Legal Foundations
| Module title | Legal Foundations |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAW1036 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Ben Hudson (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 420 |
|---|
Module description
Legal Foundations provides you with a broad and critical understanding of the structure and functions of law and the English and UK legal systems. In the module, you will examine core legal principles and concepts, interrogate lawyering and the role of lawyers, and explore dispute resolution, including, but not limited to, the system and hierarchy of the courts and tribunals. Through the module, you will begin to appreciate how the law is applied, performed and experienced in practice. In short, Legal Foundations is a fascinating and dynamic introduction to law, legal systems and the legal profession.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module provides you with a foundational, and thus vital, understanding of the nature of law, legal principles and legal practice. In particular, the module is designed with the intention of supporting you in developing the necessary academic, legal, theoretical, practical and ethical knowledge, awareness and skills that are foundational to both the study and practice of law.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. identify and analyse (with guidance) the basic organisation and structure of the English and UK legal systems, including core underlying concepts and principles;
- 2. identify and select relevant information from legal source material using appropriate interpretative techniques, and demonstrate an understanding of legal reasoning and its application;
- 3. demonstrate understanding of relevant legal practice, social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, ethical and cultural contexts within which the law operates.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. demonstrate understanding of a range of legal concepts, values, principles, institutions and procedures, and the ability to explain the relationships among them;
- 5. make an informed judgement about the merits and relevance of particular information and make reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments;
- 6. communicate technical legal information and argument effectively and concisely, in a manner appropriate to the discipline.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. take responsibility for your own learning and manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities;
- 8. identify, retrieve and efficiently use a range of resources (with some guidance);
- 9. work independently within a limited time frame to complete a specified task.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
- Law, lawyers and legal systems
- Case law and legislation as primary sources of law
- Legal reasoning and problem solving in law
- Client interviewing
- Dispute resolution (including mediation, negotiation and advocacy)
- Experiences of law
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | 242 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 22 x 1 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour seminars |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour syndicate workshops |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 9 | 9 x 1 hour Q & A sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 149 | Individual reading, research and study by way of lecture, syndicate meeting and seminar preparation and consolidation (and associated group work), including preparation for formative work (including timetabled formative work) |
| Guided Independent Study | 62 | Summative assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 31 | Formative assessment preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal reasoning examination | 2 hours | 1-9 | Individual written feedback and general whole cohort feedback |
| Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument | 10 minutes plus 500 words | 1-8 | Individual written and general whole cohort feedback |
| Online multiple-choice quiz | 30 minutes | 1-3, 5, 7-9 | Online automatic feedback and guidance |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 50 | 50 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal reasoning examination | 50 | 2 hours | 1-9 | Individual written feedback and general whole cohort feedback |
| Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument | 50 | 10 minutes plus 500 words | 1-8 | Individual written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal reasoning examination | Legal reasoning examination (2 hours) | 1-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument | Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument (10 minutes plus 500 words) | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
Re-assessment notes
None
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Essential reading typically includes:
- Finch E and Fafinski S, Legal Skills (7th edn, OUP 2019)
- Gillespie A and Weare S, The English Legal System (7th edn, OUP 2019)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- Public Law for Everyone: publiclawforeveryone.com
- UK Human Rights Blog: ukhumanrightsblog.com
- UK Supreme Court Blog: ukscblog.com
- Judiciary of England and Wales: www.judiciary.gov.uk
- Ministry of Justice: www.justice.gov.uk
- HMCTS: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service
- UK Parliament: www.parliament.uk
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | Any one from: LAW1003, LAW1004 or LAW1035 |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/09/2015 |
| Last revision date | 11/05/2021 |
