1. Identify and describe a contemporary issue in Law or Legal Practice, and formulate research questions which facilitate a critical response to the identified problem.

Knowledge and Understanding¿
Learning¿

2.¿Select and justify the use of a research methodology appropriate to both the discipline and the research question(s).

Analysis, Application¿

3. Evaluate debates relating to the research topic within social, critical and other relevant contexts.

Analysis, Enquiry¿
Communication¿

4. Identify, select, deploy, interpret and synthesise a range of primary and secondary sources drawn from Law and related fields of study.

Understanding, Learning analysis and application.

5. Construct a sustained and coherent argument communicated clearly in writing which accurately and persuasively deploys the features of legal academic texts, using correct OSCOLA referencing.

Communication and understanding

Students will receive three group sessions with the module leader as well as one to one support, in order to create the proposal document. The proposal document is the first element of the assessment. The proposal document incorporates the initial research question, an introduction to your topic and aims, a literature review , an outline of your methodology, a brief discussion of the possible implications of the research and a bibliography.

Importantly it will also allow the allocation of a suitable supervisor. From that allocation students will organise four meetings with their allotted supervisor to gain direction on their research and writing.

The research proposal will examine Learning Outcomes 1, 2 and 4.

The dissertation is a substantial piece of independent legal research on a topic of the student’s choice relating to Law or legal practice. It will examine all Learning Outcomes 1-5.

The Module has no prescribed syllabus, as the primary topic of the dissertation will vary from student to student, according to their research proposal, as moderated by the members of staff acting as supervisors. The chosen topic of interest by students must be relate to a law module and approved by the Dissertation Tutor and the allocated Supervisor.

The Module will cover:
Developing a workable legal research question
Formulating a research proposal
Researching and analysing primary and secondary sources.
How to write a literature review
Choice and justification of research methodology.
OSCOLA referencing
Advanced features of Word for managing a long document effectively

This Module allows students to undertake a piece of independent legal research and critical writing, in a related subject that interests them, under the supervision of a member of staff. The Module is structured so that students are required to present an assessed legal research proposal, which then provides the infrastructure for their Dissertation. During the first Semester of this Module, the Dissertation Tutor will conduct several sessions on how to research and write a law dissertation. Students are expected to engage with regular supervision throughout the process. Research is a key skill of all parties in the Justice system, but particularly lawyers. As is the delivery of a cogent written argument on a legal/social legal topic. Therefore, this module will be of interest to students who have legal or litigation career ambitions. The emphasis on communication, understanding and analysis and will also support transferable skills for other graduate careers.

Learning strategies are outlined by individual tutors.

There will be 3 whole group sessions in Semester 1 which will address research strategies, research methodologies, choosing a topic and formulating research questions, as well as the requirements of a research proposal. Support will be given for constructing and managing a long document in Word, including effective use of styles, navigation pane, referencing features and automatic generation of Tables of Contents.

Students will receive individual written feedback on their proposal.

The taught classes will be supplemented by 4 1-hour individual supervisions with a supervisor in the field of the dissertation subject area. Supervisions will focus on both content and form of the dissertation. It is for students to arrange the supervisor meetings

The balance of learning hours will be spent in independent study. The module will require a high degree of self-organised learning to plan, research, structure, write and edit the final dissertation.

Students will be able to submit plans and drafts of their final dissertation for feedback to their supervisor how this is done will be agreed with the supervisor.

Lammasniemi, Laura. Law Dissertations A Step-by-Step Guide (Routledge 2023)