LC1S156 - Academic and Professional Legal Skills 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 2

Associated Module Information

Module Code: LC1S156
Module Title: Academic and Professional Legal Skills
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Law
Faculty Sub Group: Law
Module Leader: Hannah Coburn
Module Team: Wai Mo, Hannah Menard, Holly Evans, Clare Lewis, Rachel Lewis, Hayley Brain
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake: 2027
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 4
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 2
Valid From 01 Sep 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

The module will introduce students to essential academic and professional legal skills that will underpin their study and application of law.

The module will provide a basis for students to;

1 Evidence competence in a range of academic and professional legal skills.
2 Evidence an ability to work individually and collaboratively in carrying out tasks, planning projects, setting and meeting objectives and relating to others as part of a team.

Content Summary

The module will cover the following indicative content:

• legal research skills, enabling students to locate (in hard copy and using electronic sources and various digital media), read, apply, analyse and evaluate legal sources;

• vital academic and professional legal skills such as legal writing, problem solving, referencing, presenting and verbal skills, team-working, note-taking.

• clinical legal education [CLE] through simulated/experiential learning.

• a six-week immersive learning project.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Seminar 40
Independent Study 78
Directed Study 62
Groupwork 20
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Find, read, apply and use (independently and with others) basic legal materials relevant to the task in hand and to evidence an understanding of primary legal sources.
LO2 Evidence competence in a range of academic and professional legal skills.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Portfolio 1 Five separate elements relating to legal skills including immersive learning and a prepared 15 minute oral presentation in the form of a moot where legal knowledge, legal etiquette, ability to answer questions and professional presentation skills are assessed. 0 N/A 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Portfolio 1

Reading List

Finch and Fafinski ‘Legal Skills’ (Latest edition OUP).
Slorach and others ‘Legal Systems and Skills’ (Latest edition OUP)
Biddell Ivory S ‘Becoming a Critical Thinker’ (OUP 2021).
Berlins and Dyer ‘The Law Machine’
Michael Zander ‘The Law Making Process’

‘The English Legal System’ Routledge