General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6174 / JDOC6174 |
| Course name: | Family Mediation |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
Using a combination of lecture, discussion, demonstration and simulation, Family Mediation will present students with the theory and practice of family mediation, including: a basic grounding in the practice and theories of mediation, an understanding of the many variations of how mediation is actually conducted in Family Law cases, critical judgement as to when Family Law Mediation might or might not be appropriate in individual cases, a familiarity with legislation involving Family Law Mediation and critical inquiry as to the efficacy of different legislative initiatives, special issues facing mediators in Family Law Mediation, and ethical considerations both as a Family Law Mediator and as a solicitor in Family Law Mediation.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Robyn Hooworth | rhooworth.mediation@gmail.com | N/A | By email |
| Course convenor | Sala Sihombing | sala@conflictchange.com | N/A | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Describe and explain the principles and process of family mediation, the role of the family mediator and ethical considerations for family mediation.
CLO 2 Apply relevant knowledge of family law regarding children and financial matters.
CLO 3 Demonstrate awareness of the psychological impact of separation on parties in family mediation.
CLO 4 Demonstrate an understanding of psychosocial developmental stages for children and appropriate care arrangements post separation.
CLO 5 Ability to assess suitability for family mediation including domestic violence and conflict diagnosis.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Mediator opening | TBC | 30% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | |
| Research paper | 10 May 2024 | 70% | 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by the convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3-hour seminars in an intensive mode |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/