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Law Placement

Module description

This module forms part of the LLB with Professional Legal Placement and LLB with Industrial Placement pathways. When taking this module, you undertake a professional legal placement either with a law firm, an in-house legal team or take a non-law related placement in industry. The module lasts for the whole academic year (a minimum of 28 weeks, excluding statutory and other holidays). You will use one or more placements to gain skills that equip you to work in the global jobs market. You will be encouraged to deepen your understanding of the workplace and issues relating to legal and business professionalism. The module will develop and deepen your understanding of business and legal practices.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to develop your personal management skills and experience of learning through work. The module allows you to fully explore the links between the skills developed and study and practice of law in whichever business setting your placement is within. The module aims to prepare you for the world of work beyond the University through not only increased knowledge but also a first-hand understanding of a professional working environment. During the year you will enhance your key transferable skills through the management of your learning in an independent context. i.e. working with others, problem solving, communication. During the year you will also develop your capacity for self-assessment through structured reflection on your experience. As part of the assessment for this module you will be required to write a business report which will allow you to link your theoretical knowledge of the law to your practical experience. When writing the report you will need to analyse and apply academic literature to your real-world experience. On completion you will enjoy enhanced employability skills.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Produce job applications that represent your strengths and target specific employers in an appropriate manner;
• 2. Demonstrate critical awareness of the similarities and differences in approaches to law between work experience and academic study at Exeter
• 3. Reflect critically on practical experiences gained, and the impact they may have on your views and actions;
• 4. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the workplace including relevant polices, working practices, commercial awareness, strategy and visions of the organisation;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. reflect on the relationship between learning law and legal or business skills developed, with learning and skills developed through your work placement.
• 6. systematically research the academic background to and legal or law-related issues arising from your placement;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Develop/enhance practical work-based skills and experience;
• 8. Negotiate the different types of working relationships with staff within the workplace, and others - directly or indirectly - relevant to the placement;
• 9. Identify and reflect on personal challenges and to learn from their resolution;
• 10. Use a range of technologies and applications relevant to most workplaces;

Syllabus plan

Professional law or industrial placement for the full Academic year (minimum of 28 weeks) in one or more placement(s) approved by the University of Exeter.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferred students will be reassessed in the element that has been mitigated.   Students will be referred only if they achieve under 40% overall. If this is the case students will then be reassessed in any elements they have failed.

Please note if students do not achieve 40% on the reassessment attempt, they will be put on to the three year variant of their programme. This module will appear on your transcript as a fail, and you will no longer have ‘with Legal Placement’ in your degree title. 

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Turnock, C. & Mulholland, J. Learning in the Workplace. A toolkit for placement tutors, supervisors, mentors and facilitators .Kingsham Press, 2007.

Cottrell, S. (2015), Skills for Success: The Personal Development Planning Handbook. Palgrave Study Guides. London

Fanthorne, C. (2004), Work Placements – A Survival Guide for Students. Palgrave Study Guides. Macmillan, London.

Kolb, D. (1984), ‘Experiential Learning: Experience as a source of Learning and Development.’ PHI, New Jersey.

Longson, S. (1999), Making Work Experience Count. How to Books.

Neugebauer J (2009), Making the Most of Your Placement (Sage Study Skills Series).

Key words search

employability, work experience, professional legal placement