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LAW-20140 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 06 April 2026

LAW-20140 - Legal Essentials (Level 5)
Coordinator: Stella Coyle Room: CBC1.028 Tel: +44 1782 7 34363
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

The Legal Essentials module provides a solid foundation for your Law degree.
Legal Essentials introduces you to all aspects of what it means to be a successful Law student, including:
• Critical thinking: We show you ways of evaluating the law and the legal system, through discussion of some key cases and the debates surrounding them. We also look at theories of morality and justice and explore how these shape the law's development, past and present.
• Understanding the English Legal system: we look at the process of law-making and how legislation is interpreted and applied by the courts, and discuss hot topics and controversial cases.
• Legal skills: we introduce you to good practice in reading, making notes and writing – to help you understand and evaluate the law. We also introduce you to legal research skills and to effective teamwork through group discussion, debate, and presentations.
• Personal and professional skills: we help you develop these vital skills to enable you 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 as you progress through your degree.

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 in their learning journey so far, and to identify their future skills development needs as
part of continuing reflective practice.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Determine the structure of the English legal system and the law making process: 1
Apply a range of legal and non-legal materials, including legislation, case law, and academic publications.: 1,2
Develop research-informed, critical legal arguments on key debates in the topic, in written and oral form.: 2
Critically appraise their development of the personal, practical, and professional skills needed to be an effective Law student, drawing on academic theory where required.: 3
Critically reflect on their learning journey by recognising areas for further development and identifying sources of support.: 3

Study hours

Scheduled teaching/active learning hours: (total 64 hours)
• Interactive Lectures = 40 hours
• Seminars = 20 hours
• Practical classes (eg library workshops) = 2 hours
• Drop-in sessions (held around assessment points) = 2 hours
Self-directed study, library work and assessment preparation: (total 236)
For interactive lectures and seminars (including wraparound materials and activities for preparation and consolidation) = 116 hours
For MCQ assessment preparation = 30 hours
For group presentation preparation = 30 hours
For ongoing reflective diary and final written piece = 60 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Flexible Class Test weighted 30%
Timed Multiple Choice Questions
A set of 30 timed multiple-choice questions, to be attempted in a 1-hour sitting within a 28-hour window at the end of semester 1, based on knowledge of the English legal system, the lawmaking process, and key issues in the area covered during the semester. The 1-hour time limit is adjusted accordingly for students entitled to additional time.

2: Group Assessment 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 at least one key issue raised by the topic, and drawing on at least one of the theories of justice explored in the module. The presentation must be supported by a document including references and a bibliography, in accordance with the OSCOLA referencing system. This document is shared with the moderator during the marking process, as evidence that ILO 3 has been met and the mark given accords with the assessment criteria. Presentations will be given in timed slots in front of the seminar tutor only. In line with the Inclusive Education Framework, students with reasonable adjustments that mean they are not required to speak can still demonstrate that they have contributed to the task, eg through research, presentation design, or document drafting. Groups should ideally consist of between 4-6 students. A group mark will be awarded based on the collective contribution. This group mark will then be awarded to each individual student in the Gradebook system.

3: Reflective Diary weighted 40%
Written Personal Reflection
A 2000-word personal reflection on the student’s own skills development during the module, including critical self-reflection on the group presentation exercise. The reflection should explore and what challenges they experienced during the module (including the group presentation); how they responded to them; and what they learned about themselves in the process. The reflection must include critical engagement with relevant theory such as Driscoll's model of reflection and Belbin's team roles. Students will be guided to critically reflect on strengths and areas for development, and to identify how they can improve on the latter by setting SMART targets to support their future learning.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. 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/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 06 April 2026