LAW30760 Legal Placement

Academic Year 2020/2021

In Legal Placement, students will undertake a placement with a law firm or other legal organisation, which will give the student a richer understanding of the diverse roles of legal professionals. The focus of the placement partners varies widely, given the many different forms of legal practice in Irish society: from corporate and commercial law, to criminal law, domestic and international human rights law and public interest law. Students will be able to put into practice the legal skills attained over the duration of their studies to date. With a core emphasis on experiential learning and developing work skills and employability, this module will offer students the opportunity to be placed within organisations that employ legal professionals and others who work with law and utilise the student’s skills to provide real added value to the firm/organisation.

The content of this module is very different to traditional law modules. By recognising that learning occurs through experience, students will gain knowledge and understanding of a dedicated area of law through placement in a partner organisation. Nevertheless, students will need direction and assistance in reflecting on their practice experience.

Given that each individual student’s placement will be very different and will have different focuses and outcomes, there is a need to place reflective evaluation at the heart of this course. Preparation for the placement will be undertaken prior to the formal start of each student’s placement. The preparation sessions will make clear the expectations, demands and responsibilities on students.

The teaching and learning methods employed for this module will be relatively new to the students. The seminars at the outset of the module will impart some general information as regards the role, function and purpose of placement within legal education and the professional standards expected from students in their placement setting. These interactive seminars will allow students to compare and contrast the varied different forms of legal practice.

A maximum of 30 students can take this module. Students should be aware that this is a summer module, and they should be available between late May and early July to complete this module. An application process will apply and only those students who have completed Year 2 in full will be eligible for this module. Students will be provided with further information on the application process near the beginning of Autumn.
Students selected for Erasmus/ International exchange can participate either in the exchange programme or take up a legal placement module and can’t do both.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

After completion of this module a student will be able to:
1. Understand the main concepts, methods and functions of law as a social force within the placement setting; understand the contrasting roles of lawyers in professional settings; Analyse the role of legal placement to understanding law(s) in action; critically assess work and tasks undertaken in a reflective manner.
2. Critically reflect on issues and challenges in a placement setting; Evaluate, analyze and synthesize academic and legal material in the development of arguments on key issues;
3. Act ethically and appropriately in a manner that serves the interests of the client and placement organisation; Practical skills associated with the placement including taking responsibilities at the micro and macro level in respect of clients and/or the placement organisation; Develops an appreciation of the role of law in society and his/her contribution to society through effective clinical practice.
4. Act independently and manage time effectively; Able to demonstrate inter-personal occupational skills and competence in teamwork and interpersonal communications; Developed organisational, managerial and strategic skills.

Indicative Module Content:

Reflective learning; the ethics of placement and legal practice; professionalism; achieving goals on placement; presentation skills; core practical legal skills (research, writing, advocacy); law, legal practice and advocacy in the placement setting.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

18
Autonomous Student Learning

27
Placement/Work Experience

80
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Active/task-based learning; group work; lectures; reflective learning; student presentations. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
LAW30810 - Comparative Law


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Fieldwork: Placement completion Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20
Journal: Theoretically informed reflective journal Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

50
Presentation: Individual presentation at end of placement Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

20
Continuous Assessment: In-class individual presentation during seminar 2 (5%) and participation in class during seminars 1 & 2 (5%) Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

10

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat (CFP) Within Three Semesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The module is assessed by way of group presentations, participation, reflective journal and placement completion. Group feedback will be provided at the beginning of seminar 2 regarding the (ungraded) individual presentations given in seminar 1. This will allow students to take account of this feedback in giving subsequent graded individual presentations. Individual written feedback will be provided regarding draft reflective journal entries in mid-June. Group feedback will be provided in writing regarding final reflective journals, after the end of the module.