LW254-5-SP-CO:
Legal Research Skills
2026/27
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
ReassessmentOnly
Monday 18 January 2027
Thursday 25 March 2027
15
02 July 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
LLB M100DE Law,
LLB M107DE Law (Including Placement Year)
This compulsory second year module is designed to further develop legal and research skills.
Students will develop and enhance a range of skills relating to legal research and project planning, which will both support their learning in the final year of their degree, and constitute valuable transferable skills in their own right.
In particular, LW254 Legal Research Skills will act as a foundation for the final year research project, eg LW304.
The aims of this module are:
- To develop students’ legal research skills, building upon the techniques introduced in the first year.
- To introduce students to a range of different methodological approaches to legal research.
- To develop students’ skills in oral presentation of their ideas.
- To introduce students to a range of considerations in relation to planning legal research.
- To prepare students to undertake their final year independent research project.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Independently locate a range of legal sources within familiar databases and evaluate the suitability of these for a particular research purpose.
- Locate non-legal sources within a limited range of familiar databases and other resources and evaluate the suitability of these for a particular research purpose.
- Understand a range of different methodological approaches to understanding a legal issue, and evaluate their relevance for a research project/task.
- Consider the implications of proposed research, including ethical, confidentiality and data security angles; and evaluating one’s own suitability as a researcher.
- Understand how to plan a research project.
- Make a formal oral presentation of research findings.
- Develop a range of writing styles.
The module will provide students with the tools and skills needed to plan and successfully complete a research project. It will teach students key skills of legal methodology and legal writing, using a range of writing styles.
The module will enhance students' employability through developing research and other valuable communication and transferable skills.
This module will be delivered via:
- A combination of lectures and fortnightly two hour tutorials.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Audrey Guinchard, email: abguin@essex.ac.uk.
Professor Audrey Guincard
The Law Education Admin Team - lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk
No
No
Yes
Dr Giovanna Maria Frisso
University of Lincoln
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 1215 hours, 70 (5.8%) hours available to students:
1125 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
20 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Essex Law School
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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