UDLAWZFY - BA (Hons) Law (including foundation year)

The BA (Hons) Law degree is designed for students who wish to study law, without restricting their choice of modules to those dictated by the requirements of a Qualifying Law degree. It is a popular course for those students who wish to study law, but who do not intend to pursue a career as either a solicitor or a barrister.

The course, which is delivered by highly qualified academics and practitioners, has been devised with reference to the Subject Benchmark Statement for Law developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. The subject specific knowledge and skills, cognitive abilities and non-subject specific skills outlined in the benchmark statement are referenced in the relevant sections of this course document.

The course provides a rigorous programme covering a wide range of legal issues and interests.

The Teaching and Learning strategy of the BA degree is designed to ensure that the following key outcomes are achieved:

• To comply with – or improve on – the benchmarks set out by the Quality Assurance Agency;
• To encourage the acquisition and understanding of knowledge by students, engendering an enthusiasm for the subject and life-skills learning, including the progression from surface learning to deep learning;
• To facilitate students in developing independent skills and responsibilities for their own learning;
• Incrementally to strengthen the subject specific knowledge and practical legal skills gained by students, to ensure that they are equipped to thrive successfully in the professional workplace.

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS
This degree draws on the reputation of the Guildhall School of Business and Law for pedagogical innovation, as well as utilising traditional teaching methods. The latter includes a mixture of lectures, seminars, and workshops. Within this, a combination of whole group, small group, student-led and tutor-led teaching occurs.

This can include face-to-face teaching and discussion, but there is also an increasing emphasis on the use of blended learning opportunities.

Apart from being excellent pedagogic practice, our emphasis on blended learning – and on a complementary wide range of assessment techniques – is particularly appropriate to enable our diverse student population to achieve their goals and aspirations without prejudice to their cultural, social or educational backgrounds, or to their need to engage in paid employment during their studies.

Lectures
• Introduce students to legal rules and concepts.
Seminars/ Workshops
• Enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the matters introduced in the lectures.
• Enable students to lead and contribute to discussion and debate on contemporary issues within the relevant legal field.
• Develop skills of critical analysis, problem solving and synthesis of legal materials.

Independent Study
• Develop skills in research and analysis of primary and secondary sources, using both the traditional library, the e-library and the professional legal databases.

Virtual Learning

• Although the course is not by distance-learning, and physical attendance at the university is a requirement for the lectures and seminars, we facilitate the students as much as possible to study at their own pace in their own time away from the campus.

Experiential Learning
• Students are encouraged to experience work-related practice both through the formal curriculum and through extra-curricular activities.

Skills Training
• Transferable skills pervade every module, including those identified in the QAA Subject Benchmark for Law. These include both practical and intellectual skills, as specified in the Course Learning Outcomes.

The course aims:

• To deliver an academically rigorous legal education.

• To provide a wide range of optional modules in addition to the legal foundation subjects to allow students to pursue and develop their own interests.

• To develop a detailed understanding of legal rules, their contexts and application, as well as developing transferable skills in communication, independent research, teamwork and public speaking.

• To enable students to acquire the legal and transferable skills set out in the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Law.

• To enhance the employability of students, including those who do not intend to practise as a barrister or solicitor, but who wish to enter other employment where legal knowledge is useful.

• To acquaint students with a range of employment avenues, both in the legal profession and in those professions into which legal qualifications and skills are transferable.

• To develop the students’ skills of independent legal research, analysis and presentation.

• To develop students’ facility of critical thinking through taught provision and independent research.

• To develop and instil ways of thinking that are intrinsic to the study of law. These include an appreciation of the complexity of legal concepts, ethics, rules and an awareness of the importance of principles of justice and the rule of law.

• To assist students in evaluating their learning and embedding personal development in their professional practice in research/project activities.

Course Learning Outcomes
(mapped against the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Law, November 2019)

Learning Outcome 1: Our graduates will have the confidence needed to take leadership decisions in challenging situations. (QAA i, ii, vi, vii, viii and xi)

Learning Outcome 2: Our graduates will possess the necessary communication skills that will help them adopt a global and multicultural perspective in their professional context. (QAA xi and xii)

Learning Outcome 3: Our graduates will be cognisant of the effects of the social and environmental effects of their decision, and will remain active citizens of the places they live and work. (QAA iii, iv, viii and xii)

Learning Outcome 4: Our graduates will demonstrate application of creative thinking skills to practical problems, and possess the analytical and organizational skills to translate creative ideas to operational solutions. (QAA i, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x and xi)

Learning Outcome 5: Our graduates will have sufficient knowledge in the core discipline areas included in their courses of study. (QAA iii, iv and v)

APPENDIX

QAA: Subject Benchmark Statement for Law: November 2019

A law student's skills and qualities of mind

2.4: A graduate of law with honours has demonstrated:

i intellectual independence, including the ability to ask and answer cogent questions about law and legal systems, identify gaps in their own knowledge and acquire new knowledge, and engage in critical analysis and evaluation

ii self-management, including an ability to reflect on their own learning, make effective use of feedback, a willingness to acknowledge and correct errors and an ability to work collaboratively

iii awareness of principles and values of law and justice, and of ethics

iv knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts, values, principles and rules of public and private laws within an institutional, social, national and global context

v study in depth and context of substantive areas of law

vi ability to conduct self-directed research, including accurate identification of issue(s) which require researching, retrieval and evaluation of accurate, current and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources, including primary legal sources

vii ability to work with a range of data, including textual, numerical and statistical

viii ability to recognise ambiguity and deal with uncertainty in law

ix ability to produce a synthesis of relevant doctrinal and policy issues, presentation of a reasoned choice between alternative solutions and critical judgement of the merits of particular arguments

x ability to apply knowledge and understanding to offer evidenced conclusions, addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems

xi ability to communicate both orally and in writing, in relation to legal matters, including an ability to listen and respond to written and oral stimuli, including questions and instructions

xii engagement with their own personal and professional development, and academic integrity.

