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.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. 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 Skills4. 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 Skills7. 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 ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
582420

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2222 x 1 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities13.59 x 1.5 hour seminars
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities13.59 x 1.5 hour syndicate workshops
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities99 x 1 hour Q & A sessions
Guided Independent Study149Individual 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 Study62Summative assessment preparation
Guided Independent Study31Formative assessment preparation

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

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)