Module LAW1036 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW1036: Legal Foundations
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The module provides you with a foundational, and thus vital, understanding of the nature of law, legal principles and legal practice. In particular, the module is designed with the intention of supporting you in developing the necessary academic, legal, theoretical, practical and ethical knowledge, awareness and skills that are foundational to both the study and practice of law.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. identify and analyse (with guidance) the basic organisation and structure of the English and UK legal systems, including core underlying concepts and principles; 2. identify and select relevant information from legal source material using appropriate interpretative techniques, and demonstrate an understanding of legal reasoning and its application; 3. demonstrate understanding of relevant legal practice, social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, ethical and cultural contexts within which the law operates. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. demonstrate understanding of a range of legal concepts, values, principles, institutions and procedures, and the ability to explain the relationships among them; 5. make an informed judgement about the merits and relevance of particular information and make reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments; 6. communicate technical legal information and argument effectively and concisely, in a manner appropriate to the discipline. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. take responsibility for your own learning and manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities; 8. identify, retrieve and efficiently use a range of resources (with some guidance); 9. work independently within a limited time frame to complete a specified task. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
- Law, lawyers and legal systems
- Case law and legislation as primary sources of law
- Legal reasoning and problem solving in law
- Client interviewing
- Dispute resolution (including mediation, negotiation and advocacy)
- Experiences of law
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | 242 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 22 x 1 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour seminars |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 13.5 | 9 x 1.5 hour syndicate workshops |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 9 | 9 x 1 hour Q & A sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 149 | Individual reading, research and study by way of lecture, syndicate meeting and seminar preparation and consolidation (and associated group work), including preparation for formative work (including timetabled formative work) |
| Guided Independent Study | 62 | Summative assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 31 | Formative assessment preparation |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
- Public Law for Everyone: publiclawforeveryone.com
- UK Human Rights Blog: ukhumanrightsblog.com
- UK Supreme Court Blog: ukscblog.com
- Judiciary of England and Wales: www.judiciary.gov.uk
- Ministry of Justice: www.justice.gov.uk
- HMCTS: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service
- UK Parliament: www.parliament.uk
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal reasoning examination | 2 hours | 1-9 | Individual written feedback and general whole cohort feedback |
| Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument | 10 minutes plus 500 words | 1-8 | Individual written and general whole cohort feedback |
| Online multiple-choice quiz | 30 minutes | 1-3, 5, 7-9 | Online automatic feedback and guidance |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 50 | 50 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal reasoning examination | 50 | 2 hours | 1-9 | Individual written feedback and general whole cohort feedback |
| Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument | 50 | 10 minutes plus 500 words | 1-8 | Individual written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal reasoning examination | Legal reasoning examination (2 hours) | 1-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument | Individual oral advocacy presentation with accompanying skeleton argument (10 minutes plus 500 words) | 1-8 | August/September re-assessment period |
Re-assessment notes
None
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Essential reading typically includes:
- Finch E and Fafinski S, Legal Skills (7th edn, OUP 2019)
- Gillespie A and Weare S, The English Legal System (7th edn, OUP 2019)
