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

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 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 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

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, 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.
¿ 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 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.
To equip students to reflect on their skills development during the module and beyond.

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
Locate, retrieve and use and a range of legal and non-legal materials: 2
1
Use appropriate legal writing conventions, and the ability to structure answers to essays and problem questions: 2
Demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of statutory interpretation, legal reasoning, precedent, ratio decidendi, obiter dicta and the significance of dissenting judgements: Be able to reflect on their learning journey; to identify key strengths and weaknesses and to identify how further development can be achieved: 2
Demonstrate the personal, practical and professional skills needed to be an effective Law student, including critical thinking and reflective practice:

Study hours

Scheduled teaching:
Lectures and recorded material = 16 hours (synchronous and asynchronous)
Seminars, workshops and drop-in sessions = 34 hours
Self-directed study, library work and assessment preparation:
For classes = 30 hours
For MCQ assessment and test = 30 hours
For written assessment (critical discussion + reflection) = 40 hours
Total = 150 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Multiple Choice Questions - Knowledge weighted 25%
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 5, 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: Essay weighted 75%
Critical Discussion and Reflection
Part 1: A 1000-word critical discussion of a question concerning a current legal topic, informed by analysis of a given article and other legal sources as appropriate. A choice of articles and associated questions is provided. Part 2: A 500-word reflection on the student's own skills development has influenced and informed their critical discussion, and what challenges they experienced in undertaking the exercise. Students will be guided to identify key strengths and key areas for development, and to identify how they can improve on the latter to support their achievement in the core January assessments. There are two interrelated parts to this assessment which must be submitted together. Each part will be marked out of 100, with part 1 worth 50% of the module marks; part 2 worth 25% of the module marks.

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: 19 January 2023