Law and the Community Life Skills offers opportunities for students to learn about the roles, rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups in the context of law in our society. Students develop skills to interact with their community and navigate the law, including making informed decisions and accessing information and support.

What students learn

Through the study of Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12, students:

explore the roles, rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups in communities and the importance of rules and laws in maintaining safety and fairness
explore how and why rules and laws change, and how they can participate in their community and have a voice in decisions that affect them
explore ways to access appropriate information and support related to the law
develop skills to communicate, seek help when needed and build relationships to participate confidently in their communities.

Course structure

Law and the Community Life Skills Year 11 and Year 12

The following focus areas can be studied throughout Year 11 (120 hours) and Year 12 (120 hours).

Investigating the law
Disputes under the law
Changing the law
Experiences with the law
The criminal justice system
Human rights
Consumer law
Family law
Housing law
Peace, conflict and the law
Workplace law

For Law and the Community Life Skills:

Students are required to demonstrate achievement of one or more Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12 outcomes.
Outcomes and content should be selected to meet the particular needs of individual students.
The outcomes describe the knowledge, understanding and skills that students are expected to demonstrate as a result of teaching and learning. Teachers should use the outcomes to determine the scope of learning for the content included in each focus area.
The focus areas provide possible frameworks for addressing the Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12 outcomes and content, and are suggestions only. Teachers have the flexibility to select, group and sequence outcomes and content to meet the needs, strengths, goals, interests and prior learning of their students.
Where appropriate, students should have the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of key themes and skills related to law and the community. Relevant themes and skills should be integrated throughout the course based on the strengths and needs of individual students.
Real-world applications of the law, such as from the media, case studies and student experience, should be used where appropriate to provide opportunities for students to develop their understanding and demonstrate achievement of the outcomes.
Examples provided in the content are suggestions only. Teachers may use the examples provided or use other examples to meet the particular needs of individual students.

Safety and risk management

Schools are required to ensure they follow safety and risk management in delivering the Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus.

Law and the Community themes and skills

The Law and the Community themes and skills offer insight into the nature of the legal system and allow students to develop knowledge and understanding of how the legal system connects with different parts of the community. The themes and skills are to be integrated throughout the course.

Case studies and the use of evidence

The Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus provides opportunities to use case studies throughout the course content. Case studies can be used to deepen students’ understanding of how the law works. The case studies help students connect legal ideas to actual situations and learn how the law affects people, communities and society. They give students the opportunity to think critically, ask questions and explore the legal system in action.

A case study refers to a real-world example that illustrates court decisions, legal changes, laws that impact specific groups, or human rights issues. Case studies can be studied in the following focus areas.

Changing the law: students may undertake a case study to explore ONE rule or law that has changed in the community OR a rule or law that should be changed.
Experiences with the law: students may undertake a case study to explore how ONE or more groups in the community experience the law and the ways in which justice is achieved. Groups may be selected from the list below.
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- Asylum seekers, refugees and migrants
- LGBTQIA+ people
- Older people
- People experiencing climate injustice
- People experiencing economic disadvantage
- People experiencing issues of equity, discrimination or power imbalance
- People living in rural, regional or remote Australia
- People who are culturally and linguistically diverse
- People with disability
- People with a mental health condition
- Young people
Human rights: students may undertake a case study to explore ONE human rights issue affecting individuals or groups in Australia.

The selection of case studies should include a range of examples that are:

recent and significant
from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences
a mixture of Australian and international.

In the Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus, evidence from a range of sources can be used to support students' understanding and judgements about the law.

Course enrolment details

Welcome to the NSW Curriculum website

11–12Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

Assessment