LAW-10039 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2020/21

The Legal Essentials module will support you in the transition to study in higher education and will provide a solid basis for studying law throughout your undergraduate career.
Legal Essentials covers all aspects of what it means to be a successful Law student:
¿ Thinking Law involves thinking critically about law. We show you ways of evaluating the law and the legal system, and introduce different theoretical approaches to understanding what law is for and what it does.
¿ Making Law examines the English Legal system, including the process of law-making and how Acts of Parliament are interpreted and applied by the courts.
¿ Doing Law introduces you to good practice in reading, taking notes and writing ¿ to help you understand and evaluate the law. It also introduces you to legal research skills.
¿ Being Law is designed to equip you with the personal and professional skills you will need to get the best out of your Law degree and your future career.

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
Demonstrate familiarity with the Parliamentary process relating to the creation of legislation, and the doctrines of Parliamentary sovereignty and the separation of powers: 1
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 ability to think and write critically about the law: 2
Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate legal writing conventions, and the ability to structure answers to problem questions and legal essays: 2
Demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of statutory interpretation, legal reasoning, precedent, ratio decidendi, obiter dicta and the significance of dissenting judgements: 1
Demonstrate an understanding of the personal, practical and professional skills needed to be an effective Law student: 2

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