IA109-3-FY-CO:
Introduction to Law and Legal Theory

The details
2025/26
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Foundation/Year Zero: Level 3
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 26 June 2026
30
10 June 2025

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

LLB M101 Law (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MM30 Law with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MV06 Law with Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MN03 Law with Business (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MM03 Law with Criminology (Including Foundation Year)

Module description

This module is designed for students who have not had any previous knowledge of UK law. Students will be introduced to the general principles of the legal system and legal philosophy and develop an understanding of how the law operates in practice. This module will provide students with knowledge and skills at foundation level upon which to build their undergraduate programme. The topics in this module provide a sound foundation on which students can build their knowledge and understanding, throughout their undergraduate degree at the University of Essex.


 


The Autumn Term will introduce the basic legal skills required to undertake the Law Pathway and, subsequently, undergraduate law study. It then moves on to consider the foundations of the legal system including the law-making process, the hierarchy of the courts, and statutory interpretation. The Spring Term will introduce students to foundational legal philosophical theories and allow them to see how these theories can be useful in practice in helping to analyse judgments and legislation.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To introduce students to the fundamental principles of law and provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the basic principles of English law, including the legal system, sources of law, and the hierarchy of the court system.

  • To develop students’ critical thinking skills by encouraging them to analyse legal issues, construct legal arguments, and apply legal principles to a range of scenarios.

  • To develop students’ research skills by providing them with opportunities to conduct independent research and produce written work that demonstrates their understanding of legal concepts.

  • To provide an understanding of the general theoretical reflections upon law and justice.

  • To enable students to associate the different theories to relevant case law.

  • To promote discussion within the class to advance identification of the jurisprudential concepts of law.

  • To develop students’ knowledge of competing theories in order that they may make critical comparisons.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module students will be expected to be able to:


 



  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles of English law, including the legal system, sources of law, and the hierarchy of the court system.

  2. Identify and analyse a range of substantive and procedural legal issues.

  3. Identify and apply appropriate legal processes and substantive law to a range of scenarios.

  4. Undertake appropriate legal research and critique a range of legal and non-legal sources.

  5. Construct, evaluate and defend legal arguments through written discussion and/or oral presentation.

  6. Have an awareness of, and utilise, the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding required to proceed to more complex legal studies.

  7. Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of key legal theories.

  8. Identify and explain issues in legal theories.

  9. Apply their understanding of legal theories to relevant statutes and case law.

  10. Analyse and critique competing theories of law.

  11. Contextualise legal theories in a contemporary context.


 


Skills for your professional life (Transferable Skills)


 


 



  1. To improve your written and communications skills.

  2. To develop your IT skills by learning to work in word.

  3. To improve your current awareness through debates on current affairs and recent cases.

  4. To develop your personal plan of setting targets and time management to undertake coursework and exams.

  5. Developing your ability to confidently analyse and critically reflect, in order to build persuasive arguments.

  6. Learning how to undertake legal research and find answers to legal questions.

Module information

Syllabus


 


The Autumn Term of this module will focus on two core areas: Legal Skills and Legal Systems.


 


Legal Skills introduces the following topics, which will be further developed during the Research and Academic Skills Development Module:


 



  • Critical Skills

  • Legal Research

  • Legal Writing (IRAC)

  • Referencing and Citations


 


Legal Systems introduces foundational information about the legal system of the UK, including:


 



  • Core aspects of the legal system

  • Law-making in the UK (statute law)

  • The Court System (hierarchy, precedent, statutory interpretation)


 


The Spring Term of the module will turn to legal theory, exploring core approaches to legal thinking, development, and law-making. These include topics such as:


 



  • Legal positivism

  • Natural Law

  • Legal interpretation (Dworkin and Hart)

  • Theories of Justice

  • Critical Legal Theories

Learning and teaching methods

Teaching and learning on the Law Pathway offers students the ability to develop the foundation knowledge, skills, and competences, to study an undergraduate LLB course, through a curriculum that is purposely designed to provide an exceptional learning experience. All teaching, learning and assessment materials will be available to both staff and students via Moodle in a consistent and user-friendly manner.

 

This module is delivered via four contact hours of teaching per week. This consists of 1 x 2-hour lecture and 1 x 2-hour seminar. Students will be expected to undertake the guided reading, preparation, and research, necessary for the module.

 

Lectures

 

The lectures will primarily focus on sharing of academic theory and concepts to ensure students develop a sound knowledge and understanding of their discipline and master an appreciation of current and relevant research in the subject area.

 

Seminars

 

Seminars aim to bring legal knowledge and understanding ‘to life’ by relating it to current issues and practice. In seminars students will develop skills of legal application, analysis and problem solving through a variety of activities including quizzes, problem scenarios and essay-style questions. During the seminars students will also undertake activities developing their writing and presenting skills in preparation for the modules assessments.

 

Learning will be supplemented by essential and supplementary reading materials that should be completed prior to the seminars.

 

Academic support hour

 

Each week students have the opportunity to meet with the Module Leader to discuss any aspect(s) of their study in relation to this module. Students are encouraged to attend in order to clarify any questions, issues or concerns they may have.

Bibliography*

  • Wacks, R. (2020) Understanding Jurisprudence: An Introduction to Legal Theory. 6th edition. Oxford University Press.
  • McLeod, T.I. (2012) Legal theory. 6th ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   1500 Word Essay    40% 
Practical   Moodle Test 1    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 2    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 3    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 4    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 5    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 6    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 7    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 8    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 9    2.5% 
Practical   Moodle Test 10    2.5% 
Practical   Participation    5% 
Practical   Presentation    30% 

Additional coursework information

Formative assessment

A formative written assignment of 750 words will be undertaken during the Autumn Term, relating to the topics already covered. The essay will be self-marked, in class, giving students instant feedback. Further one-to-one feedback will be available from the Module Leader upon request.


Summative assessment

Five Multiple Choice Tests (3% each, 15% in total)

These will test students’ knowledge and understanding of the material delivered in the lectures and their developing abilities to apply this to practical scenarios. It will encourage students to engage with the learning materials in a timely manner and seek appropriate support where necessary.

Oral presentation (10 minutes, 30%)

This presentation will test the students’ knowledge and understanding of the legal material covered on the module and their ability to apply it to given situations. Students will be required to construct sound legal arguments and analyse the current state of the law. The presentation will also serve to test the development of the students’ presentation skills.

Participation mark (5%)

Participation marks will be awarded based on engagement with set-reading and homework. This will be assessed against students’ ability to utilise the material explored outside the classroom during classroom-based activities.

Assignment (1,500 words including footnotes, 50%)

This will take the form of a contemporary case-study where students will develop their writing skills. Students will be required to identify legal issues and analyse and critique the application of legal theory doctrines to the given scenario.

Reassessment strategy

Failed coursework - resubmit a piece of coursework (1,500 words) which will be marked as 100% of the new module mark. The reassessment task will enable the relevant learning outcomes to be met.

If the individual oral presentation has been failed or has not been attempted, students will also be required to submit a pre-recorded individual presentation of no longer than 10 minutes. The weighting will be divided equally between the assignment and the presentation.

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Akalemwa Ngenda, email: an19470@essex.ac.uk.
Akelemwa Ngenda, Gemma Cowling
Lucy Anthony (lanthony@essex.ac.uk)

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Ms Linda Hurley
University of Southampton
Senior Teaching Fellow
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 2 hours, 2 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Essex Pathways

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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