UG Handbook 2014-2015

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1 Welcome to all newcomers and welcome back to all returning students Congratulations to all of you, whether you have achieved the high entry standards we set for a place at the School or you have successfully completed your assessments to progress to the next year of study. As you are aware, the School of Law is consistently ranked amongst the top Law Schools in the United Kingdom and we are among the leading centres for legal research and teaching in the world. As a student in the School we hope you can benefit and contribute to this strong reputation. The academic staff and administrative staff in the School are dedicated to the provision of excellent teaching and guidance and to making your experience in the School a rewarding and enjoyable one. I wish you all the best for the year ahead. Nigel White Professor of Public International Law Head of the School of Law The Undergraduate Handbook is a good place to start if you have any questions about the School’s procedures during the academic year. If you cannot find the answer to your question then please do contact the appropriate member of staff, details of whom are included in the following pages. The School is committed to providing you all with the highest quality of legal education possible. We are delighted to have been placed consistently highly in National Student Surveys for overall satisfaction. As this endorsement is given by our students it is particularly pleasing. We will be doing all we can to make sure that your time at Nottingham is stimulating, productive and also enjoyable Best wishes for a rewarding and successful 2014/2015. Nigel Gravells Professor of English Law Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies Peter Cartwright Professor of Consumer Protection Law Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies

Transcript of UG Handbook 2014-2015

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Welcome to all newcomers and welcome back to all returning students

Congratulations to all of you, whether you have achieved the high entry standards we setfor a place at the School or you have successfully completed your assessments toprogress to the next year of study.

As you are aware, the School of Law is consistently ranked amongst the top Law Schoolsin the United Kingdom and we are among the leading centres for legal research andteaching in the world. As a student in the School we hope you can benefit and contributeto this strong reputation.

The academic staff and administrative staff in the School are dedicated to the provisionof excellent teaching and guidance and to making your experience in the School arewarding and enjoyable one.

I wish you all the best for the year ahead.

Nigel WhiteProfessor of Public International Law

Head of the School of Law

The Undergraduate Handbook is a good place to start if you have any questions aboutthe School’s procedures during the academic year. If you cannot find the answer to yourquestion then please do contact the appropriate member of staff, details of whom areincluded in the following pages.

The School is committed to providing you all with the highest quality of legal educationpossible. We are delighted to have been placed consistently highly in National StudentSurveys for overall satisfaction. As this endorsement is given by our students it isparticularly pleasing. We will be doing all we can to make sure that your time atNottingham is stimulating, productive and also enjoyable

Best wishes for a rewarding and successful 2014/2015.

Nigel GravellsProfessor of English Law

Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies

Peter CartwrightProfessor of Consumer Protection LawCo-Director of Undergraduate Studies

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School of Law Undergraduate Handbook2014/2015

Contents

Section 1: Information, Help and SupportWho to contact…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 5Personal Tutors…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 8School of Law Staff…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 15Timechart………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 21Disability Issues………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 24Health and Safety……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 26Useful Sources of Information…………………………………………………………………………………. Page 27

Section 2: Your StudiesCourse Structures…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 29Senior Status LLB……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 33Module Choices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 35Your Obligations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 37

Section 3: Learning ResourcesComputer Facilities…………………………………………………………………………………………………….Page 41Library Resources……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 43Online Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 47

Section 4: AssessmentAssessment Procedures……………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 49Assessed Coursework………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 53Academic Misconduct.……….……………………………………………………………………………………… Page 57Results and Feedback………………………………………………………………………………………………..Page 60Degree Classification Guidelines……………………………………………………………………………….Page 63Degree Class Descriptors…………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 65School of Law Prizes…………………………………………………………………………………………………. Page 67

Section 5: Academic Development: Study and FeedbackLectures, Seminars and Tutorials……………………………………………………………………………..Page 69Tutorial Feedback Essays and Provisional Assessments…………………………………………. Page 71Feedback…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Page 72Academic Legal Skills…………………………………………………………………………………………………Page 73

Section 6: Personal Development: Skills and CareersPersonal Development Opportunities………………………………………………………………………. Page 77Personal and Academic Record………………………………………………………………………………… Page 79Skillegal…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 82Employability Skills Award……………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 83Career and Employability Service…………………………………………………………………………... Page 84

Section 7: Making it workReview of Courses and Modules……………………………………………………………………………....Page 91Learning Community Forum………….…………………………………………………………………………. Page 93

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Section 1: Information, Help and Support

Who to contact

Staff in the School of Law believe it is essential that the appropriate information andsupport is provided to you as one of our students. The following pages detail who isavailable for you to contact for information on various matters and who to approach forhelp should you need it.

Personal Tutors

The majority of academic staff in the School act as personal tutors for undergraduatestudents. You will have been allocated a personal tutor and informed who that is; but, ifyou need to check, there is a list available outside Reception and also posted on Moodle(details of which you find further details later in this handbook).

Further details on the role of the personal tutor can be found on page 8.

Academic Tutors/Module Convenors

If there are any queries or issues relating to a specific module, you can raise these withthe relevant module team, which is made up of the module convenor (the person namedas having overall responsibility for that particular module), the lecturers and the tutoryou have been allocated for that module.

Course or General Student Matters

A number of staff in the School have specific responsibilities relating to the running of theundergraduate degrees and student matters in general. The key people are:

Co-Directors of Undergraduate Studies:Professor Nigel Gravells - semester one (Room C90)Professor Peter Cartwright - semester two (Room C83)

Nigel and Peter have overall responsibility for the undergraduate curriculum andstudent welfare.

Undergraduate Programmes Manager: Ian Bainbridge (Room B53)

Ian is responsible for the administration of the undergraduate degrees and supportsNigel, Peter and the personal tutors in student welfare and support.

At various points throughout this handbook you will be referred to Ian. He will beone of your main points of contact during your time in the School and is able toassist with most non-academic queries, or will be able to point you in the rightdirection.

Ian is also the School’s Disability Liaison Office and the School Safety Officer.

Undergraduate Programmes and Examinations Administrator:Claire Jennings (Room B54)

Claire assists Ian with the administration of the undergraduate degrees and dealswith examination queries, in consultation with the Director of UndergraduateAssessment.

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School Manager: Linda Gravells (Room B56)

Linda is responsible for the overall administration of the School and is alsoresponsible for the teaching timetable.

Legal Skills Advisor: Susan Russell (Room B57)

Susan assists both undergraduate and postgraduate students with their academiclegal skills. If you ever have any concerns regarding your academic work, fromeffective case reading and note taking to answering problem questions, legal writingand exam revision, then Susan is ideally placed to help.

Susan will offer workshops on common issues students face throughout the year andwill also be available to see students individually or in small groups on anappointment basis.

Exchange Programmes Administrator: Fiona Hayes (Room B58)

Fiona is responsible for the administration of the year abroad element of our four-year degrees and will be able to answer your queries relating to ourexchange/Erasmus programmes.

Fiona supports the Directors of the various four-year degrees, who are:

o Dr Edward GoodwinLaw with French and French LawLaw with German and German LawLaw with Spanish and Spanish LawLaw with European Law

o Professor Nigel GravellsLaw with American LawLaw with Australian LawLaw with Canadian LawLaw with Chinese LawLaw with New Zealand LawLaw with South East Asian Law

Law Reception Staff: Ann Chudleigh, Anne Crump and Joanna Grabowski

Ann, Anne and Jo will be able to answer any routine queries you may have. Inaddition, you will submit coursework to Reception when it is due and otherinformation and forms will be collected or returned to Reception throughout the year.Staff pigeon holes are located in Reception so you can leave messages or other itemsfor them here.

Reception opening times are:

Term-time VacationMonday – Friday Monday – Friday9.30 – 16.00 9.30 – 12.30 and 14.15 – 16.00

IT Support Assistant: Jonathan Holmes

If you encounter problems with the computers in the School or with access toUniversity IT facilities, then your first point of contact is Jonathan, via e-mail [email protected].

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Correspondence with members of staff

Students are encouraged to be mindful of the need to address members of staff with anappropriate degree of formality. The student-staff relationship is a professional one andthis should be reflected in the salutation, content and tone of your correspondencewhether that be via email or otherwise.

Circulation of Information

The School uses email as the main means of corresponding with students. You mustcheck your nottingham.ac.uk emails regularly to ensure that you are aware of anyinformation relating to lectures, seminars, tutorials or examinations. You will be deemedto have knowledge of any such information emailed to you.

Information relating to specific modules is also given on the subject page on Moodle.

University Support and Guidance

In addition to the support offered by the School, you will also find a wealth of informationand support from the University.

Students new to the university should have received a copy of the UndergraduateWelcome Guide, which is also available at:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Academicservices/CurrentStudents/Registration/Registration.aspx

The Student Services Centre in the Portland Building will be the first point of contact for awide range of University services, from tuition fee information to academic and disabilitysupport. For further information you can access their website at:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/index.aspx

At the end of this section we have included a list of websites that provide useful sourcesof information and details on a wide range of University facilities.

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Personal Tutors

As an undergraduate student you will have been allocated a personal tutor and informedwho this is. Your personal tutor is one of your main contact points if you have anyqueries or problems regarding your studies or time at University. They will also beavailable to assist you with developing your Personal and Academic Record (PAR).

You will normally have the same personal tutor for the duration of your degree but thereare occasions when this is not possible:

your tutor leaves or is absent for a period of time (most staff will take asemester’s study leave every few years);

you request a change to who your personal tutor is. If, for any reason, you feelyou need to change your tutor then you should contact Ian Bainbridge to discussthis. If the reason is valid and appropriate, then a new personal tutor will beallocated.

Students on the Law with French and French Law, Law with German and German Lawand Law with Spanish and Spanish Law degrees will also have a personal tutor in theSchool of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies.

Meeting with your Personal Tutor

The School requires you to attend a set number of Scheduled Personal Tutorials duringthe year. All students will meet with their tutors (1) at the start of the academic year;(2) when you receive your semester one results; and (3) when you receive your end-of-year results. In addition to this, first year students will meet their tutor before the end ofthe first term, just to see how things are going.

These meetings form part of your Personal Academic Record (PAR) and you will find furtherdetails on this on page 79.

Your contact with your personal tutor is not, however, limited to thesescheduled meetings. You can arrange to meet with your tutor at any time for anAdditional Personal Tutorial or you can meet with them in a less formal way, e.g., byvisiting during their office hours or by sending an email to arrange a meeting/ask aquestion. Whether you wish to arrange such unscheduled meetings will dependon your individual circumstances. It follows that you must be responsible forinitiating such meetings.

You will find the contact details of your personal tutor on the staff list on page 15.Details of your tutor’s office hours or how to contact them are posted on their office door.

The Role of the Personal Tutor

Personal tutors in the School are able to provide the following support and developmentto you as their tutee. They will:

See you at set times for Scheduled Personal Tutorials and provide reasonableavailability to see you at other times (all staff have their office hours and/or contactdetails available on their office doors);

Monitor and review your academic progress and discuss assessment results at eachstage of the programme;

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Provide the opportunity for you to disclose any personal or academic matters thatmay be affecting your study;

You should be aware that it is entirely at your discretion as to what information youdisclose to your personal tutor. Any information disclosed will be treated asconfidential if requested. If your personal tutor deems that it would be in your bestinterest that one or more further members of staff should be informed, they willadvise you of this and may be prepared to speak to them on your behalf;

Provide appropriate support in relation to your career plans where possible.

Act as a referee for applications required for employment or further study.

You should ensure that you ask your personal tutor before using his or her name on acurriculum vitae/application form. You are free to ask any permanent member ofacademic staff to act as a referee if you feel that someone who has taught youregularly knows you better.

It is helpful to provide the School with an up to date copy of your curriculum vitae sothat members of staff can refer to this when writing references. CVs can be left atthe School of Law Reception to be placed on file;

Act as a gateway to the wider student support and development provision of theSchool and the University, as outlined in the University Quality Manual. This gatewayis often accessed via the Undergraduate Programmes Manager, to whom personaltutors may refer their tutees.

Personal tutors have a responsibility to provide this support and will make every effort todo so. Personal tutors will seek to create an environment in which you can interact in aconstructive way. However, we must emphasise that your interaction with your personaltutor is a two-way relationship. Your personal tutor can reasonably expect you to attendscheduled meetings with them and for you to engage actively.

If there are any queries or concerns regarding a personal tutor or the personal tutorsystem, these should be brought to the attention of the Co-Directors of UndergraduateStudy, Professors Nigel Gravells and Peter Cartwright, or the Undergraduate ProgrammesManager, Ian Bainbridge.

Tutoring Statement

Having a personal tutor allocated to you is one important element of the School’sTutoring Statement, which outlines the arrangements in place to ensure the appropriatetutoring of all students.

