LW1ELS: English Legal System and Skills

Module code: LW1ELS

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: 4

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Ms Sharon Sinclair-Graham, email: sharon.sinclair-graham@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 17 December 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This first-year module is designed to help you with gaining knowledge and understanding of the English Legal System and the legal skills that you need to work as a law student.

To introduce students to teaching methods and expectations applicable to higher legal education and legal study skills they will need to study law as an academic discipline. To provide students with opportunities to develop and practice key skills, including transferable skills.

You will examine the interrelationship between law and the other social and cultural elements whilst adopting the employability skills required of a good law student.

Specific topics may change on a yearly basis, but we intend to pursue themes including law and gender, law and religion, law and morality and law and race.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a good understanding of the English Legal System
2. Demonstrate an ability to apply core legal and transferable skills, particularly skills of legal research, analysis, writing, and oral presentation to definite factual situations and problems
3. Identify fundamental legal rules and apply these rules when considering legal issues
4. Formulate and evaluate simple legal arguments.

Module content

Specific topics may change on a yearly basis but we intend to pursue themes including:

• Law and gender
• Law and religion
• Law and morality
• Law and race

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

In Semester 1 there will be a 2-hour lectures per week (total 22 hours) thirteen hours of blended activity (13 in total) five 2-hour workshop once per fortnight (total 10 hours) and five 1-hour tutorial once per fortnight (total 5 hours) (total 50 hours contact time).

In the workshops and tutorials there will be a focus on formative activities (for example including debates, case briefs, problem questions, group presentation) which the students will need to prepare in advance and bring to the relevant seminar to present to the group. We will be encouraging questions and peer review from the observing students. There is an expectation of whole-class participation.

Study hours

At least 37 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

40% is required to pass each assessment with an average module mark of 40% to pass and progress

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Group Presentation – in groups of 4 – 20 minutes per group – feedback provided in class – presentation must be on a pre-defined area of law: Gender, Race or Religion

Reassessment

Additional costs