LLB Law / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Contract Law

Course unit fact file
Unit code LAWS10210
Credit rating 30
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Full year
Available as a free choice unit? No

Aims

1.       Provide students with knowledge and understanding of the foundations, and general principles, of Contract Law.

2.       Enable students to acquire legal skills in locating, interpreting and applying, primary and secondary legal resources.

3.       Provide students with an opportunity to analyse, and provide advice upon, a range of hypothetical and simulated legal problems and scenarios.

4.       Introduce the role of remedies in private law.

5.       Introduce students to the role of contract law in protecting weaker, more vulnerable parties to a contract.

6.      Introduce the skill of client interviewing and advising.

7.       Develop an understanding of commercial awareness and contemporary issues arising within Contract Law.

Syllabus

  • Introduction to contract law including theoretical foundations 
  • Formation  
  • Contractual terms  
  • Misrepresentation 
  • Vitiating factors  
  • Breach of contract and remedies (equitable and common law) 

 

Additional content: 

  • Commercial awareness including introduction to legal tech. 

Teaching and learning methods

This course unit uses the standard approach of a combination of lectures and 2-hour workshops as the scheduled teaching and learning activities.

Lectures will be used to disseminate knowledge and understanding of the key principles of contract law, provide information about key academic issues and thinking on the subject and to direct students to key legal skills especially in the context of applying the law to problem scenarios.  There will be a range of interactive thinking points, exercises and MCQs integrated into lecture sessions.  To supplement lectures, we will also be providing Study Plans which will be used to enhance learning on specific issues relevant to the workshops.  Lectures may also be used to introduce themes relating to commercial awareness, including guest presenters.
 
Workshops will enable students to participate in a range of activities in small groups and will be led by the workshop leader. The first part of a workshop will build upon material covered in lectures and explore general questions and small problem question to consider application and use of legal authority. Students may work in whole group, pairs, small groups – this will be individual to each workshop of this type. The second half of each workshop will use interactive learning to explore Large Problem Questions which will use a Pyramid approach to facilitate learning.  Students will work individually, in pairs, in small groups, in groups of 8-10 to pyramid their learning and develop an answer, and advice, in relation to a large question.  Some workshops will use simulated learning by way of client interviewing exercises to develop application of knowledge and advice.  Tutors will scaffold learning and provide feedback.  At the end of each workshop cycle, students will receive a set of online MCQs to allow for formative self-assessment.  Each workshop carries a reflection task and follow up reading task.  Workshops will be supported by feedback sheets which will be provided at the end of each workshop cycle. Workshop sheets will contain reference to guided reading as well as any follow-up exercises and recommended reading and reflection activity.  Workshop preparation sheets will also be supplemented by the use of study plans which will bring focus to a specific area of law or issue which is directly relevant to the Pyramid Exercise to be used.
 
This course unit has a Blackboard page which will be used to deliver the range of course materials and information about teaching, learning and assessment for that course unit. Embedded within Blackboard there will be a range of online learning tools such as MCQs, Padlet Boards and Podcasts to bridge the learning between lectures, workshops and any assessment preparation.

Knowledge and understanding

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the foundations, and principles of, Contract Law.

Intellectual skills

Analyse, and apply, primary and secondary legal resources relating to Contract Law.

Practical skills

Advise on the best practical options available in the applied context of hypothetical scenarios.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Demonstrate commercial awareness in the context of contemporary issues in Contract Law.

Assessment methods

Coursework (2000 words) 50%

MCQ Exam 50%

Feedback methods

Individual and cohort feedback on summative assessments.

Formative coursework and MCQ exam.

Additional feedback on workshop tasks and in office hours.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 46
Independent study hours
Independent study 254

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Ruby Hammer Unit coordinator
Carolyn Abbot Unit coordinator

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