pass. You have the option to submit your assessments online.
EXAMINATIONS Each course has a final examination in October that is run by the New Zealand Law Society (see the last page of this brochure for contact details). When you first enrol in the programme, you also need to register with the Law Society. To do this, you need to fill in and send a registration form to the Law Society along with the one-off fee (usually around $85). Once registered, you will be able to apply to the Law Society to sit your exam. In May we will send you an examination entry form to fill in and send to the Law Society. If you have not received the form by 10 June, contact the programme leader. See the last page of this brochure for contact details. Exam applications usually close on 30 June each year, but the Law Society can accept late applications until 31 August. There is a fee to sit the exam (usually around $140 per course), and there is also a fee for a late exam registration. Exams are held in a number of places throughout New Zealand. If you can’t sit your exam because you are ill or injured, or for any other similar reason, you can apply to the Law Society for an aegrotat pass. The Law Society looks at your course marks from your assessments when it considers your application. You can buy past exam papers from the Law Society.
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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS To enrol in this diploma, you must have one of the following: · a current position in a law firm · previous law firm employment · NCEA Level 2 or equivalent · evidence of successful study at Level 5. If you do not meet any of the above requirements, you will need to provide evidence to the programme leader’s satisfaction, that you have a reasonable likelihood of success. If accepted, you will be approved for enrolment into ILS Introduction to the Legal System and will need to pass the exam before enrolling in further courses in the diploma. ENGLISH LANGUAGE English is the language of study at Open Polytechnic. You will need to be able to read and write well in English so that you can understand course materials and also submit written assessments. There are criteria that must be met if English is not your first language. For more information about English language requirements, please call freephone 0508 650 200 or visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/englishlanguage STUDY TIME Each course will take you about 180–200 hours, or 6–7 hours each week. You need to fit this in between 9 March (when the courses start) and the exams in October. FEES Fees are displayed on each course and qualification page on our website. Visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz and browse our subjects and courses to find the fee information you need.
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NEW ZEALAND STUDENTS A ‘New Zealand student’ is any New Zealand citizen of any age, including students from the Cook Islands, Tokelau or Niue who have New Zealand citizenship; New Zealand permanent residents living in New Zealand; and Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents living in New Zealand. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS International students who are residing in New Zealand and studying part-time must have: · a verified work permit/visa. Please note the expiry date must be after the end date of your course, and either · a Variation of Conditions allowing study at Open Polytechnic, or · a letter of authorisation from your employer (on letterhead) confirming that you need to undertake this training as part of your job. International fees must be paid in full at the time of enrolment. Overseas handling fee If you live overseas, you will need to pay an extra international handling charge. The amount of this fee will depend on where you live. The overseas handling fee will be added to your course fees when you enrol. LOCATION
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CHARGE PER ENROLMENT
Australia
$50
South Pacific region
$70
East Asia and North America
$95
Europe
$105
Rest of the world
$120
SET TEXTS A list of set texts required is on our website at openpolytechnic.ac.nz/textbooks Texts can be bought online via a link on the qualification page on our website. Or you can go to vicbooks.co.nz and click the Open Polytechnic link. For some courses you may need copies of legislation. You can download copies, with rules and regulations, for free from legislation.govt.nz You can use these copies in exams where the Law Society allows you to bring legislation in. Legislation downloaded from databases that includes commentary will not be allowed into exams, except where the exam is designated ‘open book’. Set texts are not available from the Open Polytechnic library. LOANS, ALLOWANCES AND OTHER FUNDING Student loans and allowances are administered by StudyLink. We recommend that you apply for a student loan at least four weeks before the commencement of your study. We cannot confirm your enrolment or send your course materials until your fees have been paid. For more information, or to find out if you’re eligible for a student loan, visit studylink.govt.nz or give StudyLink a call on 0800 88 99 00. Financial assistance We have a fund to help students who are in financial need and have no other option for financial support. This fund is available for course fees and/or set textbooks. Conditions apply. Contact us for more information. See the last page of this brochure for contact details. Scholarships We also offer a range of scholarships to support students. Visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/scholarships for more information.
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ENROLMENT You can apply to enrol online from our website. Visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/howtoenrol for more information. You will be advised if additional information is needed to progress your application, and you can usually complete this online during the application process. Enrolments for 2015 open on 1 November 2014 and close on 28 February 2015. Your enrolment finishes on 31 October 2015 (after the exams). We can consider late enrolment applications, but these are subject to approval by the programme leader. If you’re applying to enrol in the diploma for the first time, we recommend you apply for ILS Introduction to the Legal System. Approval must be given by the Academic Registrar for enrolment in more than one course in your first year of study. If you need help deciding what course to enrol in, contact the programme leader. See the last page of this brochure for contact details. Because we often revise our courses during the break between academic years, you may not receive your study materials until just before the start of the teaching year, in March. Recognising your previous learning Both the Law Society and Open Polytechnic recognise that you may have already done some study relevant to this programme or that you might have relevant work experience. If you have recently passed the New Zealand Diploma in Business course 510 Introduction to Commercial Law or another similar course, you can apply to the Law Society for exemption from ILS Introduction to the Legal System. If you have done relevant, full-time legal work for 10 years or more, you can apply to the Law Society for exemption from LOP Introduction to Law Office Practice.
