LW3WPP: Writing Credit Pro Bono and Professional Practice

Module code: LW3WPP

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Rachel Horton, email: r.e.horton@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: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module provides a formal setting for students who chose to undertake work in an approved pro bono organisation or professional setting. It allows students to develop their practical legal skills. It also allows the Law School to evaluate the contribution the student has made to the organisation concerned. 

Module learning outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate and reflected on their ability to use the legal knowledge and/or legal and practical skills in a range of activities
2. Provide regular practical assistance to the organisation concerned over a period of at least 6 months during their final year or by way of an approved internship during the summer vacation preceding their final year
3. Critically assess the purpose and structure of the organisation concerned and its role in relation to the provision of or need for legal services
4. Reflect on their experiences and evaluate how the work they did fits into the work that the organisation was set up to do and how it fits into the legal system or, for a placement, evaluate how the work they did fits into the work of the firm and the challenges facing the legal professions

Module content

The substantive law covered in this module will vary from student to student and will be determined by the law each student covers during their work or pro bono placement. The student will learn to consider the substantive law in its context and evaluate how it is implemented in practice. The module also contains a component of reflective learning, which gives the student opportunities to identify relevant improvements in their employability-related skills and knowledge. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

In the Summer term prior to the final year:

• The student should discuss with the Module Convenor the organisation in which he or she wants to work, and provide the Module Convenor with details of what he or she proposes to undertake as the pro bono project.
• The organisation concerned must confirm that there are opportunities for the student to be involved in pro bono or professional placement work during the summer vacation (in the case of a vacation internship) or over the next 6 -9 months, and that it will provide a short report on the training and/or work undertaken by the student.
• The Module Convenor must give approval for the pro bono activity planned, and its suitability for Pro Bono and Professional Practice Writing Credit.
• The Module Convenor will discuss and agree with the student the level of commitment to the organisation required by the student.
• A Supervisor in the School of Law will be agreed, who may be someone other than the Module Convenor.

The student will:

• Keep a reflective diary of the training and work done for the organisation concerned, and provide the Supervisor with written interim reports on this in November and January of the final year (or in October of the final year in the case of an internship completed in the summer vacation).
• Prepare and write a portfolio in accordance with the Pro Bono and Professional Practice Writing Credit Handbook issued to all students undertaking this module.

Study hours

At least 4 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

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

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.

Formative feedback will be obtained during supervision  

Reassessment

Additional costs