LW6058 - Law in the Community

This clinical module is based on experiential learning or ‘learning through doing’. Depending on the organisation you are assigned to work with, you may be asked to participate in a broad range of activities such as those outlined above. These activities may be focussed on progressing a client’s legal case or providing public legal education to the organisation’s service users. Your legal knowledge, professional skills and understanding of professional conduct rules will develop as a result of participating in these activities. Your participation in the project should also have a positive effect on the individual or community group you will be working with.

You will be closely supervised at all times. You will receive oral and written feedback on your work, which will help you improve throughout the module.

As you will be working within a professional organisation, you will be required to manage your time effectively so that you can complete work promptly. You will be expected to work both collaboratively and independently to complete any tasks set.

Your clinical work will be supplemented by a regular small group workshop. The workshops are designed to help you refine those skills that you will be developing through your clinical work and which you need in a professional working environment. Topics may include letter writing, interviewing, professional conduct and case management. Workshops will be tutor guided and will often adopt a problem-based learning approach.

You will be summatively assessed at the end of the module on a personal portfolio of any work completed and a reflective essay.

You will attend a one hour introductory lecture which will give you an overview of the module design, assessment and what is expected of you.

You will then be allocated to work on a clinical project which will take place in the Student Law Office or in a community organisation. This organisation may not be based on campus and therefore you may be required to travel. You will be allocated a supervisor who will either be based at Northumbria University or the organisation you will be working with.

You will receive ongoing formative feedback from your supervisor(s) throughout the module on your work and performance. You will also be able to access peer support through close working with other students.

You will meet regularly at Northumbria University for a small group workshop. The member of staff who runs these workshops may not be your supervisor however they will be available to discuss reflection with you and any issues you may have.

Further support will include a range of materials available on the module eLP site including guidance on reflection and assessment. There are regular meetings between supervisors and firm representatives to deal with any issues and the module tutor can be contacted in addition to your supervisor.

The Student Law Office administration team is responsible for the non-academic administration of the module such as receiving your completed assessments, returning your marked assessments and recording your marks. They and the module tutor will contact you throughout the duration of the module with assessment hand-in dates and other information.

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:
• Develop knowledge and understanding of how substantive law operates in the context of practice and recognise ambiguity and deal with uncertainty of the law in the practical context

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Communicate orally or in writing ideas, information, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences and when required be able to respond to written or oral stimuli including questions and instructions.

• 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 (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

• To exercise initiative, self-manage and exercise judgment in a professional and ethical manner and to reflect on their personal and professional development

• To display the attitudes and skills to engage and work constructively and sensitively in multicultural environments and teams.

Your performance in relation to your clinic work 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.

You will produce a piece of work relating to your experience in clinic, and also evidence that you have developed an understanding of the reflective skills required in professional practice.

Formative assessment – your supervisor will provide on-going feedback on the work such as practical research reports and letters you produce in relation to your clinical experience, and you will be provided with written or oral feedback (as appropriate), as part of your reflective development.

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This clinical module provides a unique opportunity for you to develop your legal knowledge and professional skills through gaining hands on experience.
In this module you will work within the Student Law Office or with a community organisation to offer advice, assistance or legal education to their clients or service users. You will develop your understanding of at least one area of substantive law, such as civil litigation, housing, family law or welfare benefits. You will work independently and collaboratively on a range of activities which may include interviewing and advising clients, drafting documents to progress their case, preparing legal information documents or delivering presentations. This will develop key employability skills including research, teamwork and written and oral communication skills. You will also gain experience of working in a professional environment.

Throughout this module you will receive support, guidance and feedback from supervisors, tutors and peers. Your final assessment will be by portfolio containing the work produced throughout the module alongside a reflective account of your learning.