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LAW-20076 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

LAW-20076 - Legal Essentials (Level 5)
Coordinator: Stella Coyle Room: CBC1.028 Tel: +44 1782 7 34363
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23


Aims
To introduce the technical, legal, personal and academic skills needed to function effectively as a Law student, through delivery of 4 streams of learning and teaching: Thinking Law; Making Law; Doing Law; and Being Law.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate familiarity with the structure of the English Legal System: 1,2
demonstrate familiarity with the Parliamentary process relating to the creation of legislation, and the doctrines of Parliamentary sovereignty and the separation of powers: 2
demonstrate an ability to locate, retrieve and use case reports, statutory materials and a range of secondary legal and non-legal materials: 1
demonstrate an intellectual independence and an ability to think and write critically about the law: 1
demonstrate an ability to use appropriate legal writing conventions, and the ability to structure answers to problem questions and legal essays: 1
demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of statutory interpretation, legal reasoning, precedent, ratio decidendi, obiter dicta and the significance of dissenting judgements: 2
engage with their own personal and professional development and academic integrity and manage and reflect on their own learning: 1

Study hours

Scheduled teaching:
Lectures and whole-group sessions = 30 hours
Seminars, workshops and drop-in sessions = 20 hours
Self-directed study, library work and assessment preparation:
For classes = 30 hours
For MCQ assessment and test = 30 hours
For Critical Writing assessment = 40 hours
Total = 150 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 60%
Critical Thinking and Writing Essay
A 1,500-word critical essay based on a current legal issue from a choice of relevant topics pertaining to the English legal system.

2: Multiple Choice Questions - Knowledge weighted 40%
Timed Multiple-Choice Questions
A set of timed multiple-choice questions, to be attempted in one 1-hour sitting within a 48-hour window in Week 5, based on knowledge of the English Legal System, judicial reasoning and the Parliamentary process. The 1-hour time limit is adjusted accordingly for students entitled to additional time.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023