LAW-20033 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The Law in Action Module is a unique contribution to the Law School which was initiated and developed by our law students who conducted a pilot Street Law project working with the local community partner Savana to question and raise awareness on issues of sexual violence in the University in the wider legal context of access to justice.
Following the student's engagement and commitment to the pilot project, we have been able to develop relations with a range of community based organisations working on social and legal issues such as homelessness, asylum seekers and refugees, and domestic violence, whereby the students visit the organisations, listen to the experiences of persons seeking access to justice, and develop research projects to present to the local High School to raise community awareness.
The law in action student becomes, just by engaging with the module, an agent of change, both in their own personal journey of reflection upon the distinction of law in action and law in the classroom, and by research and sharing their perspectives to create a wider awareness on the potential and limits of law.
The module is delivered through a three strand learning process of
1) Community Field Visits and developing a research project to present to Year 10 students at a local High School
2) Lectures on access to justice through the key areas of housing, asylum, domestic and sexual violence and law.
3) Tutorials to reflect on the student's experience through critical readings on legal consciousness, social justice and being an agent of change.
The module is assessed through
1) 2,500 word critical research essay on the student's chosen research project
2) 1,500 word reflective log on the student's reflection of their learning journey through the module.

This module aims to introduce students to how law works in the community and facilitate and empower students to take an active and reflective role in their learning, and provide a realistic context in which students can practice their general transferable and applied communication skills. Primarily, however, the module offers a distinctive opportunity for student learning in Law in Action and to build on Level 4 skills modules.
Particularly it provides the students with a unique opportunity to engage with local community organisations, and present their group projects to the local High School as part of the citizenship curriculum.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of law¿s role in the community: 1
communicate legal information to specialist and non-specialist audiences using appropriate techniques and to understand the legal and ethical issues arising: 1
apply legal research and problem solving techniques to legal issues in the community including the planning of information providing: 1

Study hours

9 hours lectures
9 hours tutorials
4 hours field visits
28 hours tutorial preparation
40 hours group presentation preparation and research
60 hours portfolio preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment