LC4S080 - Advanced Legal Skills and Methods 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 4

Associated Module Information

Module Code: LC4S080
Module Title: Advanced Legal Skills and Methods
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Law
Faculty Sub Group: Law
Module Leader: Iain Hammett, Rachel Thomas
Module Team: Hannah Menard, Anssa Amin, Hannah Coburn, Alexandra Dobson
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake: 2027
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes:
HECOS Code Weighting:

Document Version Information

Version 4
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

To develop students’ knowledge of, and ability to utilise, appropriate legal (and other) research methods in order to underpin autonomous learning at a high level, encouraging the student to engage with legal resources in a critical, well informed manner.

Content Summary

• Introduction to the principles, aims and objectives of legal research;
• Library resources;
• Utilising legal databases;
• Researching primary and secondary sources;
• Critical analysis;
• OSCOLA referencing;
• Design and role of the research proposal;
• Undertaking and completing a literature review;
• Ethical issues in research;
• Reporting on the results of research;
• Form and components of a dissertation and thesis.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 20
Seminar 20
Independent Study 160
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Evidence the ability to identify and utilise appropriate legal research methods.
LO2 Evidence a critical appraisal of a law related subject with an emphasis on one or more relevant legal and other research methods and evidence any practical and ethical implications.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Research Plan / Proposal / Project/ Log 1 Literature review and proposal to form the basis of a master’s level dissertation. 0 3000 50 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Portfolio 1 Three separate elements: - a journal recording the development of a research proposal - Westlaw and LexisNexis advanced certificates - three-minute thesis presentation 0 N/A 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Research Plan / Proposal / Project/ Log 1
Portfolio 1

Reading List

This will vary depending on the subject area but see below generic texts that will support students:
Finch, E. and Fafinksi, S., Legal Skills, OUP
Allbon, E., Hunter, I. and Clinch, P., Legal research: a practitioner’s handbook, Wildy, Simmonds & Hill
Hoffman, M. and Rumsey, M., International and foreign legal research a coursebook, Martinus Nijhoff
J. Paul Lomio, J., Spang-Hanssen, H. and Wilson, G.D., Legal Research Methods in a Modern World : A Coursebook, DJØF
Joyner, R.L., Rouse, W.A. and Glatthorn, A.A. Writing the Winning Dissertation, Sage
Salter, M. and Mason, J. Writing law dissertations: an introduction and guide to the conduct of legal research, Pearson
Bell, J. Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers, McGraw-Hill Education
Phillips, E. and Pugh D.S., How to get a PhD: a handbook for students and their supervisors, Open University Press
Hart, C, Doing a literature review: releasing the research imagination, SAGE