The full Tutoring Statement follows over the next few pages and can also be found onMoodle.

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SCHOOL OF LAW

TUTORING STATEMENT FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

1 The student should feel acknowledged, recognised and accepted within theirschool/department as an individual with distinct academic needs and preferences.

Each undergraduate student is allocated a personal tutor prior to starting the

course and wherever possible the School ensures that students retain the same

personal tutors throughout their course.

First year students meet with their personal tutors (both as a group and

individually) on the Tuesday of the first week of the Autumn Term; second and

final year students meet with their personal tutors on the Wednesday/Thursday.

In addition, each undergraduate student will have an academic tutor for the

majority of their law modules to provide support in specific subject areas.

The Undergraduate Programmes Manager in the School is also available to

support the personal tutor system and provide pastoral support to undergraduate

students.

2 The student should feel part of the school/department community, experiencingfrequent contact with academic staff on an individual or small group basis andbuilding relations with particular members of staff over an extended period.

The School operates a wide-ranging induction programme for undergraduate

students in the first week of the Autumn Term.

Each undergraduate student has the opportunity to meet with their personal tutor

throughout the year: there are three/four scheduled meetings each academic

year; and personal tutors are also available for unscheduled meetings with their

personal tutees during advertised office hours or on an ad hoc basis.

Within their law modules, all undergraduate students will have frequent contact

with the teaching team for that module. For modules taught by lectures and

tutorials, this will take the form of a small group tutorial (maximum of eight

students) with their academic tutor four times per semester as well as contact

with their lecturer(s) in that module. For modules taught by seminar,

undergraduate students will meet with their seminar leader in larger groups of

around 30 students every week.

The Undergraduate Learning Community Forum is co-chaired by a member of the

academic staff and an undergraduate student and students have the opportunity

to participate in meetings as or through their representatives.

Undergraduate students may volunteer to assist with University Open Days and

UCAS Visit Days, talking with prospective applicants/students and their parents.

3 The personal development of the student should be promoted; leading toimproved communication skills and greater confidence in presentation and dealingwith the unfamiliar.

Personal development is an important issue for the School and full details of what

is done to promote personal development are included in the undergraduate

student handbook.

The teaching and learning methods adopted for law modules – small group

tutorials in support of lectures or seminars - aid personal and academic

development. For example, they promote independent learning, presentation and

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communication skills, confidence in expressing ideas and the opportunity to reflect

upon their learning.

The extensive range of four-year undergraduate degree programmes, which

involve students spending a complete academic year studying at another law

school overseas, provides very significant personal and academic development for

participating students.

Undergraduate students have further opportunities to promote personal

development through a range of student societies within the School.

4 Students should receive prompt, helpful and detailed feedback on theirassessments, in a manner that enhances learning and improves future assessmentperformance.

On the day of the relevant examiners meeting for each assessment period (or the

following day), all undergraduate students are provided with documented

feedback for the modules assessed and have the opportunity to meet with their

personal tutor.

Detailed feedback is provided by module teaching teams in what they consider to

be the most appropriate form for each module. Feedback forms include general

feedback on the assessment, individual feedback, opportunities to review

examination scripts/essays with the marker – or, in most cases, a combination of

these forms.

Where students are required to resit an assessment, the School provides the

opportunity for these students to receive further detailed feedback on the failed

assessments to assist them in understanding how to improve their performance.

5 Students struggling with aspects of individual modules, or more generally with theirprogramme of studies, should have clearly signposted and ready access to areasonable level of academic advice and support designed to remedy theirdifficulties.

All students have access to their personal and academic tutors to assist them or

provide guidance if they are struggling.

The School also has a Legal Skills Advisor whose role includes the provision of

such support. The advisor is available for students to make an appointment on an

individual basis to discuss their approaches to learning or review previous

assessments. The Legal Skills Advisor and academic staff also run seminars and

workshops to assist groups of students on distinct study skills issues, such as

exam technique or how to get the most out of a lecture.

All law modules are required to have a presence on Moodle and within Moodle

most modules operate an active Discussion Board.

6 Students should receive the level of support in developing their study skillsnecessary to perform satisfactorily on their programme of studies.

As indicted above, personal tutors, academic tutors and the Legal Skills Advisor all

provide support in the development of study skills.

The Understanding Law module (which is compulsory for all first year

undergraduate students) includes aspects of law-specific study skills.

The teaching and learning methods adopted for law modules also assist in the

development of these skills.

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Undergraduate students are entitled to submit formative essays for feedback

(known as tutorial feedback essays) in all modules.

All law modules are required to have a presence on Moodle and within Moodle

most modules operate an active Discussion Board.

7 Students with personal circumstances adversely affecting their studies shouldfeel able to make these known to the school/department without difficulty and to bedirected to the appropriate support service.

The School encourages students with personal circumstances affecting their

performance to contact the Undergraduate Programmes Manager, who can

provide pastoral support in addition to providing practical advice concerning

University support services.

Personal tutors are also available to provide this support.

8 Students should receive the necessary careers information, advice andguidance to equip them to make informed choices about their future, tounderstand the options open to them, and to take advantage of availableopportunities.

The School provides careers information, advice and guidance largely through the

Careers and Employability Service and incorporates a number of careers talks in

the calendar.

The School hosts a number of drop-in sessions within the School with the Law

Careers Advisor.

Since the undergraduate law courses are to some extent vocational, the School is

also able to attract solicitors’ firms and barristers’ chambers to the School to

provide career information and guidance. Part of this interaction with the legal

profession forms the Skillegal programme run by the School, providing

information and advice on the skills required to apply to and work in the legal

profession.

The School’s Student Law Society and Bar Society, working closely with the

School, are also active in organising careers events with firms and chambers.

9 Students should be made aware of the importance of developing and articulatingtheir employability skills, including possible participation in the NottinghamAdvantage Award.

The talks organised with the Careers and Employability Service have a strong

focus on employability skills and the undergraduate student handbook includes a

great deal of careers information.

The Advantage Award is advertised within the School and the module, Inside

Employment: Investigation into Legal Careers, is available to law students and

also non-law students interested in a career in the legal profession.

10 Students should receive appropriate advice and support when consideringchanging their programme of study or contemplating leaving the University.

Students are made aware through the undergraduate handbook that they should

see the Undergraduate Programmes Manager if they are considering transferring,

suspending or withdrawing from the course.

Personal tutors direct students to the Undergraduate Programmes Manager as

appropriate.

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11 Students should be prepared for periods of study away from their home campusand appropriately supported during those periods.

The School runs a large number of four-year programmes where students spend a

year studying at another law school overseas. Currently 25 per cent of students

completing their second year go overseas in their third year. All students are

given briefing sessions on what is expected while they are studying away and the

School facilitates communication with their host institution to ensure that their

year abroad goes as smoothly as possible.

In addition, the School has a dedicated Exchange Programmes Administrator who,

in consultation with the Programme Directors, provides support to the students

prior to departure and while they are abroad.

The School also organises a social event for second year students due to go on

their year abroad to meet with fourth year students who have returned from their

year abroad.

12 The procedures for submitting extenuating circumstances regardingassessments should be straightforward and well publicised.

The University policy is publicised in the undergraduate student handbook and a

reminder of the policy and procedure is circulated via e-mail to all students at

every assessment period.

13 Students with disabilities should be clear as to the support they will receive andwhere it is available, and the support should be in line with University policies.

The Disability Liaison Advisor for the School publicises their role and availability in

all handbooks and via posters around the School. A welcome letter is also

included in the induction pack sent to all new undergraduate students.

The support available is detailed in the undergraduate student handbook in line

with the guidance provided by Academic Support and Disability Support.

14 The procedures for submitting academic appeals and student complaintsshould be well publicised and staff should be aware of their responsibilities withinthese procedures.

Details of the academic appeals and student complaints procedures are included in

the undergraduate student handbook.

The undergraduate Community Learning Forum provides an opportunity for

complaints to be addressed and resolved informally.

15 Students being subjected to the academic misconduct procedure should receiveclear information and advice.

Information about academic misconduct (including what constitutes plagiarism

and how to avoid it) is included in the undergraduate student handbook.

Students have access to Turnitin.

When students are notified of suspected academic misconduct they are referred to

the University’s Quality Manual on this matter. They are also advised of the

support and guidance available from the Students’ Union Advice and

Representation Service. This notification is included in a letter sent to the student

via post and e-mail.

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16 Students should receive relevant health and safety guidance, especially inlaboratory or workshop-based subjects.

The School’s Safety Notice is included in all handbooks and the full School Safety

Policy is available via Moodle. Details of first aiders are displayed on notice

boards around the School.

17 Students should be directed in a timely and appropriate manner to Universitysupport services for assistance with all of the above matters as necessary.

Undergraduate students who require information or support are generally directed

to the Undergraduate Programmes Manager, either by the student handbook or

their personal tutor. The Undergraduate Programmes Manager will attempt to

provide the necessary information or guidance but if it is felt appropriate they will

refer the student to the relevant University support service.

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School of Law Staff 2014/2015

On the following pages you find the names and contact details of all staff within theSchool of Law.

If you wish to e-mail any member of staff their e-mail address will [email protected]. There are exceptions to this rule and these areindicated below.

When contacting a member of staff please be aware that you may not receive animmediate response. We aim to respond to messages within two working days. If amember of staff is absent from the University you will receive an automated replyindicating when they will be back and who to contact in the meantime. If you have anydifficulties contacting a member of staff please contact Reception.

Academic Staff

Room TelNumber Number

(0115…)

APPLETON, Dr Catherine C84 846 8096(Senior Research Fellow)

ARROWSMITH, Professor Sue L C123 951 5702(Achilles Professor of Public Procurement Law and Policy)

BAILEY, Professor Stephen H C58 951 5707(Professor of Public Law)

BARTLETT, Professor Peter C56 951 5709(Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Professor in Mental Health Law)

BEKOU, Professor Olympia C89 846 6127(Professor of Public International Law)

BENFORD, Mrs Georgie C84 846 8096(Research Associate)

BENNETT, Professor Howard N C80 951 5695(Hind Professor of Commercial Law)

BEVAN, Mr Christopher C121 846 6892(Assistant Professor in Law)

BIRCH, Professor Diane J C122 951 5706(JC Smith Professor of Law)

BIRKETT, Mr Daley C117 846 8399(Human Rights Law Centre Research Associate)

BOWMAN, Mr Michael J C86 951 5710(Associate Professor)

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BUCKLEY, Ms Carla C114 951 5724(Human Rights Law Centre Research Fellow)

CARTWRIGHT, Professor Peter R C83 951 5622(Professor of Consumer Protection Law)

CERCEL, Mr Cosmin C110 846 8612(Research Fellow)

DAVIES, Mr Peter GG C57 951 5719(Associate Professor)

DAVIS, Dr Christine J C85 951 5726(Associate Professor)

DERCLAYE, Professor Estelle C60 951 5735(Professor in Intellectual Property Law)

DOGGETT, Ms Maeve C67 846 8095(Teaching Fellow)

DROMGOOLE, Professor Sarah C75 951 5697(Professor of Maritime Law)

FOOTER, Professor Mary C100 951 5727(Professor of International Economic Law)

FRASER, Professor David C73 951 5728(Professor of Law and Social Theory)

FRISBY, Dr Sandra C93 846 6124(Associate Professor and Reader in Company and Commercial Law)

GEORGOPOULOS, Dr Aris C59 846 6307(Assistant Professor in Law)

GOODWIN, Dr Edward C77 846 6311(City Solicitor’s Educational Trust Assistant Professor in Property Law)

GRAVELLS, Professor Nigel P C90 951 5711(Professor of English Law)

GRUSIC, Dr Ugljesa C94 951 5698(Assistant Professor in Law)

HARRIS, Professor David J C116 951 5701(Emeritus Professor in Residence and Co-Director of Human Rights Law Centre)

HASSON, Dr Ezra C68 951 5714(Associate Professor in Legal Research, Reasoning and Writing)

HYDE, Dr Richard C67 846 8095(Assistant Professor in Law)

JACKSON, Professor John C55 951 5723(Professor of Criminal Law and Procedure) [[email protected]]

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KEMP, Dr Vicky C110 846 8615(Principal Research Fellow)

KENNER, Professor Jeffrey S C96 951 5956(Professor of European Law)

KRITSIOTIS, Professor Dino C51 951 5712(Professor of Public International Law)

LA CHIMIA, Dr Annamaria C97 951 5035(Associate Professor in Law) [[email protected]]

LISTER, Dr Anne C120 846 8498(Senior Research Fellow)

McGOLDRICK, Professor Dominic C118 846 6313(Professor of International Human Rights Law)

MILANOVIC, Dr Marko C112 846 7632(Associate Professor in Law)

