LLM Law Clinic
| Module title | LLM Law Clinic |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAWM178 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Miss Natasha Bellinger (Convenor) Mrs Kim McDonald (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
The Community Law Clinic is a student-led pro bono opportunity run by the Law School. This module adopts experiential learning techniques to deliver a unique clinical experience as part of your LLM.
This module focuses on access to justice for those who are ineligible for legal aid but are otherwise unable to afford private legal advice. You will have the opportunity to undertake real casework for members of the public who have found themselves in a legal dispute. This module will enable you to develop the essential skills of communication, client interviewing, research, drafting legal advice and client record keeping. In addition, you will complete core clinic workshops on client skills, access to justice and professionalism.
Through this experiential learning you will be encouraged to reflect critically on your own individual learning process and gain a broader understanding of what access to justice really means and the barriers litigants in person face. This valuable clinical experience will increase employability for those wishing to go into the legal profession or any other professional service.
Module aims - intentions of the module
In this module, you will develop valuable skills, such as communication, research, client interviewing, drafting legal advice and client record keeping. You will complete core classes not only on the client skills but also access to justice and professionalism. Through this, you will gain a broader understanding of what access to justice really means and the barriers that litigants in person face.
By experiencing the legal system through the eyes of your clients, you will recognise the barriers to justice. In identifying these barriers, you will discuss and develop pathways for individuals to access justice. You will also learn how to explain complex legal information to laypersons in an accessible way.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the means through which access to justice can be facilitated, and detailed knowledge of a substantial range of major relevant concepts and issues;
- 2. Demonstrate critical awareness of the social and contextual implications of access to justice.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of legal concepts and their contextual, social and political implications;
- 4. Demonstrate flexible capacity to define complex legal problems, identify their relative significance and select appropriate methods for investigating and critically evaluating them.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Interact effectively and proactively within a team/learning group, share information and ideas, and manage conflict;
- 6. Manage relevant learning resources/information/learning strategies and develop your own arguments and opinions with minimal guidance;
- 7. Plan and undertake tasks, individually and with others, with minimal guidance; and reflect critically on the learning process and make effective use of feedback;
- 8. Using the tool of critical reflection to assess your own experiential learning to understand the importance of professionalism.
Syllabus plan
Core Community Law Clinic Training
Casework
Core clinical workshops to include skills, access to justice and professionalism.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 135 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 15 | 10 x 1.5 hour workshop sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 135 | Individual reading, research, drafting and assessment preparation. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective activities | 500 words | 1-8 | Individual written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Portfolio | 100 | 2500 words | 1-8 | Individual written feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective Portfolio (2500 words) | Reflective Portfolio (2500 words) | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- THOMAS, L. & JOHNSON, N. (2020) The Clinical Legal Education Handbook https://humanities-digital-library.org/index.php/hdl/catalog/book/clinical-legal-education
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | Law degree for client facing work but all students are able to apply for non-client facing roles. |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 09/04/2023 |
| Last revision date | 11/04/2023 |