Subject Benchmark Statement (Law) November 2019

The range of assessment methods to be employed on this course reflects the range of skills required by the discipline of law and the standards expected. They will include examinations (unseen, part-seen and wholly seen), essays and problem question coursework, oral presentations, advocacy, independent research papers, on-line tests, multiple-choice tests, projects, research exercises and oral assessments. An assessment strategy has been designed to ensure a reasonable spread of contributory summative assessment.

In line with our policy on facilitating formative feedback and feedforward to students, the assessment strategy is designed to provide formative feedback on a piece of contributing summary assessment before another summative component is due to be submitted. At Level 4, students will have the opportunity to reflect on their learning process and engagement through the completion of a formative assessment in week 7. Module assessment is thus varied and generally does not comprise 100% written examinations/in-class tests, unless this is required by professional bodies.

Students are encouraged to work in teams, as this enables students to learn from each other and to develop important teamwork skills.

Students are able to experience the legal environment through the compulsory work-related learning elements at Level 4 and Level 6 of their course programme, as well as throughout the course by way of extra-curricular activities.

At Level 4, there will be work-related learning assessments as part of the Legal Method module, including the writing of CV’s suitable for the legal sector; and practice in the making of applications for jobs, work experience, internships and mini-pupillages.

At Level 6, students will undertake accredited work-related learning as part of the core Civil Law and Practice module, in conjunction with the pro bono clinic, which will also be available throughout their course at all levels as an extra-curricular activity.

Where possible, through the dedicated placements and careers teams, students will be supported in finding suitable opportunities which can be either be a placement, part-time role or ’live’ project for an external organisation untaken within the university.

The suitability of the opportunities will be assessed by the responsible staff on an individual basis. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for opportunities and engage with the relevant university personnel who will assist them in gaining a suitable role.

The course shall conform to both framework and University Academic Regulations.

Certificate in Higher Education
All Level 4 cores

Diploma in Higher Education
All Level 4 cores + all Level 5 cores + 2 level 5 options.

Degree without Honours
All Level 4 cores + all Level 5 cores + 30 credits at Level 5 + at least 60 credits from Level 6 modules

Degree with Honours
All Level 4 cores + all Level 5 cores + a further 30 credits at Level 5 + all Level 6 cores + further modules providing a total of 120 credits at Level 6

Reflective learning and personal development planning are introduced and developed through the Legal System and Legal Method modules at Level 4 and is further developed and articulated through the core modules at all levels.

Further opportunity for reflective learning is presented in specific modules including Civil Law and Practice (which will operate in tandem with the Pro Bono clinic), and in the Dissertation and Law Research Essay modules.

Independent and self-managed learning is introduced at Level 4 and encouraged and developed at all levels of the course.

Students are encouraged to engage in their own learning around the subject including engagement in extra-curricular activities, such as mooting, pro bono work and the Mansfield Student Law Society.

N/A

Law graduates are employable not only in the law, but also in a variety of highly skilled and analytical roles in, for example, business, finance, education, public policy, public service and social services in the UK and internationally.

Throughout the degree, students will have the opportunity to gain relevant experience while studying though legal work placements, mooting and pro bono opportunities. Students studying this course are also eligible to join the Law Mentoring Programme, where students are paired with postgraduate London Met mentors in order to obtain support in relation to personal and professional development, selecting career paths, acquiring work experience and commercial awareness, and writing CVs and covering letters.

As part of the programme, participants are able to attend interactive careers workshops, postgraduate ‘taster’ sessions, and networking events, attended by students, London Met staff, and legal professionals, as well as our annual ‘Get Into Law’ day, where students are given the opportunity to hear from, and to question, a panel of legal professionals about their careers and how to get ahead in the legal profession.

Employability skills are also developed through extracurricular activities including presentations and events organised by the Mansfield Student Law Society and the careers service, together with work experience and networking with other students.

Career management is encouraged through reference to the relevant professional bodies, work experience and careers advice. Guidance and feedback from an individual personal development profile is provided to prepare students for a professional career. Our online vacancy system, Prospects Net illustrates opportunities for part-time, full-time, vacation and voluntary work.

This degree will help you to enter a variety of non-law professions such as politics, business, law commission, insurance, banking, civil service, local authorities, journalism and media.

The course is not designed to comply with the requirements of the Joint Academic Stage Board of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board for the completion of the Academic Stage of training for the legal profession.

You can also consider alternative careers involving law which do not require approval of JASB, such as paralegal, patent lawyers or licensed conveyancers. Students who wish to be considered for Year 2 of the LLB programme may apply to the course leader at the end of Year 1. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and are at the discretion of the course leader.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• at least one A level (or a minimum of 32 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC/Subsidiary/National/BTEC Extended Diploma)
• GCSE English Language at grade C (grade 4) or above (or equivalent)