MOWBRAY, Professor Alastair R C81 951 5715(Professor of Public Law) [[email protected]]

MULGREW, Dr Roisin C76 846 6126(Assistant Professor in Law)

MUNRO, Dr Nell C74 951 5703(Assistant Professor in Law)

MUNRO, Professor Vanessa C82 846 6312(Professor in Socio-Legal Studies)

MURPHY, Professor Thérèse C95 951 5720(Professor of Law and Critical Theory)

NOLAN, Professor Aoife C98 951 5737(Professor of International Human Rights Law)

PRIBYLA, Mr Petr C117 846 8399(Human Rights Law Centre Research Associate)

ROBERTS, Professor Paul C69 951 5736(Professor of Criminal Jurisprudence)

ROTHERHAM, Professor Craig C53 951 5721(Professor of Law)

SAIDOVA, Mrs Sanam C91 951 5740(Assistant Professor in Law)

SANDLAND, Mr Ralph PW C54 951 5716(Professor of Law and Difference)

SAUNDERS, Dr Candida C52 846 6317(Assistant Professor in Law)

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SCHMIDT, Miss Julia C110 846 8612(Research Fellow)

SHAH, Ms Sangeeta C50 846 6150(Associate Professor in Law)

SIVAKUMARAN, Mr Sandesh C87 846 6856(Professor and Reader in Public International Law)

TODD, Professor Stephen C61 846 8097(Professor of Common Law) [In residence Semester 1 only]

TORREMANS, Professor Paul LC C66 951 5718(Professor of Intellectual Property Law)

TOSATO, Dr Andrea C71 846 6305(Assistant Professor in Law)

TREPTE, Dr Peter C123 951 5702(Senior Fellow in Public Procurement Law)

VAN ZYL SMIT, Professor Dirk C64 846 6308(Professor of International and Comparative Penal Law)[[email protected]]

WANG, Dr Ping C111 846 8163(Assistant professor in Law)

WEATHERBURN, Miss Amy C117 846 6310(Human Rights Law Centre Research Assistant)

WILLS, Miss Laura C117 846 8399(Human Rights Law Centre Research Assistant)

WHITE, Professor Nigel D C58 846 8238(Professor of Public International Law and Head of School)

WHITTY, Professor Noel C92 951 5717(Professor of Human Rights Law)

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Honorary Professors

Dr Prasad Abraham Judicial Commissioner, High Court, MalaysiaMr Robert Anderson Counsellor, World Trade Organisation, SwitzerlandHis Honour Judge Jeff Blackett Judge Advocate General, Senior Military JudgeSir Nicolas Bratza Former President of the European Court of Human

RightsMr David Foxton QC, Essex Court ChambersMr Nigel Godsmark QC, 7 Bedford RowMr Mans Jacobsson Law ConsultantMr Grant Jones Partner, Squires Sanders & Dempsey LLPProfessor Peter Kunzlik Professor of Law, City UniversityMr Peter MacDonald Eggers Barrister, 7 King’s Bench WalkProfessor Victor Nabhan Independent Law ConsultantMr Dominic Nolan QC, Ropewalk ChambersThe Honourable Mr Justice Singh High Court, Queen’s Bench DivisionMs Susie Smith Legal Consultant, Bevan Brittan and freelanceThe Honourable Mr Justice Sweeney High Court, Queen’s Bench Division

Honorary Lecturers

Dr Vassilis Hatzopoulos Associate Professor, Democritus University of Thrace;Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Bruges; Lawyerat Athens Court of Appeal

Part-time teachers on the undergraduate programme*

Kayode Akintola (Research student) [email protected] Atkins (Part-time tutor) [email protected] Beevers (University of Sheffield) Ask at ReceptionJohn Blackwell (Employment Tribunal Judge) Ask at ReceptionJohn Buckley (Part-time tutor) Ask at ReceptionMary Canham (Research student) [email protected] Cooper (Part-time tutor) Ask at ReceptionLydia Davies-Bright (Research student) [email protected] Faustino (Research student) [email protected] Gadow De Mayor (Research student) [email protected] Garstka (Research student) [email protected], Sabine (Research student) [email protected] Keeling (Research student) [email protected] Mistry (Research student) [email protected] Nordhausen-Scholes (University of Manchester)Ask at ReceptionSteinmeir, Dominik (Research student) [email protected] Platt (Part-time tutor) [email protected] Pulvirenti (Research student) [email protected] Redmond-Cooper (Institute of Art and Law) Ask at ReceptionAngelika Reichstein (Research student) [email protected] Russell (Deputy District Judge) [email protected] Wallace (Research student) [email protected], Marc (Research student) [email protected], Kenneth (Research student) [email protected]

*Part-time teachers will teach in rooms as shown on tutorial lists which will be publishedon the notice board. In addition to contacting part-time teachers by e-mail,correspondence can also be handed in at the School of Law Reception.

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Support Staff

Room TelNumber Number

(0115…)

School Manager: Mrs Linda Gravells B56 951 5722

Postgraduate Programmes Manager: Post vacant B60 951 5587

Undergraduate Programmes Manager: Mr Ian Bainbridge B53 846 8075

Administrative Staff:

Mrs Ann Chudleigh (Administrator/Receptionist) B52 951 5734

Mrs Anne Crump (Administrator/Receptionist) B52 951 5700

Miss Joanna Grabowski (Administrator/Receptionist) B52 951 5734

Mrs Samantha Gray (Executive LLM Administrator) B59 951 5926

Mrs Jill Gunn (Finance Officer) C88 846 6208

Miss Fiona Hayes (Exchange Programmes Administrator) B58 951 5692

Miss Claire Jennings (Undergraduate Programmes andExaminations Administrator) B54 951 5699

Mrs Sue Rogerson (Undergraduate Admissions Officer) B61 951 5704

Mrs Susan Russell (Legal Skills Advisor) B57 951 5693

Mrs Danielle Sinclair (Postgraduate ProgrammesAdministrator) B59 951 5732

Miss Kimberley Tew (Website Content Manager) B59 958 4604

Mrs Helen Wade (Head of School’s PA) C78 951 5725

IT Support Assistant: Mr Jonathan Holmes [contact via e-mail]

Human Rights Law Centre:

Co-ordinator: Ms Agnes Flues C119 846 8506

Administrative Staff:

Mrs Tina Finch C115 951 5705

Mrs Rosemary McCabe C115 846 8164

Miss Kobie Neita C113 846 6309

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Timechart

This time chart is not definitive. Please check noticeboards and yourNottingham e-mail account on a regular basis for up to date information.

Information relates to all students unless stated otherwise.

September

Mon 22nd Autumn term commencesSemester one commences

Mon 22nd

toWed 24th

First Year Induction Details of the Induction programmewill be circulated separately

Wed 24th Returning students Induction Details of the Induction programmewill be circulated separately

Wed 24th

&Fri 26th

Exams Open Day for returningstudents (to view May/June andAugust 2014 papers)

Times and locations to be confirmedPlease bring your feedback with you

Thu 25th Lectures commence

October

Mon 6th Understanding Law Seminarscommence

Fri 10th Deadline for amending/confirmingoptional modules

Further details already circulated bye-mail

Fri 10th Deadline for submission ofReligious Observance Forms

Further details available on theAcademic Services Division website

Mid Oct Second year studentsBeginning of Year Abroad degreeselection process

Further details will be circulatednearer the time.

Mon 20th Tutorials commence

Mon 20th Law Fair 1pm-4pm, East Midlands ConferenceCentre

Fri 31st Deadline for arranging alternativeassessments for semester oneexaminations

Further details available on theAcademic Services Division website

November

Mon 17th First year studentsSubmission deadline for tutorialfeedback essay in Foundations ofTort A

Provisional date, to be confirmed

Wed 19th Learning Community Forum Your elected student reps will contactyou prior to this date regarding anyissues to be raised

Fri 21st Semester one examinationtimetable published

Details will appear on your Portal

December

Mon 1st toFri 12th

First year studentsEnd of term personal tutorial

You will need to book an appointmentthrough ePARs

Fri 5th First year studentsSubmission deadline for tutorialfeedback essay in Law of ContractA

Provisional date, to be confirmed

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Mon 8th Second year studentsSubmission deadline for Land Lawassessed coursework

Fri 12th Autumn term endsLectures and tutorials finish

January 2011

Mon 12th Spring term commences

Mon 12th

to Sat 24thSemester one examinations

Tue 13th Standard assessed courseworkdeadline

Sat 24th Semester one ends

Mon 26th Semester two commencesLectures commence

February

Thu 5th Semester one results Provisional date – further details willbe circulated nearer the time

From Thu5th

Semester one results personaltutorial

You will need to book an appointmentthrough ePARs

Mon 9th Tutorials commence

Wed 11th Learning Community Forum Your elected student reps will contactyou prior to this date regarding anyissues to be raised

Fri 13th Deadline for submission ofReligious Observance Forms

Further details available on theAcademic Services Division website

Mid Feb Exams open day (to view January2013 papers)

Dates to be confirmedPlease bring your feedback with you

March

Fri 6th Deadline for arranging alternativeassessments for semester twoexaminations

Further details available on theAcademic Services Division website

Fri 13th Semester two examinationtimetable published

Details will appear on your Portal

Fri 27th Spring term ends

April

Tue 21st

to Fri 15th

May

First, second and year abroadstudentsSelect optional law modules for2015/2016

Full details of the modules availablewill be circulated during the Easterbreak

Mon 27th Summer term commences

Wed 29th Learning Community Forum Your elected student reps will contactyou prior to this date regarding anyissues to be raised

May

Fri 1st Lectures and tutorials finish

Mon 11th Standard assessed courseworkdeadline

Mon 18th

to Fri 5thSemester two examinations

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June

Wed 17th Final year studentsPublication of results and degreeclassifications

Provisionally, 2.00pm from SchoolReception

Thu 18th First and second year studentsPublication of results and decisionson progression

Provisionally, 9.30am from SchoolReception

From Wed17th

End of year personal tutorial You will need to book an appointmentthrough ePARs

Fri 19th Semester two endsSummer term ends

July

Mon 20th Deadline for submission of onlineapplication to take Augustexaminations overseas

Further details available on theAcademic Services Division website

Mon 20th August examination timetablepublished

Details will appear on your Portal

August

Mon 17th

toWed 26th

Resit/First Sit examinations Provisional dates

In addition to the information included in the Timechart, further events will be scheduledand advertised during the academic year. In particular:

Academic Legal Skills Sessions: these will be advertised via e-mail by Ian Bainbridgeand Susan Russell. Further details can be found on page 73.

Careers Events: these will be organised by the Careers and Employability Service, theSchool or one of the student societies.

For events run by the Careers and Employability Service, full details can be found ontheir website and in many cases you will need to register online to attend these events:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/Careers/Students/Events/Index.aspx

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Disability Issues

Services for students who have a disability, dyslexia and/or a long-termmedical condition

The University is strongly committed to equality of opportunity in its provision for allstudents. It is committed to providing on-going support with the focus on providingaccessible services and supporting students in completing their courses to their potential.

Full information on the range of support and services available for students is available athttp://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/index.aspx

Disclosure and confidentiality

It is your responsibility to ensure that the University is aware of your situation. You canalert the University to your requirements by:

direct contact with appropriate services such as Academic Support or DisabilitySupport

indicating a disability on the annual registration forms direct contact with appropriate staff e.g. the Disability Liaison Officer for your

School (Ian Bainbridge) or your personal tutor

Early disclosure to the University is essential to ensure the timely provision ofappropriate support services.

The information you give will be processed and held in the University administrationsystems and used for the administration of your academic related support and any otherlegitimate University purpose. In doing so, the University will observe at all times thedata protection principles embodied in the Data Protection Act 1998.

Our Disclosure and Confidentiality Policy can be found at:www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/disabilitysupport

What we can offer you…Academic Support (AS) and Disability Support (DS)

Academic Support (comprising Dyslexia Support and Study Support) and the DisabilitySupport Team are located in the Student Services Centre (SSC), in Portland Building onUniversity Park, and by appointment on our Jubilee and Sutton Bonington campuses, aswell as other teaching sites.

We can assist with queries regarding:

admissions and registration assessments in relation to disability and dyslexia and recommendations to academic

staff about reasonable adjustments in the learning, teaching and assessmentenvironments

for home students, assessment for and access to Disabled Students’ Allowances(DSA) which can provide equipment and support from trained non-medical helpers

recommendations for adjustments to arrangements for examination and assessment timetabling arrangements access to alternative formats such as Braille and large print

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individual specialist support for students with dyslexia or other specific learningdifficulties

access to specialist technology in libraries liaison with libraries for enhanced services such as extended loans residential accommodation – adapted study bedrooms accessible transport around and between our Nottingham campuses

Academic Support also provides study support (academic writing skills, timemanagement etc) to students.

