1. Identify the qualities and skills necessary for graduate-level employment and reflect on how you have developed those qualities and skills in the workplace.

Reflection

2. Interpret and explain workplace experiences in terms of relevant legal principles and frameworks.

Analysis and Application

3. Communicate effectively with both specialist and non-specialist audiences

Communication

4. Employ digital tools and resources effectively.

Communication

Reflective Journal (Learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3). Students will create a reflective diary of their work experience placement(s) in which they actively reflect on how their experiences relate to law in action, professional standards and how they have developed transferable employability skills at graduate level. They will produce 3 individual diary entries of approximately 500 words for each entry (total 1500 words).

A personal professional artefact incorporating digital media (Learning outcomes 1, 3 and 4). Students will create a professional profile using any suitable digital medium (such as a LinkedIn profile, business blog or website), thereby demonstrating their digital capabilities as well as enhancing their public professional profile, networking skills and therefore their employability.

The module will provide the opportunity to obtain work experience in a professional environment.

Employability skills will be the focus of the taught sessions, with a focus on students conducting a graduate skills analysis/audit, reflecting on their experiences and enhancing their own employability.

The aim is to:
- provide practical experience of the workplace
- develop students’ appreciation of the applicability of legal and regulatory processes in the workplace

-develop students’ awareness of professional standards
- develop transferable employability skills including digital capabilities

This module provides you with an opportunity to enhance and improve your employability skills through undertaking a work experience placement. You will be asked to reflect upon your work experience placement which will help you to identify and explore your transferrable skills. This process will enable you to enhance your CV and improve your job interview techniques and performance. There will be a focus on how to market yourself via platforms such as LinkedIn, which can create networking and employment opportunities.

The work experience placement is the key strategy in achieving the outcomes. This will be supported by both group workshops and individual supervisory tutorials tailored to individual student need.

Students will be introduced to models of reflective writing as a tool for professional development. As the module is tailored to individual students’ experiences, there will be no common formative assessment. Instead, students will be able to seek developmental feedback on their reflective diary entries in meetings with the module leader and tutors.

Module materials and workshops will cover: Introduction to module and assessments briefing
Reflective writing
Employability skills
Benefits of Placement/Work Experience
Communication skills
LinkedIn Development Session

Individual Tutorials: Each student will have individual meetings to provide individual support for the reflective elements of the module and to monitor individual progress on the placement(s) and assessment. This will consist of individual 1:1 appointments focusing on individual student needs and 4 group drop-in sessions to discuss ongoing progress.

Independent Study
This is indicative as the work experience will take place over a minimum of the equivalent of working days (70hours) either in one or more blocks or spread over the semester.

The balance of independent study hours will be spent on researching and writing the reflective journal, and on preparing and creating the digital artefact.

Core Text:

Finch E and Fafinski S, Employability Skills for Law Students (OUP 2014) Available on Law Trove

Recommended:

Embley J, Goodchild P, Shephard C and Slorach S, Legal Systems & Skills: Learn, Develop, Apply (4th edn OUP) Available on Law Trove

Moore I and Newbery-Jones C, The Successful Law Student: An Insider's Guide to Studying Law (OUP 2018) Available on Law Trove

Williams K, Reflective Writing (Palgrave Macmillan 2012)

Blackboard VLE
University library and associated online learning materials.

Career Connect