1. Client Counselling Skills
In this assessed unit students learn how to plan and conduct client counselling interviews by:
Being aware of the personal and ethical issues raised in dealing with clients
Practising and/or analysing a range of basic strategies to facilitate clients in interviews.
Consider alternative solutions to problems, both legal and extra-legal.
Conducting efficiently structured interviews
Managing pre- and post-interview administration
Knowing how to apply reflective practice to their own counselling strategies.
2. Legal Writing and Document Drafting
In this unit students learn how to :
1. Generate writing according to the following criteria:
Subject
Audience
Purpose
Word/time limit
2. Structure legal argument
3. Draft legal letters
4. Draft different types of legal memos and file notes
5. Write clear and appropriate legal prose
3. Negotiation skills
In this unit students learn how to plan and conduct negotiations by:
Understanding when to use negotiation skills,
Identifying different approaches to negotiation
Recognising their personal preferences.
Evaluating the effectiveness of their negotiation strategies.
Use material for letter exercise
4. Self-Appraisal Report
At the end of this module students are required to submit a self-assessment report. In this report they have the opportunity to draw upon their learning logs and comment on their progress throughout the module.
5. Advanced Legal Research Skills
In this unit students will learn the research skills which will help them amongst other things to complete their own Honours dissertation successfully. These include being able to:
Understand and analyse the significance of legal research in a professional and academic setting
Analyse the difficulties of drafting a subject for relevant legal research.
Use a variety of research methods to discover primary and secondary legal materials
Organise legal research plans
Use additional research methodologies - interviews, surveys, focus groups etc.
6. IT in the legal office.
7. IT as a promoter and facilitator of learning in law.
On successful completion of this module students should be able to understand and apply the main principles and theory of:
1. client counselling skills;
2. legal writing;
3. document drafting;
4. negotiation skills;
5. advanced legal research skills particularly in context of dissertation; and
6. professional ethics.
They should also be able to:
7. consider issues around employability in the legal environment;
8. critically analyse their methods of learning;
9. reflect and critically judge their own performance;
10. evaluate their achievement on the course; and
11. explain the challenges faced by lawyers in meeting social responsibilities and explore effective approaches to meeting those challenges.
Finally, the student should be able to demonstrate:
12. knowledge and understanding of the current role of information technology in the legal sector; and
13. competency in a range of software applications relevant to the law.
PRME Learning Outcome: demonstrate an ability to explore ethical and socially responsible responses to issues arising within the context of Skills for Legal Employment.
Analysis, Synthesis, Critical Judgement and Evaluation
The ability to identify issues, assimilate, evaluate and analyse information to construct written or oral solutions to a problem by bringing together and integrating relevant information, and selecting key material, from a variety of different sources. The ability to present arguments for and against propositions, acknowledging ranking of sources and relative impact in context. Such skills are developed within this module through tutor directed study in lectures and practicals, and through the following activities:
Solving well defined problems scenarios through mock client interviews and professional legal writing
Managing, analysing and rating a large volume of legal sources in a number of research exercises
Preparing a negotiation strategy whilst considering a number of legal sources and
Application of the law and problem-solving in a mock professional context.
Personal Management, Independence and Ability to Learn
The ability to organise and prioritise effectively the expenditure of time and effort in the performance of all aspects of student work. The ability to learn effectively and be aware of their own learning strategies to manage their own learning development and to reflect upon their learning, seeking and making use of feedback. Such skills are developed within this module through the following activities:
Carry out client interviews independently and record digitally
Meeting deadlines for continuous assessment - interview, report and drafting a legal letter etc
Preparing for interview to set time period
Preparing and performing a number of legal exercises in workshop and
Access materials via the GCU Learn site.
Communication and Literacy
The ability to communicate information, ideas, advice and choices in an effective and succinct manner and in plain English without losing focus on key issues. The ability to listen and question effectively, to give and receive feedback and to make presentations addressing an allocated topic within the prescribed time frame. The ability to communicate both orally and in writing (and, where appropriate, by the use of electronic means) using the English language accurately by creating work which is comprehensible to the intended audience. The ability to create documents which are analytical, descriptive and inquisitive using appropriate terminology and recognised methods of citation and reference. Such skills are developed within this module through the following activities:
Creating work in a permanent format which is understandable by the intended audience
Create an report which is analytical, descriptive and inquisitive
Using appropriate legal terminology in all work - given it is a professional setting and dealing with the lay person
Completing a mock client counselling interview playing the role of legal practitioner
Listening and questioning effectively
Giving and receiving feedback and responding effectively to others within workshop groups
Ensuring that all communications (either face-to-face or in permanent form) are succinct without losing focus on key issues or information
Communicating in plain English, with legal terminology only as needed - particularly being aware of audience
Contributing effectively to group work in class and assessment
Using recognised methods of citation and reference which will be used in coursework where appropriate and
Engaging in group work for interviews and negotiation exercise.
Numeracy, Information, Technology and Teamwork
Where relevant and as the basis for an argument, the ability to present and evaluate information provided in numerical or statistical form. The ability to produce and present in an appropriate form a word-processed report or other appropriate format. The ability to conduct efficient searches of websites to locate relevant information and exchange documents by E-mail. The ability to work productively and cooperatively in different kinds of groups to establish working relations with others, defining, sharing and delegating responsibilities within the group. Such skills are developed within this module through the following activities:
Word processed report
Prepare digital interview - upload and assess in own time from GCU learn site
Use of Internet - general and specific - to research legal and professional materials for workshops and assessment
Communication with module team via e-mail
Participation in workshop discussions
Groupwork for mock interviews and negotiation exercise and
IT applications relevant to the legal environment.
