Understanding Law is a module you will study in your first semester. The module itself is split into two halves: a Critical Introduction to Law and an Introduction to Legal Method. You will have to attend four lectures a week and a two hour seminar every fortnight although this varies for BA Students. Seminars are similar to the tutorials that you will have in other modules, however group numbers are increased in seminars creating more opportunity for group work, debate and practical skill learning (such as a moot in seminar six).
The module is more practical than the others you will study in your first year and aims to get you thinking like a law student. The Introduction to Legal Method will teach you how the English legal system works, the difference between statutory and common law and guide you on citations. The Critical Introduction to Law introduces you to various legal topics with a difficult moral element such as embryo preservation, the ownership of the human body and the politicisation of law in relation to the European Convention of Human Rights.
For this module, you will be set coursework which will determine your grade. Good preparation is vital as you will need to collate your sources before leaving for the Christmas holidays. I would also recommend writing it as early as possible to ensure you have enough time to amend it before submitting! You will have a choice of two questions and a compulsory case analysis; your essay will be linked to one or more of the seminars you attended during term time, so it’s very important to keep your notes as these will help! The coursework will draw on both sections of the module, asking you to constructively analyse the issue given to you and to support your overall opinion with legal evidence, all easier in practice than it sounds.
Overall the module is engaging and a good introduction to your legal studies!