LAW-30098 - 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

This module is the first legal environment work placement to be offered by the School of Law. It is a community legal education module enabling our students to gain work experience in an advice-based legal environment whilst providing assistance to the most vulnerable members of society. The module will enable our students to become more socially aware, whilst at the same time developing valuable employability skills. The School of Law is delighted to be working in collaboration with our partners at the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in Stoke-on-Trent in offering this innovative, active learning module.

The purpose of the module is several fold: -
To enable students to develop a wide variety of skills, both academic and personal, and to deploy these to help the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and, in particular, the public it serves;
To encourage recognition and development of skills and capabilities valued in the work place;
To enable students to further develop their legal research skills and to enhance their critical analysis capabilities;
To enhance graduate employability .

Intended Learning Outcomes

Reflect on and critically evaluate learning gained from a work-based learning experience: 1
Communicate legal information to non-specialist audiences using appropriate techniques and to understand the legal and ethical issues arising
: 1
Conduct independent research on a socio-legal/welfare based issue within the broad remit of the Citizens Advice Bureau: 2
Learn, through experience, how to 'learn on the job' - i.e., to learn to develop skills/attributes appropriate to the work environment (such as professional dress and comportment, interpersonal communication and collaboration, following set codes of practice, etc.): 1
Demonstrate meaningful connections between academic theory learnt as part of a degree programme and professional contexts and situations in the work place: 2

Study hours

Research project/essay supervision (12 hours)
Initial induction training at CAB (12 hours)
Placement (33 hours)
Self-directed research reading, reflection and assessment (93 hours)

School Rules

The module will be open to successful applicants only and numbers will be capped according to the maximum number of placements available.
Students will apply to take this module in either the first or second semester of their final year. The application process will involve: (i) a statement of interest, (ii) a CV, (iii) informal interview with module leader and (iv) an average year 2 mark of 50%.
Allocation of a place is dependent upon individual student lecture timetables, which will not be finalised until the September. Students are automatically enrolled onto a reserve module until the selection process is complete.

Description of Module Assessment