If you would like to contact us please phone the Student Services Centre on(0115) 9513710 or [email protected]@nottingham.ac.uk

The University of Nottingham ACCESS Centre (UNAC), in the Student Services Centre,provides assessments for students who have applied for Disabled Students' Allowances.

To access these services, you must:

be a registered student at the University of Nottingham provide documentary evidence of your condition or impairment, such as a letter

from your GP or specialist

If you have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you must:

provide evidence in the form of a post-16 diagnostic assessment, in English, froman educational psychologist or suitably qualified specialist teacher

Disability Liaison Officer (DLO)

The School appoints a Disability Liaison Officer, who provides a point of reference, adviceand guidance for members of staff and students in the School about student disabilityissues and support. The DLO is a part of a network that meets regularly to shareinformation and good practice. The DLO liaises with both the Academic Support and theDisability Support Teams, as necessary, in relation to individual students and generalpolicies and procedures.

If you have any requirements or concerns talk in the first instance to your DLO:

Ian BainbridgeRoom B53, Law and Social SciencesTel: 0115 846 8075E-mail: [email protected]

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Health and Safety

The complete School Safety Policy Statement is available on Moodle.

Fire Procedures

All members of the School must ensure that they know the positions of the nearest firealarm call point, internal and external telephones, fire extinguishers and exit routes.

On discovering a fire: Activate the Fire Alarm by operating the nearest break glass call point Dial 8888 via the nearest internal telephone and state location of fire Use appropriate fire extinguishers if safe to do so and your escape route is clear Evacuate the building

On hearing the fire alarm: (The fire alarm sound is a continuous siren) Immediately evacuate building by the nearest available exit, closing doors and

windows Do not use lifts or stop to collect personal belongings Report to the designated assembly point: outside the North Entrance to the Law and

Social Sciences Building or, from the West Wing, outside the doors on Cut ThroughLane

Do not re-enter the building until instructed that it is safe to do so

The fire alarm system is tested each week on Wednesday at approximately 9.55am bythe Estates Office. A fire drill to test procedures for the Law and Social Sciences Buildingwill be held at least annually.

Fire evacuation token systemThe Law and Social Sciences Building is divided into sections identified by strategicallyplaced fire tokens. In an emergency where evacuation is taking place, each token shouldbe taken by the first member of staff passing it, they should check (with the assistanceof others if appropriate) that the rooms within the section identified on the token havebeen cleared and evacuate the building reporting to the fire warden at the assemblypoint.

First Aid and Serious Injury

First Aid assistance can be summoned by calling for a first aider if available (see listbelow), OR dialling the University emergency telephone number (8888). A First Aid boxis kept in the School of Law Reception. In case of serious injury, request an ambulanceby calling the emergency telephone number 8888. State the location of injured person.

Mr Steve Enticknap, Room B17, School of Sociology and Social Policy, Ext 15231

Miss Kobie Neita, Room C113, School of Law, Ext 66309

Dr David Stevens, Room C27, School of Politics, Ext 14529

Mrs Maria Wade, Room B117, School of Politics, Ext 14827

Mrs Elizabeth Yearsley, Room C104, School of Politics, Ext 14863

School Safety Officer: Ian BainbridgeRoom B53E-mail: [email protected]: 0115 846 8075

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Useful Sources of Information

This section lists a number of useful websites that will provide information on a widerange of University facilities.

Academic Services: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices

From Academic Services you can access the following:Course and module informationExams OfficeQuality ManualStudent AdministrationTimetabling Office

Student Services: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/StudentServices

From Student Services you can access the following:Academic SupportDisability SupportFinancial Support

Student Services also run the Student Services Centre in Portland Building, where youcan speak to their advisors.

Accommodation: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/accommodation/

Blue Castle: https://bluecastle.nottingham.ac.uk/You can access information regarding your module enrolment and marks. You will alsobe able to access course related surveys from here, as detailed on page 91.

Careers and Employability Service: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/

Childcare Services: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/child-care/

Counselling Service: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/counselling/

Graduation: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/graduation/

IT Services: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/it-services/index.aspx

International Office: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/internationaloffice/

Libraries, Research and Learning Resources:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/library/index.aspx

Moodle: http://moodle.nottingham.ac.uk (the Universities online learning platform)

Personal and Academic Records (ePARs): https://epars.nottingham.ac.uk/

Portal: http://my.nottingham.ac.uk/

Registration: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/registration/

Regulations: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/regulations/

Semester and Term Dates:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/about/keydates/dates1415.aspx

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Students Union: http://www.su.nottingham.ac.uk/

Studying Effectively: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/teaching/studyingeffectively/

University Card: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/universitycard

Workspace: http://workspace.nottingham.ac.uk/dashboard.action

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Section 2: Your Studies

Course Structures

The School offers a number of different undergraduate degrees that can be followed andthe one you are registered for will depend upon your initial application or the choices youmake during your first and second years.

Course Structures

The information below details the structure of our various degrees. (The figure inbrackets indicates the number of credits the module is worth; 120 credits must be takeneach year).

LLB (Hons) Law

Semester one Semester Two

First Year (Qualifying) Foundations of Tort A (10) Foundations of Tort B (20)

Law of Contract A (10) Law of Contract B (20)

Public Law A (10) Public Law B (20)

Understanding Law (30)

Second Year (Part I) Criminal Law (30)

Land Law (30)

Law of the European Union (30)

Options (15)* Options (15)*

Final Year (Part II) Law of Trusts (30)

Options (45)* Options (45)*

* up to 20 credits can be taken outside the School in each of the second and final years

BA (Hons) Law

Semester one Semester Two

First Year (Qualifying) Law of Contract A (10) Law of Contract B (20)

Public Law A (10) Public Law B (20)

Understanding Law (20)

Non-law modules (20) Non-law modules (20)

Second Year (Part I) Foundations of Tort A (10) Foundations of Tort B (20)

Criminal Law (30)

Land Law (30)

Options (30)*

Final Year (Part II) Law of Trusts (30)

Law of the European Union (30)

Options (30)* Options (30)*

* in addition to the core modules, students must take at least 60 credits of law modulesacross the second and final years.

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BA (Hons) Law with French and French LawBA (Hons) Law with German and German LawBA (Hons) Law with Spanish and Spanish Law

Semester one Semester Two

First Year (Qualifying) Law of Contract A (10) Law of Contract B (20)

Public Law A (10) Public Law B (20)

Understanding Law (20)

French/German/Spanish Language (20)

Introduction to French/German/Spanish Studies (20)

Second Year (Part I) Foundations of Tort A (10) Foundations of Tort B (20)

Criminal Law (30)

Land Law (30)

French/German/Spanish Language (20)

Civil Law: A ComparativeIntroduction (10)

Third Year Year Abroad

Final Year (Part II) Law of Trusts (30)

Law of the European Union (30)

French/German/Spanish Language (20)

French/German/Spanish Options (40)

Transferring between LLB and BA Law

At the end of the first year, if you are studying either LLB or BA Law you have anopportunity to transfer between the two routes. The information below explains how thiswill affect the structure of your degree.

LLB Law to BA Law

If you have completed the first year of LLB Law, you may transfer to BA Law.

In the second year you would be required to take Criminal Law and Land Law. In yourfinal year you would be required to take Law of the European Union and Law of Trusts.In addition, you would need to take an additional 40 credits of law modules across thesecond and final years. The remaining credits may be taken in either law or non-lawsubjects.

If you are considering this option, you should consult the Undergraduate ProgrammesManager, Ian Bainbridge. Difficulties may arise in finding a sufficient number of non-lawmodules at an appropriate level, so it might be useful to make inquiries with otherschools within the University before making a final decision.

BA Law to LLB Law

If you have completed the first year of BA Law you may transfer to LLB Law.

In the second year you would be required to take Criminal Law, Land Law, Law of theEuropean Union and Foundations of Tort A and B. This would account for all of thecredits for that year so there would be no opportunity to take any optional modules. In

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your final year you would be required to take Law of Trusts. In addition, all of youroptional modules in your final year must be law subjects.

If you are considering this option, you should consult the Undergraduate ProgrammesManager, Ian Bainbridge.

Please note: no transfers between LLB and BA Law will be permitted after thestart of your second year.

Four Year Degree Programmes

Many of you will be aware of the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad as part ofyour degree programme at Nottingham. Indeed for some of you it may have been afactor in deciding to apply to Nottingham. Although many law schools offer thisopportunity, no other law school has the wide range of programmes and partners thatNottingham offers.

The BA Law with French and French Law, BA Law with German and German Law and BALaw with Spanish and Spanish Law degree programmes are direct entry four-yearprogrammes and, if you are registered on any of those programmes, you already knowthat you will be spending your third year studying at a law school in the relevant country.

Our current partners are:

Law with French and French Law – Universities of Brest and ToulouseLaw with German and German Law – Universities of Gottingen and HannoverLaw Spanish and Spanish Law – University of Valencia

If you are currently registered on the three-year LLB Law or BA Law programmes, in thefirst term of your second year you can apply for transfer to one of the Law School’s four-year degrees programmes.

If you are selected for transfer to one of these programmes, you will spend the first twoyears studying at Nottingham, the third year at one of our partner law schools studyingaspects of the relevant national law and the fourth year back at Nottingham completingthe final year of the standard LLB or BA Law programme. Assuming that you successfullycomplete all years of the programme, you will graduate with a degree that reflects youryear abroad in its title, for example ‘LLB with Australian Law’.

All these programmes should provide a remarkable educational and cultural experience;and students participating in the programmes have proved to be very attractive toemployers and, in particular, to the leading international firms of solicitors.

Competition for the available places is intense. Selection for the programmes is based ona range of factors, including your first-year examination performance and your generalsuitability for living and studying overseas for a year, away from your usual supportsystems.

The programmes and partners currently available are listed below. The School is alwaysseeking to add to its list of programmes and partners; and the list may be expanded bythe time that you apply.

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Law with American Law: University of ConnecticutUniversity of Texas

Law with Australian Law: Australian National UniversityUniversity of New South WalesUniversity of QueenslandUniversity of SydneyUniversity of Western Australia

Law with Canadian Law: University of British ColumbiaUniversity of Western Ontario

Law with Chinese Law: University of Hong Kong

Law with European Law: University of Brest (France)University of Copenhagen (Denmark)University of Ghent (Belgium)University of Lund (Sweden)University of Madrid (Spain)University of Prague (Czech Republic)University of Rovaniemi (Finland)University of Utrecht (The Netherlands)University of Vienna (Austria)

Law with New Zealand Law: University of AucklandUniversity of Canterbury

Law with South East Asian Law: National University of Singapore

If you are interested in applying to transfer to any of the above four-year degreeprogrammes, you should in the first instance contact Fiona Hayes, the School’s ExchangeProgrammes Administrator ([email protected]) in Room B58.

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Senior Status LLB

The Senior Status LLB does not follow the standard structure of an undergraduate degreeso this part of the handbook is dedicated to explaining how this degree operates.

The figure in brackets indicates the number of credits the module is worth; 150 creditsmust be taken in each year.

Semester one Semester Two

First Year Foundations of Tort A (10) Foundations of Tort B (20)

Law of Contract A (10) Law of Contract B (20)

Public Law A (10) Public Law B (20)

Criminal Law (30)

Land Law (30)

In addition, you will attend non-credit bearing sessions at the beginning of the year tosupplement your studies, the content being based on the Understanding Law module.

Semester one Semester Two

Second Year Law of the European Union (30)

Law of Trusts (30)

Law Options (45) Law Options (45)

University of Nottingham Qualification Framework

While the Senior Status LLB is taught and assessed in two years, the University ofNottingham Qualifications Framework is divided into three distinct sections, overlappingthe two year structure.

The LLB qualification requires completion of 360 credits across the course of study,equally divided between these three sections as detailed below:

Qualifying Stage

60 credits Acquired Prior Learning (APL) based on previous degree level study30 credits Law of Contract A/B30 credits Public Law A/B

The assessments for Qualifying Stage modules must be completed for progressionpurposes but do not contribute to the overall degree classification awarded at the end ofthe course.

Part I

30 credits Foundations of Tort A/B30 credits Criminal Law30 credits Land Law30 credits Law of the European Union

The assessments for Part I modules must be completed for progression purposes and willcontribute 50% to the overall degree classification.

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Part II

30 credits Law of Trusts90 credits optional Law modules

The assessments for Part II modules contribute 50% to the overall degree classification.

Further information of progression and degree classifications can be found in theAssessment section of the handbook.

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Module Choices

After the spring break, if you are due to return to Nottingham, you will be given anopportunity to select your optional modules for the following year.

Module information will be made available on Moodle and you will be able to select yourlaw modules online. There are deadlines for when you have to submit your modulechoices and these will be advertised nearer the time.

