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LAW-20092 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 18 May 2024

LAW-20092 - Communicating Current Issues in Law
Coordinator:
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25


Aims
The module aims to provide students with the skills and confidence to engage with current legal issues that are the subject of Law Commission Consultation or Government White Papers. It seeks to walk students through the process of identifying, locating and construing relevant primary and secondary sources with a view to refining their comprehension, interpretation and information transmission skills. Students will utilise newly acquired knowledge to craft communications utilising different modes and media to target different audiences. Students will be encouraged to see the real-world relevance of legal research and the role of the lawyer in communicating their knowledge and understanding clearly and effectively, acquiring the self-belief needed to communicate complex legal and non-legal issues in their future roles.

Intended Learning Outcomes

locate, collate and deploy primary and secondary sources pertaining to a current legal issue or problem
: 1
summarise and synthesise arguments to explain and critique legal developments: 1
construct clear, considered and well-supported written arguments to defend or undermine a proposition: 1
communicate knowledge clearly and effectively to target audiences, utilising different modes (visual, written, oral) and media: 1

Study hours

introductory workshop = 2 hours
library refresher = 2 hours
Learning Development support = 2 hours
workbook completion plus pre-reading = 60 hours
workshops/skills retreat = 10 hours
writing/preparing submissions = 74 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Portfolio weighted 100%
Portfolio comprising 4 pieces of evidence (equivalent to 2,500 words)
As the centrepiece of the portfolio, students will draft a report or response relevant to a Government White Paper or Law Commission Report (1,000 words), drawing from a range of sources and appending an annotated bibliography (40%). They may then select three short submissions for their portfolio (20% each; total equivalent to 1,500 words) in the form of discrete communications targeted at a defined audience or demographic utilising different modes/media, e.g., conference poster, letter to a newspaper, 5-minute podcast for radio, policy briefing to third sector organisation. Subject to Module Leader approval, students may create their own brief, selecting a mode of communication/desired audience. Alternatively, they may choose from the options provided by the Module Leader.

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: 18 May 2024