LW6054 - Student Law Office: Advice Clinic

This module will draw on the knowledge and understanding of legal subjects and legal methods you have encountered in previous levels. You will learn through working on your client cases, approaching this as lawyers would in practice but carrying out all work under close supervision of a legally qualified member of staff. You will have been prepared for this method of learning through problem-based and enquiry-based learning modules in years 1 and 2.



You will work collaboratively and independently to identify and research your client’s legal problems and take any necessary steps to provide them with advice. You will conduct your work in the Student Law Office under supervision of qualified members of staff and will maintain files and comply with the administrative, ethical and professional conduct requirements for legal practice. You will be required to manage your time effectively so that you can conduct the work your case file(s) promptly. You will benefit from a high staff to student ratio, working in a small groups (known as firms) of 8-10 students, with one or two main supervisors, generally specialising in a particular area of work.


Independent learning will centre on you identifying clients’ needs and goals, investigating the facts and legal issues, and providing practical legal advice. 

Throughout the module you will receive feedback from your supervisor on your performance, through oral and written feedback on the work you prepare on your client case(s) and for firm meetings. That feedback process is formalised both through the weekly firm meetings (group work) discussion and reflection, and through the keeping of a portfolio with all drafts of work and of feedback.

This module provides a high level of personal support from your supervisor(s), who will meet with you and your ‘firm’ regularly and will provide formative feedback throughout the client-based legal work you will carry out under their supervision. You will also be able to access peer support through close working with other students within the module.


The module has an eLP site which gives guidance on legal skills, reflection and assessment in the module.



The University supports you in learning and research with an excellent library and teaching facilities, access to on-line legal databases and resources and appropriate software.



This module is designed and will be managed by the module tutors who will be responsible for guiding you in your engagement and learning. Relevant materials and instructions will be accessible through the module eLP site, maintained by the Module Tutors.



Extensive use is made of the eLP to facilitate discussions between you and the module tutors, to provide materials, make announcements and to highlight recent developments and relevant research materials.



You may communicate with the module tutors and you are encouraged to make contact if you encounter any difficulties.



Academic support is available through formative feedback from tutors and on summative assignments.



At programme level you will be supported by the Programme Leader who will provide pastoral support throughout the module and the programme.



The Programme Administration and Student Liaison teams are responsible for the non-academic administration of the module. They will contact you throughout the duration of your module with details about the assignment and other issues.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

Developed knowledge and understanding of how the substantive law operates in the context of practice and recognise ambiguity and deal with uncertainty of the law.



Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:



In a clinical context, you will develop the skills to:



Be able to conduct enquiries both in a practice and substantive law context to an adequate level and understand the importance of evidence in the construction of arguments. 

Communicate orally or in writing, ideas, information problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences to an adequate level of competency.

To consolidate and apply knowledge and understanding effectively to complex actual or hypothetical legal problems and to further extend understanding so as to find solutions and construct sustainable and evidenced arguments in the conduct of a legal case or project.

To conduct self-directed research including accurate identification of issues which require researching, retrieval and evaluation of accurate, current and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources including primary sources.



Personal Values Attributes:



You will be able to critically reflect on your experiences within the Student Law Office to enhance your learning.



You will be able exercise initiative to advise on a legal case in an ethical manner.

Your performance in the Student Law Office will be assessed through continuous assessment, and with reference to the portfolio you will submit at the end of the module, incorporating your key pieces of work evidencing the knowledge, skills and attributes required in professional practice. This will constitute 70% of your grade.



You will also be required to deliver a 10-minute presentation where you will demonstrate that you have developed an understanding of the reflective skills required in professional practice. The presentation will constitute 30% of your grade.



Formative assessment – your supervisor will provide ongoing feedback on the work you produce, such as practical research reports and letters. You will be provided with appropriate written or oral feedback (as appropriate), as part of your reflective development.

LW5122 Introduction to the Student Law Office

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The award-winning Student Law Office is an in-house legal advice centre within the University, with state-of-the-art facilities. This internationally respected teaching programme provides a unique opportunity for students to develop their legal skills within an authentic practice environment and includes work on real cases for the public under the supervision of practitioner members of staff, enabling you to develop key employability skills.


Student satisfaction rates for this module are very high, with students able to develop personally, as well as professionally and academically. 

Northumbria University was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for the exceptional work of its Student Law Office. The prize, the highest form of national recognition open to a UK academic institution, was awarded in recognition of work judged to be of outstanding excellence and with positive impact, and for having: “A university law clinic making a distinctive contribution to the needs of the local community and to legal education.”