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LEARNING SUPPORT Your lecturer You will have a lecturer for each course you study. They are there to help you through the course work, make sure you have understood the study material and check your progress. You can contact them on our freephone or by email, fax or letter. Their contact details will be in the information we send you when you enrol. Legal Executive Diploma Programme Guide This booklet contains important information to assist you with your learning. A copy will be sent to you after your enrolment is confirmed. Please read it and keep it handy to refer to during the year. Te W¯ahanga Whakapakari Ako (The Learning Centre) Te Wahanga ¯ Whakapakari Ako (The Learning Centre) can help you with a wide range of learning support services and resources. These include: · tips and techniques to help you succeed in online and distance learning · one-to-one consultations with a learning advisor (telephone or email) · StudyWise and ExamWise which are free online study and exam preparation workshops · disability services · a student mentoring programme. For more information visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/learningsupport Te Kura W¯ananga (The M¯aori Office) Te Kura Wananga ¯ (The Maori ¯ Office) can help you with your learning and cultural needs in a kaupapa Maori ¯ context. We use Maori ¯ values and principles to enhance your learning journey. For more information visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/maorisupport
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Student information You can find current enrolment and study information on our website including details of our systems and processes and the services we offer. Visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/studywithus to find out more. My Open Polytechnic My Open Polytechnic is our online portal for our students. With My Open Polytechnic you can: · update your details · view your study information · track the status of your materials · access your assessment submission deadlines, marks and final grades for each course · check your account balance · access Online Campus and the library. Once you’re enrolled, you can also keep track of your study information on the go with the My Open Polytechnic smartphone app called My OP. To download the app, search for ‘My OP’ on the App Store (Apple iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android smartphone). These come pre-installed on your smartphone. Online Campus Online Campus is the area of our website where you can: · access and submit assessments · link to web pages specific to your course, including frequently asked questions (FAQ), assessment hints, web resources, staff information and sometimes online quizzes and tutorials · communicate with other students in your course and with your lecturer or tutor · access the library.
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Library We provide a library service for students. There is no additional fee for using it. The library service provides: 路 online resources 路 guides on how to search for information 路 a distance lending service with free and fast delivery 路 information about study techniques. For more information about the library visit openpolytechnic.ac.nz/oplibrary
Further study We offer a range of legal studies courses, including some that are part of the New Zealand Diploma in Business and the Bachelor of Business. For more information about these programmes, visit our website or contact us.
CROSS-CREDIT TOWARDS THE BACHELOR OF BUSINESS (UNSPECIFIED MAJOR) If you have completed the New Zealand Law Society Legal Executive Diploma (Level 6) you may apply to be awarded the following courses as cross-credits towards the Bachelor of Business (unspecified major): COURSE CODE
COURSE
LEVEL
71110
Introduction to Commercial Law
5
71199
Unspecified credit
5
71296
Unspecified credit
6
71297
Unspecified credit
6
71298
Unspecified credit
6
71299
Unspecified credit
6
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To complete a Bachelor of Business (unspecified) major, you need to pass the following eight core courses: COURSE CODE
COURSE
LEVEL
71100
Accounting
5
71120
The Economic Environment
5
71130
Organisations and Management
5
72140
Business Communication
5
71155
Business Computing
5
72160
Statistical Analysis
5
71203
Business Ethics
6
71245
Organisational Behaviour
6
And 4 courses at Level 7 from the following: COURSE CODE
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COURSE
LEVEL
71332
Quality Management
7
71333
Strategic HR Applications
7
71338
Managing Change
7
71340
Strategic Management
7
71353
Project Management
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Contact us Website: openpolytechnic.ac.nz Freephone: 0508 650 200 Overseas phone: +64 4 913 5300 Email: customerservices@openpolytechnic.ac.nz Private Bag 31914 Lower Hutt 5040 New Zealand If you have more questions or want to talk over your study options, contact: Legal Executive Diploma Programme Leader Email: legalexecutive@openpolytechnic.ac.nz Freephone: 0508 650 200
OTHER USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS New Zealand Law Society Website: lawsociety.org.nz Phone: 04 463 2987 Email: elizabeth.berry@lawsociety.org.nz StudyLink Website: studylink.govt.nz Freephone: 0800 889 900
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Freephone 0508 650 200 Overseas phone +64 4 913 5300 openpolytechnic.ac.nz Private Bag 31914 路 Lower Hutt 5040 New Zealand