University of Brighton
Brighton Business School
Module Report Template
Law in Practice
Module Title
Module Code
Courses/ Years Taught
Module Leader
Other members of the teaching team
Semester (or weeks taught if block mode)
Academic Year
LW185
LL.B Level 4
Zoe Swan
N/A
Year through
First year
Introduction
This is a new module introduced at the start of the academic year in October 2013. The
content of this module originally formed part of a 40 CAT module, Law in Action LW189.
This module aims to support the transition of students from further education into higher
education with an emphasis on providing opportunities for students to develop the skills
required for the study of law. Additional opportunities are also provided alongside this
module for students to engage with the Careers Service and the Brighton Business School
designated Careers Adviser, Kristina Keiller.
The teaching and learning strategy is based on students attending a weekly workshop and a
weekly, whole year cohort forum (guest speaker or lecture) session.
The module leader has enjoyed teaching this level 4 module. A significant number of
students have engaged well with the module content and the opportunities provided to
develop skills and attend guest lecture sessions.
Statistical data including passes and referrals
Assessment
Overall Module Marks for year ending 2014. As this is a new module no data comparison
has been included from previous years. Attainment on the module is pleasing, with the
exception of the 11 students currently scoring between 0 – 35.
Mark
Number of
students
70%- 79%
9
60%-69%
23
50%-59%
23
40%-49%
8
35 – 39
0
0 - 35
11
Total
74
Mark
Case Note
Presentation
Court Visit
40%
weighted
20% weighted
Reflective Paper
Recruitment
Process
(CV/Cover Letter)
20% weighted
10% weighted
70%- 79%
4
18
9
9
60%-69%
23
10
17
18
50%-59%
22
30
27
27
40%-49%
9
7
7
9
35 – 39
7
Total
65
2
65
62
63
Four methods of assessment are used to support and scaffold the practical skill
development of students in their first year.
Case note/report (1,000 words)
Students were required to write a case note on a shorter case this year (than in previous
years) to develop their ability to read law, engage with a judgment and extract and
summarise relevant legal principles and case facts. This summative assessment is handed
in after reading week in teaching week 6. Students were provided with an in-class formative
feedback opportunity in week 5. During this time the tutor provided one to one feedback to
individual students on a draft or outline case note. 56 students took the opportunity to
received formative feedback.
Group Legal Presentation
This assessment provides students with the opportunity to develop their group work skills
and oral presentation skills. Students are all required to take an active role in the
presentation and are given a wide artistic licence in terms of topic area, mode of delivery and
means of engaging the audience. Forum sessions and workshops are used to highlight and
discuss the skills required for this assessment in particular group work and how to compile
powerful presentations. The standard this year in some groups was exceptionally high, with
students using innovative content to engage the audience for example a quiz using a
specifically set up twitter account on alternative dispute resolution and a real life example of
a negligence case involving a young child injured in a park. Students that scored less well
had not been able to evidence strong group work skills, lacked the capacity to engage the
audience and were less comfortable speaking in front of a group. Students always enjoy this
assessment once it has been completed. The stronger presentations this year clearly
evidenced a wide range of skill, imagination and legal knowledge. Peer feedback is also
used as part of this assessment process.
Court Visit – Reflective Paper (500 words)
Students are required to visit any court of their choice for half a day and write a 500 word
reflective paper on their experience. Students frequently struggle with reflective practice and
how to engage with reflection. Content of developing a reflective practice is included during
the forum and workshop sessions to support students in developing the skills required for the
assessment and to maximise future learning experiences. Students that scored lower marks
in this assessment described their court experience rather than reflected on their learning
experience. Lower scoring reports also failed to give context to their experience within the
course of their learning during the first year. This year the module leader organised several
dates for court visits, to Lewes Combined Court which proved popular and student
representatives were also asked to encourage seminar groups to attend together.
Recruitment Process - CV and Cover Letter
Students always find the content on this part of the module engaging and relevant.
Feedback frequently highlights how beneficial students find the workshop elements on CV
preparation and the forum sessions from careers that provide additional insight into
compiling CVs. Students scored well if they produced a CV of graduate standard with
clearly structured information which highlighted relevant skills and experience, tailored to
their chosen vacancy.
Legal research activity /completion of Westlaw Certificate (not included in stats
weighted at 10%)
Students were provided with a specifically designed workshop on legal sources by the
Aldrich Library Staff (Maggie Symes). This workshop is then complimented by a legal
research activity which forms part of the assessment regime and is completed by students
independently after the workshop to help consolidate learning and give students the
opportunity to get familiar with law resources in the library. The activity introduces students
to a wide range of legal sources.
