Succeeding in class participation

Top tips for effective class participation in your Law & Justice courses

Published on the 18 February 2025

See types of class participation assessments (L&J)

At the Faculty of Law & Justice, you are expected to participate in class. Class participation is fundamental to our teaching model and is generally assessed. Further, class participation helps you to develop the soft skills required as a lawyer in the real world.

Class participation requires effective communication skills, as well as a range of other skills. As Moodley observes, “effective communication goes beyond merely speaking or writing clearly to convey a message”:

...it extends to our ability to actively listen, show empathy, build rapport, and respond in ways that are aligned with the desired goal(s) to be achieved.

Developing communication skills is a core learning outcome for our law programs. We expect you to graduate with demonstrable oral communication skills, including empathetic listening, inter-personal skills and the ability to communicate cross-culturally. These skills are vital for working in the legal profession. No matter the circumstances, there will always be the need for an "expert trusted adviser". You are expected to communicate "with integrity and in strict confidence" and "in a highly tailored, customised and personalised way".

Even if you decide not to enter the legal profession, effective communication and interpersonal skills are highly valued by employers. By participating in class, you refine these core skills and continue to become more job-ready.

What to keep in mind for class participation in Law & Justice

You are expected to do required readings before class. If you prepare well for class, you will feel more confident participating.
Under the Faculty’s teaching model, “meaningful learning takes place in an environment in partnership with others”, including with peers and the teacher:
- The teacher’s role is to “moderate the peer discussion and feedback” in a safe, respectful, supportive and non-judgmental environment.
- Your role is to prepare for class and actively listen and engage with your peers and the teacher. This will help you understand the course content and develop key communication and interpersonal skills.
You are part of a learning community and your behaviour in the classroom impacts others.
Class participation is generally an assessable component of Law & Justice courses and may be assessed differently from course to course.

See types of class participation assessments (L&J)

Classroom etiquette summary

Give it a go, but don’t dominate!

Do
Don't

Have a go and participate; this will build your confidence.
Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/ contribute to the topic?
Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information.
Speak clearly and articulately. Don't whisper even if you're feeling uncertain about your ideas or language. Do let your lecturer know at the start of the term if any accommodations need to be made as they are here to help.
Respect the contribution of other speakers.
Listen carefully to the ideas of other speakers; you will learn something from different perspectives.
Learn to disagree politely.
Respect differing views.
Be aware of your body language. Keep it open and friendly.

If you are a confident speaker, try not to dominate the discussion. Pause to allow quieter students a chance to contribute.
Don’t add unnecessary comments for the sake of class participation.
Don't interrupt or talk over another speaker. Let them finish their point before you start. Listening to others earns you the right to be heard.
Don't take offence if another speaker disagrees with you. Putting forward different points of view is an important part of any discussion. Others may disagree with your ideas, and they are entitled to do so.

If you need a reasonable adjustment to support your class participation, please contact Equitable Learning Services.

This guide is informed by research undertaken at UNSW relating to Improving the Student Experience of Class Participation: iRECS 5101 (Dr Bostock, Dr Rowe, Dr Gooi). The practical tips in this guide have been adapted from an original document developed by UNSW Academic Skills. We thank the UNSW Student Law Society for their feedback on this guide.

References

R Moodley, ‘Soft Skills in Dispute Resolution’ in Michael Legg (ed), Resolving Civil Disputes (Lexis Nexis, 2nd ed, 2024) 424, 425.

R Susskind, Tomorrow’s Lawyers (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 2023) 188.

A Steel et al, ‘Class Participation as a Learning and Assessment Strategy in Law: Facilitating Students' Engagement, Skills Development and Deep Learning’ (2013) 36(1) UNSW Law Journal 30, 36, 42.

K Rocca, ‘Student Participation in the College Classroom: An Extended Multidisciplinary Literature Review’ (2010) 59(2) Communication Education 185.

H Tushar and N Sooraksa, ‘Global Employability Skills in the 21st Century Workplace: A Semi-systematic Literature Review’ (2023) 9(11) Heliyon.