| Unit name | Clinical Legal Studies |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30005 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Mr. John Peake |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
Membership of the Law Clinic or Human Rights Clinic; membership of the Law Clinic is guaranteed for those students taking this Unit |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This Unit will have the following aims: - To provide students with practical legal skills applicable to practising law in the relevant thematic fields, to include: ethics, ADR, court structure and lawyering, legal aid, access, submission of pleadings, costs, enforcement and conducting interviews. - To provide students with real-life experience of drafting legal briefs, commenting on draft or existing legislation or legal documents at the national and international levels, as appropriate. - To enable students to select a particular thematic area on which they will critically reflect. The objectives of the unit will be to provide students with an understanding of the application of law in practice; an appreciation of the concept of professionalism and ethics necessary for a legal career; an ability to bridge the gap between the academic study of law and the practical application of law.
By the end of this unit a successful student will be able to:
• Understand the application of law in practice and demonstrate an ability effectively to communicate with clients, lawyers and non- lawyers
• Appreciate and apply alternative methods of dispute resolution
• Demonstrate an awareness of the advocacy techniques which are appropriate for national tribunals and courts and some international tribunals and courts
• Apply a range of practical skills and knowledge base necessary to provide advice and advocacy in the chosen field
• Appreciate the concept of professionalism and ethics in line with appropriate standards
• Demonstrate an ability to bridge the gap between the academic study of law and the practical application of law
The unit will be taught by a combination of 8 lectures, 6 case related two-hour workshops, and ten one-hour seminars to consider legal and ethical issues raised in the cases being conducted by those students in Clinic. There will also be a minimum of four case supervision sessions (30 minutes each) in relation to Clinic casework.
1 formative assessment: No formal formative assessment, but there will be ongoing peer and tutor review of the mandatory reflective log.
2 x summative assessments: 2 x 2,000 word coursework. Summative assessments do count towards final mark.
The assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