An additional workshop is also provided by a Westlaw representative. This enables students
to explore and become more familiar with the online legal database. Students are
introduced to the features on Westlaw and given the opportunity to complete a Westlaw
Certificate. This session takes place in a computer pool room.
62 students were credited with marks for completing some or all of this assessment. 39
students completed both the legal research activity and the Westlaw certificate. Both these
assessments take place near the beginning of the module. Unfortunately some of the legal
research activities (which were completed in hard format) were handed in with no names
attached to them, so it was not possible to award credit to the relevant students. Setting up a
turnitin submission point for this assessment in future may encourage a greater number of
students to complete the legal research activity as part of the assessment regime. Students
that completed both parts of this assessment were awarded 100%, students completing one
of the assessment activities were awarded 50%.
Student Feedback:
Students always enjoy this module as it provides them with a variety of opportunities to
develop a wide and varied range of skills to support their transition into HE and their study of
law and business at degree level. Feedback was sought from students at the end of the
module and is included below:
‘The law in practice module worked perfectly alongside the other modules, you learn the
essentials for how to succeed in year one and those skills will apply throughout you law
degree, amongst this, getting first hand advice from second/third year students, on topics
like placements, is invaluable and most of the time you learn that they were feeling exactly
like you are!’
‘A great introduction to the course and for developing skills that have proved invaluable
across all modules. Thursday afternoon speakers provided inspiration, knowledge and a
level of understanding of the law, courts, legal process and recruitment and to name but a
few, that I am sure have created a firm platform for my studies.’
‘Overall - Content very good – for practical elements Westlaw through to career advice/help
on the CV and Covering letter process. Highlights for me were the module leaders
enthusiasm, case note preparation and case note, completing the CV and covering letter,
the Westlaw session and the opportunity to meet professionals.’
‘Possible improvements to the module could include more time with Westlaw or revisit after
use of to gain greater detail/use, more networking opportunities, to run this module again in
2nd Year including a smaller module focused on career strategies (possibly more Careers
service role?) and more time in workshops to expand upon ideas and other module
elements.’
‘This year has also provided the first years with opportunities to supplement their degree,
including an extra-curricula developmental year 1 moot and negotiation skills. The teaching
has been great and overall this year has been a good start to my career development.’
Method of returning feedback:
Gradecentre comments
Gradecentre attached feedback sheet
Turn It In: cover sheet comments
X
Turn It In: rubric
Turn It In: voice feedback
Turn It In: in line comments
X
Turn It In: quick marks
X
Other (please specify)
X
Students were also given oral, written and peer
feedback to support their group legal presentations.
Detailed written feedback which summarised the
feedback from both markers (Zoe Swan and Gilliane
Williams) was also emailed to all members of each
presentation group.
Module/component organization
Weekly workshops are supported by weekly forum sessions which are held on Thursday at
5.00pm. 12 forum sessions were provided by a selection of guest speakers ranging from
local judges, a Senior CPS Prosecutor, to barristers, returning final year placement students,
a mediation practitioner, a debating session run by the debating society, a visit from BARBRI
and a session on developing a digital presence and an overview of Studentfolio (a personal
electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) for academic related work and personal development
planning.) An equality and diversity session was also organised and delivered within a legal
context.
8 forum sessions were specifically designed and provided to support the context of
developing the skills required for assessments and scaffolding level 4 learning. For example
delivering effective presentations, working as part of an effective group/team, mooting skills,
using case law, developing revision techniques and using law in exams and giving
assessment feedback.
University mooting events and the launch of the Brighton Business School Law Network
were also arranged to coincide with the forum sessions on a Thursday, to provide a diverse
offer of opportunities for year 1 student to engage with.
Additional workshops were scheduled for Westlaw and using and accessing sources of law.
The Thursday forum series did not prove consistently popular with the whole cohort
throughout the year. A consistent core group of students attended each week.
The current module leader is leaving the university in July 2014.
External Examiner Comment
Action Plan
No action points planned by the current module leader. However the follow are included for
consideration:

The current module leader would highly recommend developing the programme of
speakers by including speakers with a more diverse professional experience. For
example business speakers in marketing, any form of business and perhaps Alumni
who work in law and or business or who have a legal role in a business.

Set up a turn it in submission point for the legal research activity.

Consider linking assessment to the forum speaker sessions for example as part of a
reflective journal.