The module is structured to run longitudinally across all three semesters, with content mapped to students’ developing legal knowledge and practice-readiness.

Indicative content includes:

Professional Legal Identity and Ethics: Introduction to legal professionalism, values, and conduct; Ethical challenges in legal education and practice; Access to justice, equality and inclusion in the profession

Skills Audit and Reflective Practice: Introduction to reflective writing and self-assessment; Legal competency frameworks (e.g., SQE/BPC, Bar Standards); Diagnosing and developing transferable and legal skills.

Career Planning and Personal Development: Mapping career routes in law and law-related sectors; Understanding personal motivations, barriers, and opportunities; Identifying upskilling opportunities (LinkedIn Learning, volunteering, mentoring).

Digital and Professional Communication: Using digital tools in legal practice (e.g., LinkedIn, legal databases, virtual networking); Professional branding and online presence; Presenting legal arguments orally and in writing.

Collaboration and Advocacy: Working effectively in teams and peer-led learning environments; Introduction to mooting, negotiation and client advisory skills; Peer feedback, emotional intelligence, and reflective dialogue.

Portfolio Building: Structuring and developing a reflective professional portfolio; Gathering evidence from across the programme (e.g., assessments, workshops, extracurriculars); Synthesising learning for final reflective statement.

Summative Portfolio Components (3,000-word equivalent):

* Skills Audit: A critical self-assessment identifying current strengths, skills gaps, interests, and potential barriers to development (approx. 500 words).
* Career Planning Task: Identification of three possible future career/life pathways, each with a rationale and supporting evidence. Students will develop a structured action plan for one selected route (approx. 750 words).
* Professional Development Evidence: Students will identify and complete at least one short course, volunteering opportunity, LinkedIn Learning module, or other relevant upskilling activity, and reflect on its relevance and impact (approx. 500 words).
* LinkedIn Profile: Creation or enhancement of a professional LinkedIn profile, tailored to the student’s preferred career routes. A screenshot with a short explanation of choices (approx. 250 words equivalent). * Reflective Statement: An end-of-module summary reflecting on learning gained, changes in professional confidence, and preparedness for further legal study or employment (approx. 1,000 words).

The portfolio is submitted in Semester 3 and assessed on a pass/fail basis. Completion is mandatory for successful programme completion, though no credit is attached.

This module adopts a developmental and student-centred approach to learning, supporting the progressive cultivation of professional, digital, and reflective skills across the full MA programme. The teaching strategy is grounded in experiential learning, reflective pedagogy, and skills-based education, enabling students to take ownership of their personal and professional growth.

Learning will take place through a combination of structured workshops, facilitated peer collaboration, digital engagement, and self-directed tasks. Interactive seminars will provide a platform for exploring legal professionalism, ethical reasoning, communication strategies, and digital fluency. Students will engage in a range of formative activities including advocacy simulations, legal writing clinics, skills audits, career mapping exercises, and reflective journalling. Self-directed learning is central to the module, enabling students to identify their own strengths, development needs, and career aspirations. Supported by guided resources and tutor feedback, students will create a reflective portfolio that evidences growth across the programme.

The learning design is inclusive and scaffolded, offering flexibility in how students evidence their development. Embedded throughout are opportunities for peer review, feedback dialogue, and real-world reflection, equipping students with the skills to navigate contemporary legal pathways with confidence and purpose.

1. Demonstrate awareness of professional behaviours, ethical standards, and reflective practices relevant to legal practice and legal education.
University Learning Outcome: 3 - Enquiry 8 - Reflection

2. Engage in effective communication and teamwork activities, including advocacy, peer collaboration, and legal presentation.
University Learning Outcome: 6 – Communication 7 - Application

3. Utilise digital technologies and virtual learning tools to support legal research, self-directed learning, and employability.
University Learning Outcome: 2 – Learning 7 - Application

4. Construct a reflective portfolio that evidences legal skills, personal development, and readiness for further training or employment.
University Learning Outcome: 2 – Learning 8 - Reflection

Law Trove OUP
LinkedIn Learning - Students are encouraged to use this platform for digital skills development, with curated playlists in legal tech, communication, and employability.
Prospects.ac.uk / LawCareers.net - Widely used for career research, pathways mapping, and market expectations in legal professions.
Law Society – Career advice, essential skills and experience.

Emily Finch and Stefan Fafinski, Legal Skills (10th edn, OUP 2025)
Jonathan Herring, Legal Ethics (3rd edn, Oxford University Press 2023)
Imogen Moore and Craig Newbery-Jones, Reflective Skills for Law Students (OUP 2021)
Scott Slorach and others, Legal Systems & Skills (5th edn, Oxford University Press 2023)

N/A

Designed without credit weighting, this assessed module supports your professional and personal growth throughout the programme. It runs alongside your academic study across the MA Law (Conversion) and Legal Practice course and helps you build the reflective, digital, and employability skills needed for success in legal training, further study, and professional life.

Through a combination of workshops, self-directed tasks and a reflective portfolio, you’ll explore your own professional identity and legal values. You’ll carry out a personal skills audit, create a tailored LinkedIn profile, and build a development plan linked to real career or life goals. You’ll also strengthen your communication, advocacy, and teamwork skills through peer learning and simulated legal activities.

This module helps you recognise your strengths, address development areas, and articulate your personal and professional journey with confidence. Whether you’re preparing for the SQE, the Bar, or a legal-adjacent career, Skills and Behaviours will help you stand out as a reflective, digitally fluent and practice-ready law graduate.