LC3S306 - Clinical Legal Education 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: LC3S306
Module Title: Clinical Legal Education
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Law
Faculty Sub Group: Law
Module Leader: Hannah Menard, Hayley Brain
Module Team: Holly Evans, Adam Collins, Anssa Amin, Clare Lewis, Rachel Lewis
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake: 2027
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100485 - law
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

The module will build on the clinical legal skills embedded at levels 4 and 5 and provide students with an opportunity to experience a legal services environment.

The module will provide a basis for students to:

1. Apply their academic studies in a real-world, professional setting, providing pro-bono legal advice to members of the public on a range of legal issues and challenges.

2. Study areas of law and justice through experiential and problem-based learning.
3. Develop awareness of the professional conduct and ethical issues that will arise in the provision of legal services.
4. Reflect on their continuing personal, academic and professional development, through collaborative and autonomous learning opportunities.

5. Further develop key transferable skills and competencies including but not limited to;

• Interpersonal skills including conducting and/ or assisting with client interviews in person and/or via video platform
• Written and oral communication skills
• Drafting legal documents
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• ICT skills particularly in relation to a digital case management system and legal databases
• Self and time management
• Professional and commercial awareness including the opportunity to engage with local lawyers
• Responding sensitively to issues of culture, diversity and disability in dealings with clients, colleagues and others

Content Summary

The module is not a traditional ‘taught’ module but will cover the following indicative content:

• Introduction to legal practice skills including research, writing, drafting, interviewing and advising.
• Introduction to advice and assistance given to clients in a range of areas including employment law, family law, housing law, consumer law, civil litigation, business law and general probate queries.
• Introduction to LAC’s case management system
• Introduction to clinical legal education, access to justice, dealing with vulnerable clients and the ethics of advice giving.

This module requires student engagement as follows:

• Every student will volunteer at the Legal Advice Clinic [LAC] for at least half a day per week for 20 weeks. This will include the opportunity to participate in one of the LAC projects.

• During this time students will be separated into groups [firms] where they will be supervised by a qualified Clinic supervisor.

• Students will engage in a full induction programme covering topics such as GDPR, confidentiality, file management, an introduction to IT systems, professional conduct and operational day to day issues. The induction is compulsory and must be completed before the placement begins.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 10
Independent Study 40
Placement 80
Directed Study 70
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Evidence development of transferable, professional skills through attendance, engagement and completion of a clinical placement.
LO2 Reflect on the LAC placement experience and effectively and clearly evaluate an individual skills profile following the placement.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Portfolio 1 A submission of specified material prepared by the student during a course or programme. The number of tasks must be specified at validation and one overall mark awarded. Students will be required to compile a portfolio which will include a reflective journal of their work in the Clinic which should include evidence of engagement with the Clinic and examples of student work along with supervisor and peer appraisal/ feedback of the work. The portfolio will comprise several elements such as a reflective journal, personal and legal skills action plan, including evidence of engagement in the clinic and examples of student work along with supervisor appraisal of the work. 0 N/A 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Portfolio 1

Reading List

Access to Justice: Beyond the policies and politics in austerity, Hart Publishing
Employability Skills for Law Students, Oxford
Harrison, C, From student to solicitor: a complete guide to securing a training contract
Herman, G A Practical Approach to Client Interviewing, Counselling and Decision Making, Lexis Nexis
Kerrigan, K and Murray, V A Student Guide to Clinical Legal Education and Pro Bono Advice, Palgrave
Legal Foundations CLP
Legal Skills CLP
Reimagining Clinical Legal Education, Hart Publishing
Solicitors’ Code of Conduct
Wilson, S and Kenny, P The Law Student’s Handbook, OUP