legal skills module in your degree

hey all,

im currently deciding between going to university at either leeds or Kings. Im probably going to Kings but one thing im unsure about is that on the Leeds course they have a legal skills module in the first year but Kings dont. i know a lot of other uni's have this module/course like UCL and Cambridge....

Is it an important module, favoured by employers? Will I be missing much by not having it on my course at Kings? or do Kings incorporate it into thier teaching?

any info/advice is greatly appreciated!

Reply 1

Ryands

1

I don't know what the module is exactly, but King's wouldn't have the reputation it does if it wasn't

A] covered either in their degree or the LPC
or
B] unnecessary

Seems as if you have an easy choice on your hands; unless you hate London! :smile:

Reply 2

David Healy is God

Provided you have the core modules and any specifically requested by employers (can't see Legal Skills being one) you'll be grand.

Reply 3

timfinlay

i got the impression on open days i went to (of which leeds was one) that they do legal skills as an individual module, where as other unis expect it to be something you pick up through the course of your studies. id doubt very much whether many employers would even know which unis did the module and which didnt. i supose it may be useful though in terms of first year studies

Reply 4

Ethereal

19

Ryands

I don't know what the module is exactly, but King's wouldn't have the reputation it does if it wasn't

A] covered either in their degree or the LPC
or
B] unnecessary

Seems as if you have an easy choice on your hands; unless you hate London! :smile:

This post makes no sense. I can't figure out what you are trying to say :confused:

Reply 5

Ethereal

19

Thank you for translating SW.

Reply 6

Lewisy-boy

11

Just because it's not called "legal skills" doesn't mean it's not included. They must have some introductory type module you take in first year which it's in I would imagine; either that or you're expected to take it!

Reply 7

emmings

12

Lewis is right, King's do have some kind of introduction series of lectures on top of your other modules up until reading week of the first term if I remember correctly ... it was called introduction to legal skills or something like that. But I only went to one lecture (they were all held at 9am) and it doesn't seem to have harmed me.

Oh, and it's not examined.

Reply 8

Ryands

1

Ethereal

This post makes no sense. I can't figure out what you are trying to say :confused:

I thought it was fairly clear.. :frown:

Could anyone shed any light on what the module actually is? Does it relate to studying or practising law?
I'm guessing studying. Things like finding cases, footnoting etc.

Reply 9

Posh Portia Kabine

Ryands

I thought it was fairly clear.. :frown:

Could anyone shed any light on what the module actually is? Does it relate to studying or practising law?
I'm guessing studying. Things like finding cases, footnoting etc.

I used to know someone at UCLAN a few years back; they did it. It was like doing stuff like mock cases etc? From what I could make out anyway... Using the law library properly :s-smilie:

Reply 10

kclawyer

2

emmings

Lewis is right, King's do have some kind of introduction series of lectures on top of your other modules up until reading week of the first term if I remember correctly ... it was called introduction to legal skills or something like that. But I only went to one lecture (they were all held at 9am) and it doesn't seem to have harmed me.

Oh, and it's not examined.

I think it was called legal systems and reasoning or something along those lines. It introduced us to law, where to find cases, how to approach law, how many books Brownswords written etc etc. Hardly anyone turned up for any of these lectures as they werent assessed and we didnt have any tutorials on them either. So basically it was just KCL taking the piss out of the "You also will be expected to have appropriate expertise in legal research skills and English legal system" requirement.

Reply 11

ellewoods

10

It will make no difference to employers whether you've done this module or not, and you have to do Practical Legal Research on the LPC as a skills module anyway so you'll cover it there before you start in practice anyway.

You'll pick up you research skills as you progress through your degree, dissertations and assignments etc, and if you're really concerned that you're missing out, I would recommend Butterworth's Legal Research Guide - it's really good :smile:

Reply 12

TommehR

13

UCL don't have this module...

We get given a few lectures on basic legal stuff in the first week and have a library exercise to complete, but nothing formal.

I really wouldn't make your decision based on this. You'll pick up the legal skills that you need through your other modules (e.g. Contract will help a great deal with developing case reading skills) without the need for a separate module, whether that module is examined or not.

legal skills module in your degree

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