Whole group sessions: Students will attend sessions once per week for 1.5 hours over 30 weeks. (45 hours)

Work based learning: Students will undertake work in a legal environment for minimum 200 hours.

Individual self-directed learning and reading: 30 hours

Portfolio preparation: 25 hours

Students will study a variety of topics normally associated with business studies:

- Types of business organisation
- How to form a business
- Business acumen and understanding
- National and local influences on businesses
- Marketing, Financial Planning and Budgeting
- Costs and profit-making activities in the legal environment
- Time management and best use of resources
- Work based learning through work placement
- Personal reflection and personal development planning

Access to books and journals

IT facilities for online resources

LexisNexis and Westlaw

Study Centre daily information resources

Law Society/SRA website
Bar Council/BSB website
CILEX website
Legal Services Commission website
Justice website

Assignment 1: Personal Development Journal 50%. 2500 words. Students will be required to keep a journal over the course of the academic year recording their achievements on the course, skills they have developed, skills that require further development, future career plans, and research on possible career routes. Importantly, the Journal should record daily the work placement experience both descriptively and reflectively and include detailed and critical reflection on employer feedback. (Assesses Learning Outcome 4)

Assignment 2: Portfolio. 50%. The Portfolio should contain: typed and professionally presented lecture notes, with detailed reflection on these; materials given out in class (1250 words) (Learning Outcomes 1-3)

Formative assessment: class discussions and debates provide opportunities for both tutor and peer feedback. Students will gain detailed individual feedback on pieces of written homework, completed worksheets, and on their findings to research activities. Individual tutorials provide additional opportunities to offer guidance and constructive feedback, to support learners in achieving their full potential.

ESSENTIAL TEXT: Cottrell, S. Skills for Success: Personal development & employability (Palgrave Study Skills 2010)

ESSENTIAL TEXT: BPP Learning Media. Business essentials - organisation and behaviour (2010)

Pedlar, M. Bourgoyne J. Boydell, T. Manager's guide to self-development (MacGraw-Hill Professional 2006)

Moon, J. A Handbook of reflective and experiential learning: theory and practice (2004 Routledge)