LW250-5-FY-CO:
Legal Advice Case Work

The details
2023/24
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
16 October 2023

 

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

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

The module examines, in a clinical setting, a number of issues surrounding the provision of legal advice and involves the student training as an adviser with the University of Essex's Law Clinic. As a result, this provides practical experience of advice work, mainly, but not exclusively, of a legal nature.

The module involves students engaging in a different form of learning to most of their other courses. This form of learning is often called experiential learning because it involves the use of real-life experiences as the basis for learning. In law school, it is usually called clinical legal education. Throughout the world and increasingly in the United Kingdom clinical legal education is becoming central to legal education.

Module aims

1. To provide students through experience of clinical practice with a basic knowledge and understanding of some key concepts and principles central to the work of legal advice workers.
2. To provide students with experience of legal advice work in areas such as benefits advice, housing rights, equality and employment law, family law and consumer issues.
3. To encourage an appreciation of the social and political context in which legal advice operates.
4. To introduce students to the practice of reflection on experience in order to improve their performance and understanding of legal work.

Module learning outcomes

On completion of this module the students should be able to:

1. Undertake a range of tasks and activities concerned with legal advice work.
2. Apply legal and, as appropriate, other skills in a practical and focused way to problems or project topics.
3. Assess and reflect on the work undertaken and set the work into the conceptual frameworks developed on the rest of their LLB degree programme.

Module information

The module starts with an induction into clinical advice work. It will first provide students with the skills and ethical frameworks necessary to equip them to provide legal services to community members as an adviser with the University of Essex's Law Clinic (ELC). Then it will provide students with the opportunity both in class and through written assignments to apply their newly developed legal advice skills and to reflect on their experiences in terms of what they have learnt about legal skills, their own professional development, and their work in teams and for ELC clients.

Please note that this module may only be undertaken by members of the Essex Law Clinic either as:

- Level 5 students that have successfully applied to the Essex Law Clinic for direct entry in 2020/21 (See below for details on how to apply); or
- Level 5 students that have successfully advanced from Bronze to Silver membership level during the 2019/20 academic year (whether or not they have undertaken any skills training as Bronze members).

To apply to become a Clinic member please e-mail lawclinic@essex.ac.uk to request an application form. The Clinic is only able to take on a limited number of student volunteers in line with available resources. Student numbers on this module will also have to be restricted in line with available resources.

To become a clinic member students must apply, undertake an interview and be accepted.

To undertake cases students must complete all compulsory induction sessions. Students must maintain Clinic membership, be able to attend clinic sessions, and be prepared to sign a confidentiality policy and uphold the University's equalities policies.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be taught via weekly one-hour seminars. The module teaching team will upload all relevant teaching materials on Moodle. You will find reading lists, the textbook, weekly handouts and PPS notes on Moodle. The materials in question are designed both to help you navigate the material to be covered in the seminars and to equip you to analyse the required readings. You will be expected to have completed the required readings in advance of your seminars. Your seminars will enable you to discuss the material covered in lectures and the required readings, obtain feedback on your pre-class preparation and deepen your understanding of key concepts.

Bibliography

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   Online Forum Participation - Continuous Assessment (LW250 Legal Advice Casework)    20% 
Coursework   Spring Essay (LW250 Legal Advice Casework)    60% 
Coursework   LW250-5-FY - Autumn Essay  19/01/2024  20% 

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
Mr Lee Hansen, email: l.hansen@essex.ac.uk.
Law Education Office, lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No
Travel costs for UK - based unpaid, approved work placements and live projects which are an integral part of a module may be covered by your department. (NB this will usually exclude field trips and site visits). Please check with your module supervisor to ensure that the activity is eligible.

External examiner

Dr Richard Bowyer
University of Exeter
Senior Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 9 hours, 6 (66.7%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
3 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Essex Law School

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