Information for this year’s modules is currently on Moodle so this will give you an idea ofthe kind of modules we offer, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee thatparticular optional modules will run every year and there may be new options on offer.

You should note that when you come to select your modules in April/May, certainmodules (usually seminar-based modules) are limited in the number of students we canaccept and are capped. These modules are allocated on a first come/first served basis.

All other modules are ‘capped’ during the summer based on the number of students whohave opted for them at that stage. The teaching timetable is set, lecture theatresbooked and the number of tutorial groups allocated on the basis of everyone’s initialselection.

Changed your mind?

If you change your mind after you have made your initial choices then, do not worrybecause you will have an opportunity to review and change your choices at the beginningof the relevant semester.

However, being able to swap is dependent of there being places available, timetablerestrictions and the module being at an appropriate level, so there are no guarantees.We do, however, endeavour to get most people on the modules they want.

Details of module change sessions will be circulated at the relevant time and all changesare subject to the approval of the School, which can be obtained through Ian Bainbridge.

Dissertations and Independent Study

For final year students, if you are wishing to take the Dissertation or an IndependentStudy module, you are expected to submit a final version of your proposal for theapproval of your supervisor and the module convenor by the end of the first week of therelevant semester.

You are under an obligation to meet this deadline to ensure you have the opportunity tochange to another module in the event that the research proposal is not approved.

One thing you should consider when considering taking the Dissertation or IndependentStudy is the research you will be required to undertake: all research undertaken bystudents and staff within the School of Law should be conducted ethically.

Research involving human participants and/or the use of confidential, personal orcommercially sensitive data must be submitted for approval by the School of LawResearch Ethics Committee, as must any research that is likely to give rise to the risk ofharm/potential conflicts of interest.

Full details regarding research ethics can be found on Moodle.

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Permitted levels of non-law modules

Your module choices are restricted to some degree by the University’s QualificationFramework, full details of which can be found in the Quality Manual:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/curriculum/unqfindex.aspx

The restrictions are:

Students who will be in their second year and who wish to take non-law modules arepermitted to take modules at levels 1, 2 or 3. However, you can only take a maximum of30 credits at level 1.

Students who will be in their final year and who wish to take non-law modules arepermitted to take modules at levels 2 and 3. However, you can only take a maximum of20 credits at level 2.

Final year students are not permitted to take non-law modules at level 1.

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Your Obligations

The School and the University are obviously responsible for many things, from theprovision of teaching to student support and learning resources to facilities on campus.However, as a student you are also responsible for your learning experience and that ofyour fellow students.

Attendance and Engagement

University Regulations state that ‘students must attend all teaching activities necessaryfor the pursuit of their studies, undertake all associated assessments and attendmeetings and other activities as required by their School or the University’.

The full Regulations Governing Attendance and Engagement can be found here:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/registrationattendanceandstudy/regulations-governing-attendance-and-engagement.aspx

In terms of your commitments to the School you should be aware of the following points:

You should be in attendance at the University during term time (with the exception ofweekends). This includes the period between the end of examinations and thepublication of results in June.

If exceptional circumstances require you to be absent, you must obtain prior approvalfrom the Undergraduate Programmes Manager, Ian Bainbridge.

Attendance and participation at tutorials and seminars is compulsory. Tutorials andseminars are one of the best ways of receiving continuous feedback on yourunderstanding of course material. Students should come fully prepared to theseclasses. Where a student fails to do so this will be reported to the UndergraduateProgrammes Manager.

It is expected that you will attend the tutorial/seminar group to which you have beenallocated.* If you have a good reason to miss your timetabled group, then youshould inform the tutor in advance or as soon as is practicable afterwards and, wherepossible, arrange to attend an alternative group.

Attendance at voluntary sessions for which you have specifically registered (such asSkillegal or careers events) is compulsory, unless you inform the organiser prior tothe session.

Failure to attend or participate in tutorials/seminars will result in your absence beingreported to the Undergraduate Programmes Manager.

Where a pattern of poor attendance or failure to prepare for class emerges you will beasked to meet an appropriate member of staff (the Undergraduate ProgrammesManager and/or Directors of Undergraduate Studies) to give an account of thereasons for this.

Penalties for non-attendance can be imposed, the most serious being that a studentwhose attendance is deemed unsatisfactory may be refused permission to take theirassessments with the consequence that the student will not obtain the credits for thatmodule.

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The School is required to report non-attendance to the University who, in turn, willinform Local Authorities (UK students) or the UK Border Agency (Internationalstudents).

You should be aware that some exams at the end of semester one and semester twomay be scheduled on a Saturday.

* Policy of transferring between tutorial/seminar groups

Students can only transfer between groups where they have a good reason and whereverpossible permission should be granted before a tutorial is missed. In some cases, forexample where a student is unexpectedly ill, we recognise that this will not be possible.Where a student has a good reason (such as illness) for missing a tutorial, we cannot,however, guarantee to make a tutorial place available as classes may already be full.

This policy was introduced in response to concerns (amongst students and staff) aboutthe increase in size of tutorials and seminars at the end of a cycle, when students whohave missed an earlier scheduled class seek to transfer into a later class.

It should also be noted that, save in exceptional circumstances, it is not acceptable totransfer into an earlier tutorial/seminar groups at the end of term in order to leaveNottingham early. Travel arrangements are not regarded as a valid reason for non-attendance at tutorials and seminars.

If there is a valid reason that requires you to make a permanent change to yourtutorial/seminar groups when the timetables are first posted, you should see the relevantadministrator as detailed on the notice board. You should be aware, however, that suchchanges are only possible in exceptional circumstances.

Recording of Lectures

No recording of lectures should take place without prior permission beingobtained.

Permission to record lectures can be granted in one of the following ways:

Academic Support or Disability Support can recommend that a student be permittedto record lectures to aid their study in light of a disability, long-term medicalcondition or learning difficulty. If this recommendation is made, the School willautomatically grant permission for that student to record all relevant law lectures.

The relevant lecturers are informed of any such recommendations through IanBainbridge, the School’s Disability Liaison Officer.

The University’s policy on this issue can be found at:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/supportforyourstudies/disabilitysupport/index.aspx

There may be occasions when students require temporary assistance with theirstudies but do not qualify for this assistance from Academic Support or DisabilitySupport, if they break their arm for example. In these situations the School has apolicy in place in which Ian Bainbridge, as the School’s Disability Liaison Officer, canmake a recommendation that you be permitted to record lectures for a fixed period oftime.

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This recommendation is sent to the relevant lecturers, who will make the finaldecision as to whether you be permitted to record their lectures.

Any student may approach their lecturer and ask them for permission to record theirlectures. You may do this at the start of a lecture or you may contact them by e-mailbeforehand.

If your lecturer does not give you permission you must abide by their decision.

Please note: students are not permitted to record seminar or tutorial sessionsunder any circumstances.

Use of Laptops in Tutorials

Tutors have the discretion to prohibit the use of laptops in tutorials.

Tutors may consider the use of laptops in tutorials inappropriate and undesirable for anumber of reasons, both practical and pedagogical. These reasons include the following:

Tutorials take place within a carefully scheduled timetable, and it is the experienceof some tutors that the setting up of laptops takes up a disproportionate amount oftime. This is especially the case where laptops are insufficiently charged and haveto be plugged in, or where tutees arrive late for a tutorial.

The use of laptops in tutorials inhibits discussion, which is seen as one of the mainobjectives of the tutorial method of teaching and learning. Communication betweenthe tutor and the tutees, and between tutees, is more difficult where the tutees’main focus is a laptop screen that the tutor and co-tutees cannot themselves see.

Some tutees appear to simply type out virtually everything that is said during thecourse of the tutorial in an indiscriminate manner. Aside from constant typingleading to ‘noise pollution’ within the tutorial, tutors may take the view that this isan inappropriate and fruitless practice which will not assist in the learning process.It also prevents the tutee in question from making a meaningful contribution to thetutorial discussion.

Tutors have noted that the use of laptops may lead to inadequate preparation forthe tutorial itself, with tutees using laptops to access handouts which are thenscrolled through and annotated as discussion continues. Tutees are expected toprepare answers to tutorial questions, at the very least in outline, and to comeprepared to discuss their own answers and to raise any questions they haveidentified as important during the course of preparation for the tutorial. In sometutors experience, this process is abandoned in favour of taking notes on a laptopduring the tutorial.

Where a tutor wishes to prohibit the use of laptops, tutees will be informed at the startof the first tutorial.

Any tutee who considers that there are exceptional circumstances which require the useof a laptop should contact Ian Bainbridge, who will consider the circumstances and,where appropriate, inform the tutor that the tutee in question should be permitted touse their laptop.

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Conduct in Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials

When attending any teaching session all students have the right to listen to thelecturer/tutor without undue interruption. Similarly, lecturers and tutors have the rightto present their sessions without undue interruption. As such, all students should:

arrive for teaching sessions in time for a prompt start; bring relevant materials; switch off mobile phones; refrain from talking to one another during lectures.

Please be considerate to your fellow students and lecturers.

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Section 3: Learning Resources

Computing Facilities

When you have registered with the University you will have an account to use all of theavailable learning resources, including the network of computers across campus.

If you are a first year student, when you complete online registration you will be issuedwith your University username and password at the end of the process.

If you are a returning student, you should be able to access the University network usinglast year’s username and password.

New first year students should have received a guide on getting started from IT Services,guides which are also available on their website:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/it-services/help-and-support/help-and-support.aspx

Student IT Support Programme

The Student IT Support Programme (SITS) is an extra support service offered byInformation Services during the first few weeks of a new academic session.

The programme provides help and support to all new students to help familiarise themwith the way computing and IS are delivered at the University of Nottingham, and alsooffer advice on the range of IS facilities available to them.

Trained IT Student Support tutors will be available in Halls of Residence, InformationServices computer rooms (designated public access areas) and at Registration to helpand guide anyone encountering problems.

The programme has already commenced in halls of residence and continues as follows:

Location Date Time

All halls at University ParkAll halls at Jubilee

22 September 10am – 4pm

All halls at University ParkAll halls at Jubilee

23 - 24 September 4.30pm - 7.30pm

George Green Library computer roomGreenfield Medical Library computer roomHallward Library levels 1 and 2Student Services Centre, Portland Building

22 - 26 September 10am - 4pm

Cripps Computing Centre South computer roomDjanogly Learning Resource Centre computer

room, Jubilee CampusBusiness Library, Jubilee Campus

24 – 26 September 10am – 4pm

Registration, Sports Centre 22 September 12pm – 5pm

Registration, Sports Centre 23 September 9am – 5pm

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Hallward Library levels 1 and 2Cripps Computing Centre South computer roomDjanogly Learning Resource Centre computerroom, Jubilee CampusStudent Services Centre, Portland Building

29 September –3 October

10am – 4pm

Resource Rooms

As a student in the School of Law you will have access to computer facilities both in theSchool and across the University.

The School of Law Resource Room

The School of Law Resource Room is located in A35 of the Law and Social Sciences Building.This room is for the sole and exclusive use of you as law students and is equipped withcomputer terminals and printing facilities.

Access to this room is via your University Card and it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek. Between 6pm and 8am and at weekends, access to the building is also via yourUniversity card.

If you experience any problems with the facilities in this room, then your first point ofcontact should be the School’s IT Support Assistant, Jonathan Holmes, and he can becontacted at [email protected].

University Computer Areas

In addition to the School of Law Resource Room, the University operates various studentresource areas across the campuses. These rooms are located in the libraries, TrentBuilding, the Cripps Computing Centre and a variety of other areas. There is also anotherresource room in the Law and Social Sciences Building, A25.

A full list of locations and opening times can be found on the IT Services web pages athttp://www.nottingham.ac.uk/it-services/services/computer-rooms.aspx. In addition,details of available PCs are posted on screens placed around the building on campus.

Conditions of Computer Use

When using a School or University computer terminal you are required to abide by theUniversity Code of Practice. That means they are to be used for academic-related workonly.

The School of Law has traditionally taken a fairly broad view of what constitutes ‘academic-related work’, but you should not take up a machine playing games or for similar non-academic purposes. And, if there is a queue of people wanting to use machines foracademic work, please postpone replying to your personal email or surfing the Web foramusement. Making telephone calls over the internet is not permitted, as this will, on topof the congestion, create noise pollution. Generally, please keep noise levels down whenusing the computing facilities.

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Library Resources

Hallward Library

Students are entitled to visit and borrow from any library across the University.However, as a law student, the Hallward Library (next door to the School) will be your“home” library.

