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

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 30 September 2023

LAW-10039 - Legal Essentials
Coordinator: Stella Coyle Room: CBC1.028 Tel: +44 1782 7 34363
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

LAW-20076 (Level 5 version of Legal Essentials)

Description for 2023/24

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 introduces you to 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, through discussion of case law and academic commentary.
¿ 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 and to teamwork through group discussion, debate, and presentations.
¿ 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. You will also learn to reflect on your learning journey and skills development, and to identify how you can further develop your skills both during and after the module.

Aims
To introduce the legal, academic, and personal skills needed to participate effectively as a Law student, through delivery of 4 streams of learning and teaching: Thinking Law; Making Law; Doing Law; and Being Law.
To develop students' confidence and skills in making research-informed legal arguments, through individual and group work.
To equip students to reflect on their skills development, and to identify development needs, during the module and throughout their degree.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/law-10039/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate familiarity with the structure of the English Legal System, including the Parliamentary process relating to the creation of legislation, and the doctrines of Parliamentary sovereignty and the separation of powers: 1
1
Demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of statutory interpretation, legal reasoning, precedent, ratio decidendi, obiter dicta and the significance of dissenting judgements: 2
2
Locate, retrieve and use a range of legal and non-legal materials: 2,3
Make research-informed legal arguments in written and oral form, through individual and group work: Take ownership of their learning journey and skills development, identifying both strengths and areas for improvement, and how they can obtain support to improve: 3
Demonstrate the personal, practical and professional skills needed to be an effective Law student, including critical thinking, team working, presenting, and reflective practice:

Study hours

Scheduled teaching/active learning hours:
¿ Interactive Lectures = 16 hours
¿ Seminars = 15 hours
¿ Practical classes (library workshops) = 2 hours
¿ Drop-in sessions (held around assessment points) = 2 hours
Self-directed study, library work and assessment preparation:
¿ For interactive lectures and seminars (including wraparound materials and activities for preparation, consolidation, and reflection) = 25 hours
Independent study:
¿ For reading and research = 40 hours
¿ For MCQ assessment = 25 hours
¿ For group presentation and reflection assessments = 25 hours
Total = 150 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Multiple Choice Questions - Knowledge weighted 20%
Timed Multiple-Choice Questions
A set of timed multiple-choice questions, to be attempted in one 1-hour sitting within a 28-hour window in Week 7, 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.

2: Presentation weighted 30%
Group Presentation: Law Reform
A 10-minute group presentation advancing an argument on a law reform topic chosen by the group, informed by legal research and incorporating critical discussion of the issues raised by the topic. The presentation must be accompanied by Powerpoint slides and/or typed handouts containing references and a bibliography, in accordance with the OSCOLA referencing system.

3: Essay weighted 50%
Written Personal Reflection
A 1000-word personal reflection on the student¿s own skills development during the module, how they contributed to the group presentation exercise, and what challenges they experienced during the module (including the group presentation). Students will be guided to reflect on strengths and areas for development, and to identify how they can improve on the latter to support their achievement in the core January assessments.

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: 30 September 2023