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LS3528: CLINICAL LEGAL STUDIES (2018-2019)

Last modified: 22 May 2019 17:07


Course Overview

This level 3 course covers key aspects and challenges relating to the provision of pro bono publico (“for the public good”) legal advice by Scottish law students. It builds on voluntary activity already undertaken by students by encouraging them to reflect on those experiences and highlights legal, ethical and practical issues that may be faced as students and throughout legal practice.  This course can only be taken by students who have a minimum of one year's voluntary work experience in a pro bono publico programme that has been approved by the course co-ordinator.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Mr Malcolm Combe

Qualification Prerequisites

  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • One of Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5
  • Law (LS) (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This level 3 course covers key aspects and challenges of pro bono legal advice in the Scottish context. The evolution of the profession as a whole, and the political matter of the legal aid budget will provide the legal backdrop in Scotland, but comparative study with jurisdictions such as England & Wales, the states of the United States of America and South Africa will be encouraged to set that Scottish backdrop in context.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: Students will prepare an evaluation of a case or another activity that they have been involved in, of approximately 2,000 words. Part 1 of this evaluation would be a short precis of the legal issues. Part 2 would be a self reflection piece (of no less than 1,000 words) to explain what the student might have done differently, what was a particular success, what experiences can be taken forward etc. This would count for 40% of the final mark.

Students will also prepare an essay with a word limit of 2,500 words. There would be a yearly rotation of essay questions, with a reading list provided for each question, and that would be largely self-study. This would count for 60% of the final mark.

Resit: 2,500 word essay only (ie no self-reflection exercise) on a different topic to the original essay.

Formative Assessment

Short reflective writing piece of approximately 1,000 words, to inform later assessed work.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided on assessed work by the marker via MyAberdeen or directly to students. Students will also be provided with feedback on the formative essay.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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