Your University ID card doubles as your library card. You’ll need this to enter and leave,and to borrow books. Hallward opening hours are:

Term Time:Library Lending Desk

Monday-Friday 08.00-21.45 08.00-21.45Saturday 09.00-21.45 09.00-16.45Sunday 09.30-21.45 09.30-16.45

Vacation:Library Lending Desk

Monday-Friday 08.30-20.45 09.00-17.00Saturday 09.00-16.45 09.00-12.30Sunday 09.30-16.45 Closed

In the period leading up to exams, the library is open 24 hours a day.

In Hallward, you will find a rich variety of information resources and computer equipmentto support your studies. There is a dedicated Law Reading Room on Level 3, with a well-stocked library and plenty of quiet study space. Bookable group study rooms areavailable on Level 1.

Do not be afraid to ask any member of library staff about finding and using information:they are there to help! Tony Simmonds, the Law Librarian, is based in an office on Level4 of Hallward Library. You can also e-mail enquiries to [email protected].

Networked PCs are available on each floor of Hallward (you will need your campususername and password to log in). If you have your own laptop or tablet, you canconnect to the University’s secure wifi service. Many study spaces also have power pointsfor you to plug in your device. iPads and laptops are available for loan from the Libraryfor up to 3 hours.

Printed Library Materials

Library provision is split between printed and digital materials.

The printed collection includes student textbooks and scholarly works, reference books,series of law reports and academic journals. Besides wide and deep coverage of UK law,the collection also spans international legal materials and other national jurisdictions.Hallward Library is a European Documentation Centre and therefore has extensiveholdings of EU books, reports, journals and statistical series. UK Official Publications arealso well-represented.

Most of the Law collection is located on Level 3 of Hallward. However, heavily usedbooks that are in demand for seminar preparation and other teaching purposes may befound in the Short Loan collection, on Level 2. This includes multiple copies of key texts

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(many of which are only made available for libraries to purchase in printed form by theirpublishers).

You can check the availability of books through the online library catalogue, UNLOC:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/unloc.

Alternatively, a broader and more sophisticated discovery tool, called NUsearch, is to belaunched in autumn 2014. A link to NUsearch appears on the Library home page:www.nottingham.ac.uk/library/index.aspx. NUsearch integrates the content of UNLOCwith article-level searching among a selection of participating databases. At present,unfortunately, coverage of law databases is less comprehensive than it is for otherdisciplines (for example, neither Westlaw nor LexisLibrary documents are indexed).

If you have problems getting access to materials, please do speak with your module tutoror with the Law Librarian.

Borrowing books

Self-service devices allow you to borrow and return books yourself, whenever the libraryis open. The technology is easy to use – just follow the on-screen instructions. Staff areon hand to help if needed.

Undergraduates may borrow up to 20 “ordinary loan” books at any one time. When youissue a book, print and keep a receipt as your note of the date of return. Another receiptwill be printed when you return the book.

You are responsible for all books and materials borrowed on your card. Please do notborrow items on behalf of friends, or allow them use of your card.

You can check all aspects of your borrowing record by logging on to your user accountvia UNLOC. You must also be logged on to reserve books that are on loan to somebodyelse, to renew your loans and to pre-book Short Loan items. Enter your library cardnumber plus your library PIN to log on. Your default library PIN is the last four digits ofyour library card number (we recommend you to reset the PIN to something memorableto you only; you can do this via UNLOC).

Loan periods for undergraduates are:

Ordinary Loan 8 weeks

Short Loan Monday – Friday: 11.00 – 16.00 / 16.00 – 11.00 following dayFriday 16.00 – 10.00 the following Monday

In addition to your quota of 20 ordinary loan books, you may also borrow a maximum oftwo short loan items at any one time. Any Short Loan item can be reserved for aparticular slot up to two weeks in advance. Consider using this facility to plan andorganise access to essential reading. Find the item that you want on UNLOC, clickAvailability then Booking, and follow the onscreen instructions. Provided that the item ison the shelf, it may be borrowed up to 90 minutes before the start of the borrowingperiod (see below for details of these periods). Likewise, your booking will expire 90minutes after the borrowing period.

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Electronic Library Materials

Many legal materials, such as statutes, law reports and journals can be accessedelectronically. Your starting point for accessing these materials is NUsearch. To avoidaccess problems, always use this platform in preference to starting from a search enginesuch as Google.

A link to NUsearch appears on the Library home page:www.nottingham.ac.uk/library/index.aspx. To find an alphabetical list of recommendedresources for law, go to: Databases > Category: Social Sciences > Sub-category Law >Find Databases.

If you are on-campus, most databases offer seamless access and you should not need tolog in again. If you are off campus, you may need to select “University of Nottingham”from a list of institutions and then re-enter your username and password. Click show infofor further information about each resource.

Note that searching the library catalogue by title will also find direct links to many e-books and e-journal titles. However, coverage by the catalogue is not comprehensive –i.e. not all journals or law reports titles to which you have access appearindividually on the catalogue. Online databases such as Westlaw and LexisLibraryfeature large numbers of titles in full text which cannot all be consistently listed onUNLOC for technical reasons. Please ask library staff if you are unsure about theelectronic availability of a particular title.

This table gives an indication of the major databases relevant to law:

DATABASE DESCRIPTION AND COVERAGE

WestlawAccess to primary materials from UK, US and EU; coverage of UK andforeign law journals (includes Legal Journals Index). This is a keyresource for your studies.

LexisLibraryAccess to UK, Commonwealth, EU, US and international legalmaterials. It also contains a wide range of practitioner works.Another key resource for your studies.

LawtelProvides summaries/full text of UK case, statutes, SIs etc. A populardaily updating service and specialist Human Rights Centre are alsoavailable.

HeinOnline

HeinOnline provides full text access to a large number of law journalsand reviews. The majority of these are US publications but anincreasing range of titles from the UK and Commonwealth are beingadded. A strength is that the coverage of many of the journals startswith volume 1 (whereas services such as LexisLibrary and Westlaw UKtend to have much more recent coverage). However, the most recentone or two years of content are often not available.

EUR-Lex EU primary and secondary legislation and case law.

Index to LegalPeriodicals andBooks

Indexes articles in over 750 legal periodicals (1981 onwards), plus agrowing number of legal treatises.

UKOP A web-based catalogue of UK official publications (1980 onwards).

UN TreatyCollection

A collection of databases relating to UN and other treaties.

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Printing and Photocopying

Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs) throughout Hallward provide print, copy and scanfacilities. To use this service you will need your University card and PIN, and credit inyour print account.

The School ensures that you have £10 credit on your account each academic year. Youcan check the balance of your account, add credit and change your PIN at the paymentkiosks located on Levels 1 and 2.

How to Find Out More

Various sessions introducing the range of library facilities and services will be available toall new students. You are advised to attend these sessions as they will provide you withthe most up-to-date information on the research facilities available to you.

Various guides and publications will also be available to you that describe library servicesand facilities in detail. Printed copies of these are available to pick up in Hallward.Further information may be found on the library’s webpages, especially at:http://nottingham.ac.uk/library/help/gettingstarted.aspx.

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Online Resources

All of the following resources are accessible directly from the links provided and also fromthe Student Portal. The Portal is your gateway into the University’s online resources. Inaddition, you will be able to access ‘Blue Castle’ via the Portal. ‘Blue Castle’ is where youwill find information about your marks, progression decisions and awards when they areavailable.

The Portal can be found at: https://my.nottingham.ac.uk/

E-mail

The School and the University uses e-mail as one of its primary modes of communicationwith you as a student.

You will probably have personal e-mail accounts that you are used to using but,to avoid any confusion, we will always use your University e-mail account tocommunicate with you and you must therefore check this account on a regularbasis. Not using or checking this account will not be considered an acceptableexcuse for not responding to or acting upon the messages we send. We alsoask that you send e-mail messages to staff through your University account.

So that you can check your University account with ease, the University provides webaccess to your e-mail account so you can access it from anywhere with an internetconnection. The address is https://email.nottingham.ac.uk. You can also link youraccount to tablets and other mobile devices and guidance is available on the IT Serviceswebsite.

Moodle

Moodle is the University’s online learning environment used by the School to supportteaching and learning. Each module has its own page on which you will find handouts,PowerPoint slides and other information relevant to that module.

Moodle is accessible at http://moodle.nottingham.ac.uk

You will automatically be registered for the modules you are taking but, if you cannot see amodule you believe you are taking, you should inform the School so that we can arrangeaccess.

Within Moodle there is an additional module ‘Introduction to Moodle for Students’, which willgive you an overview of how it works. You can search for this and then self-enrol so that itappears in your module list.

For support using Moodle you can contact [email protected].

Any queries relating to the academic content of a module should be addressed to theappropriate module convenor.

In addition to the academic modules, Moodle also hosts the module ‘Information forUndergraduate Students’ in which you will find general information such as a copy of thishandbook, module option handbooks, useful links and forms and so on. New content will be

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posted at the appropriate time during the academic year, such as module option forms andexam timetables.

Workspace

Workspace is the University's Collaborative platform. The School uses this platform postinformation and discussions relating to the Learning Community Forum, further details ofwhich can be found on page 93.

Workspace is accessible at http://workspace.nottingham.ac.uk/dashboard.action.

Problems?

If you encounter any problems with the School of Law Resource Room, your first point ofcontact should be Jonathan Holmes, the School’s IT Support Assistant:[email protected].

For any other issues with the facilities or services provided by IT Services you shouldcontact them directly:

Telephone: 0115 95 16677 (24 hours a day) Self-service: https://selfservice.nottingham.ac.uk Email: [email protected]

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Section 4: Assessment

Assessment Procedures

The information in this section is intended to provide general guidance on theassessment regulations followed by the School of Law. All students, however, shouldalso refer to the following websites which fully detail the University’s Regulations:

University Quality Manual:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/aboutthequalitymanual.aspx

Regulations for Undergraduate Courses and Supplementary Regulations for Law:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessmentandawards/studyregulationsforundergraduatecourses.aspx

How you are assessed

For each module you take you will be assessed at the end of the relevant semester. Formost year-long modules you will be assessed at the end of both semesters. Theassessment for each module will normally comprise of an examination, assessedcoursework or both.

Provisional Assessments

Provisional assessments (which may take the form of either examinations or coursework)refer to assessments for modules which are subsequently replaced by the final markachieved in a later assessment in the same module or in a subsequent linked module.

The School’s view is that provisional assessments are a valuable educational tool and anessential method of monitoring your academic progress. This form of assessment is onlyused in modules where it is considered that a whole year is needed for a student tobecome fully proficient in the subject. Therefore, it is the policy of the School that allstudents must make a genuine attempt to complete every provisional assessmentrequired by their course of study. Any student failing to comply with this requirement willbe required to undertake remedial work. Failure to submit remedial work can result in astudent being refused permission to take further assessment in the relevant module orlinked module.

In the case of Law of Contract A and B, Foundations of Tort A and B (LLB students only)and Public Law A and B the assessment set at the end of the “A” module serves as aprovisional assessment for students going on to take the “B” module. The mark receivedfor the provisional assessment is replaced by the mark received for the examination setat the end of the “B” module. In such a case the student’s final mark in the linked modulewill be based entirely on the examination at the end of the “B” module.

In the case of Criminal Law, Land Law, Law of the European Union, Law of Trusts andFoundations of Tort A and B (BA Law and Senior Status LLB students only), the markfrom the assessment set at the end of semester one can count for 25% of the overallmark for the entire module but only if it increases the mark obtained in the finalassessment.

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Assessed Coursework

The procedures for the submission of assessed coursework are explained under ‘AssessedCoursework’ on page 53.

Examinations

Examinations take place at the end of the each semester. The examination period lastsfor two weeks in semester 1 and three weeks in semester 2.

The University Examinations Office is responsible for determining the timetable and youshould note that there are three examination ‘periods’ each day: at 9am, 1.30pm and4.30pm and that exams run Monday to Saturday.

Setting of Examination Papers

One or more internal examiners (the module convener or another member of theteaching team) will be appointed to set and mark each paper. Each paper is also assignedto one of the School’s appointed external examiners.

The School has an extremely thorough process for ensuring that its examinations are ofthe highest quality. Drafts of each question paper are carefully scrutinised by both theteachers and examiners in the relevant module and by other members of staff. The finaldraft is then sent to the external examiner who has accepted responsibility for that paper,for his or her scrutiny and comments. The internal examiners then make such changes asappear appropriate in the light of the external examiner’s comments.

The duration of papers may be one and a half, two, two and a half or three hours. Apaper may be divided into sections with a rubric requiring a specified number of answersfrom each section. A notice is put up each semester on the Examinations Noticeboardindicating the rubric for each paper. Students should take due care to ensure that theyunderstand and follow the rubric in each of the examinations they take.

Marking of examination papers/assessed coursework

All assessments in the School are marked anonymously.

All assessments are initially marked by a member of staff with relevant experience. Eachmarker keeps a record of all the marks recorded and these are also kept by theUndergraduate Examinations Administrator.

All assessments which have been internally marked as first, fails and borderline cases arespecifically referred to an external examiner. Borderline cases are any assessments witha mark of 28, 29, 38, 39, 48, 49, 58, 59, 68, 69 and 74. In addition, the externalexaminer is sent a representative sample of the assessments. The external examinermay ask for all papers to be sent to him or her and may make such amendments ashe/she may deem appropriate in light of overall national standards. In the case ofsubstantive disagreement between the internal and external examiners, the matter willbe resolved between the Chair of Examiners and the internal and external examiners.

Each paper/piece of assessment is assessed as: first class*, first class, second class(upper or lower) or third class honours standard; or fail. These classifications correspondto numerical marks as follows:

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First Class*: 75+First Class: 70 - 74Second Class, Division 1: 60 - 69Second Class, Division 2: 50 - 59Third Class: 40 - 49Compensable Fail: 30 – 39

In certain circumstances marks of 30-39, which are prima facie fail marks, may becompensable in accordance with Regulation 10 of the University Regulations forUndergraduate Courses. Students should consult the Supplementary Regulations for theSchool of Law for a list of the modules in which fail marks may not be compensated underRegulation 10.

In all examination papers an equal proportion of marks are allocated to each question.Essay and problem questions on examination papers carry the same proportion of marks;no advantage is necessarily gained by choosing one type of question rather than another.Where a candidate fails to complete the paper, no allowance is made for unansweredquestions. Where a candidate has answered four questions on a paper, when the rubricallows only three, all the questions will be marked, the best three will be taken intoaccount and the fourth ignored.

Where questions on examination papers or coursework are divided into parts (e.g. (a)and (b)) no general inference should be drawn that the parts are necessarily of exactlyequal weight. Candidates must answer all parts of a question unless otherwise instructedin the question.

Where, because of shortage of time, ONE question on an examination paper is answeredin note form, credit will be given for the knowledge and its application to the problemrevealed by the notes; but generally, answers will be expected to be written in coherentsentences.

It is not acceptable for students to abbreviate large numbers of ordinary words in order tosave time. This does not, however, rule out the use of commonly accepted abbreviationsfor particular words (e.g. “Co” for “Company”, “D” “Defendant).

It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that their examination script is legible. In caseswhen a marker is unable to read a script/part of a script the student will be asked toproduce a typed transcript of the work.

The numerical marks obtained in each module, and feedback on performance, will begiven to students from the School of Law Reception. For final year students, the officialUniversity notices published after the examinations will list the students overall degreeclassifications. These notices will not include numerical marks.

The Board of Examiners

The Board of Examiners in Law consists of all members of the academic staff of theSchool of Law, one of whom acts as Chair of Examiners, and a number of externalexaminers.

The external examiners are university teachers from various universities, selectedbecause of their experience in examining, their high academic qualifications and theirability to cover the range of undergraduate modules (and LLM courses) provided by theSchool of Law. They are appointed for a maximum of four years.

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Meeting of the Board of Examiners

All internal examiners and external examiners are invited to attend the meeting of theBoard of Examiners in Law, which is held towards the middle of June. The Boardconsiders both Semester 1 and Semester 2 marks. Semester 1 marks are recorded atthe end of that semester but are not considered by the Board until its meeting in June.

In the case of 1st year (or Qualifying year) and 2nd year (or Part I) students, the role ofthe Board is to note the marks that have been returned and consider the case of anystudent who has failed one or more modules, in accordance with the UniversityRegulations for Undergraduate Courses and the Supplementary Regulations for the Schoolof Law.

In the case of final year (or Part II) students, the Board will determine the class of degreein accordance with the conventions set out on page 63.

Students should note that there is no quota system, whereby any fixed percentage ofstudents are awarded Firsts, Upper Seconds, etc., or are failed. Students are assessedagainst a standard and are not competing against each other.

Extenuating Circumstances

In appropriate cases the Board may take into account medical and other personalproblems affecting the student in the period immediately before and during theassessment period. Students wishing any such circumstances to be considered by theBoard are required to submit an extenuating circumstances form and supportingevidence. Only very limited weight can be given to difficulties arising at an earlier periodas examiners must assess the standard attained by the candidate at the time of theassessment.

It should be noted that the School will not adjust any marks based on extenuatingcircumstances; consideration will be given in relation to re-assessment, progression anddegree classification issues.

Students who wish the Board to consider any relevant extenuating circumstances mustsubmit a completed extenuating circumstances form and supporting evidence inaccordance with the procedure and time limits detailed in the Quality Manual:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessmentandawards/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-procedures.aspx

Forms should be submitted to Ian Bainbridge, the Undergraduate Programmes Manager.

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Assessed Coursework

‘Assessed coursework’ refers to an assignment which is required to be completed as partof the formal assessment for a module. It is to be contrasted with ‘compulsory tutorialfeedback essays’ and with ‘voluntary tutorial feedback essays’, of which more can foundin section 5, Academic Development: study and feedback.

This part of the handbook relates to all assessed coursework and sets out the formalrules that must be followed to ensure that all students in all modules are treated in thesame way.

You should read these notes carefully and keep them for future reference. It isyour responsibility to ensure that assessed coursework is submitted in such a way as tocomply with these notes. Failure to do so may adversely affect your final assessment inthe module concerned.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an important issue and one that is dealt with fully on page 57 under‘Academic Misconduct’.

All that needs to be said at this stage is that plagiarism is taken very seriously by theSchool and it is essential that you make yourself aware of what plagiarism entails. If youare ever in any doubt, then you should speak with your academic tutor in the relevantmodule prior to submitting your coursework.

Page Limits

All pieces of coursework have a specified page limit and you must always comply withthis limit. The particular page limit for a piece of coursework has been created by therelevant academic tutors to reflect the weight and structure of the individual modulewithin which it has been set.

Page limits include: text, quotations, footnotes and endnotes; but exclude bibliographies.

If you exceed the specified page limit, you will be subject to the penalty that the markerswill only award a mark based upon the permitted length of work, calculated from thestart of the piece (and the excess ignored). This is likely to result in a low mark as thecomplete structure and arguments of the piece of coursework will not be apparent withinthat part of the text which is eligible for marks.

Style and Form

It is expected that all coursework submitted will be word processed (or typed). If youhave exceptional reasons why you cannot comply with this requirement, see the ModuleConvenor of the relevant module as soon as possible to discuss the matter.

Time spent on improving presentation is seldom wasted.

You should follow these instructions when writing the final version of your coursework:

use A4 size white paper, word processed or typed; use double line spacing; use Verdana font (size 10); margins should be set at 2.5 cm (top/bottom/left/right).

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Failure to comply with these instructions will result in 10% being deducted where astudent might benefit from the transgression. In addition to this, a member of staffwishing to impose a higher penalty may seek permission to do so from the Director ofUndergraduate Studies and/or the Chair of Examiners.

In addition to these instructions, please also note:

Endnotes or footnotes may be used, but these should be kept to a minimum andbe used primarily for giving citations or references to cases, articles, books etc.Endnotes and footnotes should be in Verdana font (size 8).

Page numbers should be inserted for all coursework. A full bibliography of books and articles referred to in your answer must be

included at the end of the coursework after the endnotes (if any). The Schoolrequires students to use the OSCOLA referencing style unless advised otherwise ina particular module. Information and guidance on OSCOLA will be providedthrough the Understanding Law module and can be found athttp://www.law.ox.ac.uk/publications/oscola.php.

Submission procedure

When producing your work, always ensure you make back-up copies throughout thevarious stages of writing. And allow yourself plenty of time to print-out the final version.You cannot expect to receive an extension to the deadline on the basis of foreseeablecomputer difficulties.

Collect a copy of the ‘top sheet’ from the School of Law Reception well in advance ofsubmitting your coursework. On the top sheet you will be asked to fill in details about theassignment, including title and page length as well as such details as your name,candidate number and the module to which the coursework relates. You should also writethe name of the module on the first page of the coursework itself.

Coursework is marked anonymously, therefore you should not write your name onany page of the coursework.

Fasten the coursework together securely in the top left hand corner, with the top sheeton top. Use a staple, treasury tag or equivalent. Do not bind your essay in any otherway, e.g. with a plastic binder.

Coursework must be handed in to the School of Law Reception during normal officeopening hours, i.e. 9.30am–4.00pm. Submission by email or fax is not allowed.

The School does not encourage you to submit your coursework by mail/courier. If,however, you use these methods, the coursework must arrive at the School by therelevant deadline and be accompanied by a completed top sheet. The envelope should beclearly marked for the attention of Claire Jennings.

The top sheet incorporates a receipt slip which will be returned to you when thecoursework is handed in. You must keep the slip as proof of submission.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your coursework is submitted in the propermanner.

Keeping a copy

It is your responsibility to keep a copy of every piece of assessed coursework. This canbe a photocopy, carbon or computer file. Work can be mislaid. If this happens to a piece

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of work of yours - even if it is not your fault - you may be asked to resubmit, as workwhich has not been assessed by the internal and external examiners cannot count ascompleted.

Electronic submission via TurnitinUK

All modules require you to submit assessed coursework electronically, in addition tosubmitting a printed copy.

Electronic submission will be via TurnitinUK, the same plagiarism software that isaccessible to all students to check their own work, as detailed on page 58.

Further step-by-step guidance regarding the electronic submission of assessedcoursework will be provided closer to the date of submission.

Deadlines

There will be a normal standard deadline for the submission of assessed coursework in allLaw modules: in Semester 1 (Tuesday 13 January 2015), and in Semester 2 (Monday 11May 2014).

In some modules a different deadline may be set. This may reflect the fact that theteaching in the module concerned finishes earlier in the semester, or may be for otherreasons peculiar to the module in question. Any such departure from the normal deadlinecan only be made by the teachers in consultation with the Undergraduate ProgrammesManager.

It is your responsibility to be aware of the deadline for your coursework – consult the‘teaching notices’ board regularly. The deadline for any assessed coursework notspecifically mentioned on the board is always the standard coursework deadline.

Please be aware that, should you plan to submit your coursework on the day of thedeadline, there may be queues at Reception. If the work is submitted after 4pm on thedeadline date it will be considered one day late.

Extension of Deadlines

Extensions will only be granted exceptionally, and then only for good reason. It is neitherpossible nor desirable to define in advance what precisely constitutes good reason, butextensions are granted most readily where students have been prevented from doingwork through medical or other personal circumstances.

Supporting evidence will be required: if the problem is medical, a doctor's certificatemust be produced.

If you wish to seek an extension, you should apply through the extenuating circumstanceprocedure before the deadline to the Undergraduate Programmes Manager. If your casefor an extension is accepted, you will be given a new submission date (and should youwish to request a further extension, the same procedure should be followed afresh).

Only in highly exceptional circumstances would an extension be granted once thedeadline has passed.

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Late Submission and Penalties

If assessed work is handed in late (i.e. after the original deadline or after the newdeadline if an extension has been granted), the following standard University penaltieswill apply:

The work will be marked in the usual way but will then be subject to a deductionof 5% absolute on the standard University scale per normal working day oflate submission. For example, a piece of work with an original mark of 67% willbe successively reduced to 62%, 57%, 52%, 47% etc according to how manydays late it was submitted. Normal working days include vacation periods but notweekends or public holidays.

If assessed work is not submitted at all, your progress in your course of study may becertified as unsatisfactory with the consequence that you are unable to sit yourexaminations at the normal time, or at all.

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Academic Misconduct

The School of Law takes any act of plagiarism or academic misconduct very seriously.

All students should make themselves aware of the University’s Academic MisconductPolicy and Procedure:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessmentandawards/academic-misconduct.aspx

Plagiarism

A minority of students continue to ignore the instructions and advice regarding plagiarismin coursework. The penalties for plagiarism are severe.

If you are unsure about any aspect of plagiarism, see your Academic Tutor in therelevant module for specific guidance before you submit. When preparing anyassignment it is essential to be aware of the danger of plagiarism.

The Regulations consider it academic misconduct for a student to present someone else’swork as being their own.

The School of Law considers the following (non-exhaustive list) to be examples ofplagiarism:

Direct quotation of others’ work (including the slight alteration of words orphrases) without proper attribution;

The adoption of another person’s ideas (including their analytical frameworks)without proper attribution.

Detailed guidance on plagiarism is available on Moodle.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) require the University or the School to discloseall acts of plagiarism/cheating found to have been committed by a student, contrary tothe University’s Disciplinary Regulations. Each summer, when the School confirms thedetails of students who have completed the Academic Stage of Training, we will alsonotify the SRA of any student found guilty of academic misconduct.

Similarly, the Bar Standards Board requires a referee to confirm that the applicant is a fitand proper person to practice at the bar. When asked, the referee must disclose anyconvictions for academic misconduct to the Bar Standards Board.

This demonstrates that such misconduct has serious ramifications extending beyond astudent’s degree.

If you need specific guidance about plagiarism, seek the advice of the member of staffresponsible for setting the piece of work, your academic tutor in that module or the LegalSkills Advisor before you submit your piece of work.

Failure to observe the prohibition on plagiarism may result in the imposition of thefollowing penalties by the University:

awarding a mark of zero for the specific material plagiarised in the work; resultingin a lower overall mark;

awarding a mark of zero for the entire assessment;

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awarding a mark of zero for the entire module; referral to the University Academic Misconduct Committee; this committee have a

wider range of penalties including awarding a mark of zero for all assessments inthe semester or the whole academic year and suspend or terminate a studentscourse.

When you submit your coursework you will be required to sign a declaration that youhave read and understood the prohibition on plagiarism, and that your coursework doesnot contravene the prohibition. If you are in any doubt about what is permissible, youshould consult with your subject tutor before handing in the work in question.

TurnitinUK

In addition to the advice and guidance offered by the School, the University providesstudent access to TurnitinUK, a software tool used to check assignments for possibleplagiarism. The following is guidance circulated by the University:

TurnitinUK works by comparing what a student has written to a wide range ofsources and looks for text matches between the student’s writing and thesesources. Though a match does not necessarily mean that the student hasplagiarised, it does mean that the academic marker will examine the identifiedmatches to see whether a plagiarism offence has occurred.

TurnitinUK is available for students to use. This is because the University wants toencourage students to develop their academic writing skills and access toTurnitinUK will, it is hoped, assist students improve their writing by revealing anyproblems with the citation of source materials, with bibliographies and with the waysource material has been paraphrased and used.

TurnitinUK is available to all students via Moodle from the ‘University Resources’block on most pages of Moodle. Click ‘TurnitinUK test your text’, then click‘Participate in this module’ to access the software, through which you can uploadassignments and find detailed information about how to use the software toimprove your writing.

It is strongly recommended that students using the service read the associatedinformation and instructions carefully to enable them to get best use of TurnitinUK.

The information available is as follows,

How to upload your work to Turnitin through Moodle

Using Turnitin to check for possible plagiarism

How to interpret Turnitin originality reports

Further guidance on how to improve your academic writing

The reports produced by TurnitinUK are not always easy to interpret without a fullunderstanding of how the system works, and it is not always obvious what action totake to improve academic writing unless the guidance is closely followed. It isexpected, that by using the guidance, students will use the software independentlyand that they will interpret originality reports for themselves.

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Schools will continue to use TurnitinUK to check some further aspects of studentsubmissions, matching sources which are not available in the student accessversion of the system. Schools will be able to additionally check matches to otherstudent assignments in the class and to student work submitted to the softwarefrom a large number of UK universities. These checks are not available to studentsin order to allow multiple uploads of re-drafted work without returning a match ontheir previously submitted draft.

A low/zero percentage match with searched sources reported by TurnitinUK is not aguarantee that there is not any plagiarised work in the assignment. Academic staffwill continue to use their expertise and knowledge in their subject areas to identifyplagiarism. Students should therefore ensure that they understand what plagiarismis by working through the Academic Integrity web resource at:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/csc/academic-integrity/student/

The School believes that TurnitinUK can be a useful tool to help develop your academicwriting skills if used correctly but we would also emphasise the need for caution. Youmust use your own judgement to ensure that your work is appropriate prior tosubmission. The School is unable to offer any advice or guidance in the interpretation ofTurnitinUK originality reports.

Collusion

Collusion is where a number of students have cooperated in order to gain an unpermittedadvantage. This may occur where students have consciously collaborated on a piece ofcoursework, in part or whole, and passed it off as their own individual efforts or whereone student has authorised another to use their work, in part or whole, and to submit itas their own.

Cheating in exams

Under no circumstances must any unauthorised materials be taken into an examination.

In some of your exams you will be permitted to take your own copy of a statute book, orsimilar. All books taken into examinations must be unannotated.

Highlighting and underlining is permitted, but no other form of writinganywhere in the book is allowed. Page markers (e.g. post-it notes or otherlabels) are permitted but no writing is allowed on such markers.

All Statutes will be checked at the beginning of the exam, and any found to containunauthorised annotations will be confiscated from the candidate. This will result in aninvestigation into the commission of academic misconduct of cheating in an examination.

As with plagiarism, the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board requirethe University to declare any act of cheating so any academic offence may have seriousimplications on your future career.

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Results and Feedback

Semester 1 Results

Your individual results will be made available, along with feedback, from the School ofLaw Reception. You will be notified nearer the time when results will be available.

After the collection of your results you are expected to attend a post-examination tutorialwith your personal tutor, the dates and times for which will be advertised by your tutor.

Semester 2 Results

The meeting of the Board of Examiners usually takes place on the Wednesday during thelast week of term. Final year results are made available from that afternoon, with firstand second year results being available from the Thursday morning.

Again, after the collection of your results you are expected to attend a post-examinationtutorial with your personal tutor, the dates and times for which will be advertised by yourtutor.

Feedback and return of assessed work

Feedback

The School understands the importance of feedback and how it is valued by students andit is our intention that you get the most from the feedback provided. The followingsection of the handbook, ‘Academic Development: study and feedback’ will providefurther details to help you do this.

At least one of the forms of feedback listed below is provided for each piece ofassessment:

Formative (provisional) AssessmentIndividual feedback sheetReturned assessment with appropriate written comments“Sample answer” or indication of essential elements of good answer

Summative AssessmentIndividual feedback sheetScript with comments available at “Exams Open Day”“Sample answer” or indication of essential elements of good answerExam “post mortem” document

Each semester you will find a list included in your results envelope, indicating which formof feedback has been used for each module.

An individual discussion is always available to students who have failed an element ofassessment and are resitting in August. All other students should take advantage of theExaminations Open Day at the start of each semester.

Requests for an individual discussion should be made no later than two weeks after theend of the second semester. The relevant member of staff will normally be available(whether in person or by e-mail) to provide such feedback during these two weeks. Ifstaff cannot be available during that period then alternative arrangements will be made.

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Return of assessed work

Work forming a provisional assessment (i.e. one which is overtaken by a finalassessment) may be returned once it is clear that the student is progressing to the finalassessment in that module.

Work forming part or all of a final assessment will generally be retained by the School ofLaw for a number of years.

Please note that exam scripts and assessed pieces of coursework are exempt from theData Protection Act 1998 data subject access rules and the School is under no obligationto return original scripts or copies of them. It is School policy that exam scripts, orcopies of them, are not returned to students. Students are, however, able to view thescripts at the Exams Open Days.

Obtaining results when absent

The University requires students to be present at the time when results are madeavailable. This is when you have the opportunity to meet with your personal tutor todiscuss your progress and any issues that may have arisen.

The School recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances that mean you areunable to collect your results in person. If that is the case, then you must inform theUndergraduate Programmes Manager, Ian Bainbridge, of the reason why you are unableto do so.

All students will be able to view their marks on Blue Castle after they have been releasedby the School. The dates for when this information is published will be advertised whenthey are known for the current academic year.

However, the School will agree to post your results to you, including your feedback, ifyou complete the following steps:

been granted permission to be absent when results are published complete any required survey forms prior to leaving; inform your personal tutor that you will be absent and not able to attend your

post-examination tutorial; leave a stamped addressed envelope (with appropriate postage) with the School

of Law Reception.

If you are going to be absent, there are a number of key points you should note:

it is not possible for anyone else to pick up your results on your behalf; we will not disclose results via e-mail or telephone unless you have made a prior

arrangement with your personal tutor and they have agreed to do so; you must ensure that your contact details are correct (via the Portal) and that you

routinely check your University e-mail account. There are some occasions whenwe need to contact you regarding your assessments and failure to maintaincontact may be detrimental to your results; i.e. if your script is illegible andtherefore unable to be marked.

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Resit assessments

First and second year students who have failed a module in circumstances where there isno right to compensation under the University Regulations will normally be permitted totake a resit examination in August or resubmit coursework as necessary.

If one or more of the resit assessments is failed again, the Board of Examiners, whichreconvenes in September, will make a recommendation concerning the candidate’sprogression. In such cases the Board will either recommend that the candidate resits themodule(s) without residence in the next academic year or that the candidate’s studies areterminated, subject to their overall profile.

Resit examinations are usually held during August, but it is necessary to check each year.Students should avoid entering into commitments that would prevent them beingavailable for the resit examinations. Arrangements can normally be made via theExaminations Office to enable overseas students to take resit examinations in their homecountry. Further details, including the deadline for making such arrangements, can befound on the examinations website:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/currentstudents/examinations

Resit marks are not capped, you will be awarded a mark which reflects the quality of thework produced. The number of points awarded towards your degree classification,however, is capped as indicated in the guidelines on page 63. Your transcript of markswill include both the fail and resit marks.

There are no resit opportunities available for final year students.

Appealing against the Examiners’ decision

Students have the right to appeal against the decision of the School’s Examiners if theybelieve there are sufficient grounds for an appeal to be considered.

The University’s formal procedures for handling student appeals, including the acceptedgrounds for appeal, can be found in Quality Manual:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessmentandawards/academic-appeals-policy-and-procedure.aspx

In addition to an academic appeals policy, if students are dissatisfied with the outcome ofan extenuating circumstances application they can seek a review of this decision. Furtherdetails can be found under section 1.13 of the extenuating circumstances policy:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/assessmentandawards/extenuating-circumstances-policy-and-procedures.aspx

Transcripts

If you require a formal transcript of your results, then this can be obtained from theSchool; requests can be made to Claire Jennings ([email protected]) orIan Bainbridge ([email protected]).

If you have taken a resit assessment at any stage, then your transcript will reflect this.

While we will produce transcripts as quickly as possible, please provide notice when yourequire one. If you approach us with an urgent request as you have to submit anapplication that day, please be aware that we cannot always assist.

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Degree Classification Guidelines

These guidelines apply to all undergraduate degrees in the School.

1. Method The method of classifying degrees involves the allocation of pointsaccording to (1) the credit value of the module, and (2) the mark achieved. Thesystem is based on an equal weighting between Part I and Part II, but incorporatesa procedure to take account of borderline points totals, but only where there is asubstantial improvement in performance in the final year.

2. 15 credit module The basis of the system is the 15 credit module with its ownindependent mark. All candidates will have to achieve marks in 16 such 15 creditmodules or equivalents.

3. Points For a 15 credit module the points awarded are:

First Class* (mark of 75 or above) 30 pointsFirst class (mark of 70 to 74) 27 pointsUpper second (mark of 60 to 69) 21 pointsLower second (mark of 50 to 59) 15 pointsThird (mark of 40 to 49) 9 pointsPass on a resit (at any mark of 40 or above) 6 pointsCompensated fail 6 pointsFail at 30 or above 3 points0-29 0 points

The points for a 30 credit module (e.g. Land Law), or a single assessment for two15 credit modules (e.g. Public Law A and B) are doubled to give 60, 54, 42, 30, 18,12, 6 and 0 respectively.

The points for a 10 credit module on the above scale are decreased by a factor of1.5 to give 20, 18, 14, 10, 6, 4, 2 and 0 respectively.

The points for a 5 credit mark are halved again to give 10, 9, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1 and 0respectively.

4. Maximum The maximum number of points available to any candidate is 480 (16 x15 first class marks* or equivalent).

5. External modules Confirmed marks received from other Schools in relation tomodules outside of the School of Law will be regarded as final by the Board.

6. Discretion The Board of Examiners has the final discretion concerning the award ofa particular class of degree.

7. Guidelines for assessment

HONOURS DEGREES (ROUTE A)

7.1 Class of degree: For a first class degree a candidate must obtain theequivalent of 7 x 15 credit first class marks and 9 x 15 credit upper secondclass marks or equivalent. To obtain a class of degree other than a firstclass degree a candidate must obtain the equivalent of at least half themarks (8 x 15 credit marks or equivalent) in the class awarded and the otherhalf in the class below. Thus the minimum points for each class are:

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First class 378 pointsUpper second 288 pointsLower second 192 pointsThird class 128 points

7.2 Upper second/Lower second borderline: The minimum threshold for the 2(1)degree under Route A will be 288 points. Subject to 7.4 below, narrow failureto obtain the requisite number of points will not of itself be sufficient to beawarded the higher class.

7.3 Failures: In the event of any fails in modules in Part II, the Board ofExaminers will have an absolute discretion concerning whether to award anhonours degree and, if so, the class of degree to be awarded. The School’sSupplementary Regulations specify that at least 80 credits must be passed inPart II for an honours degree to be awarded. In certain circumstances anordinary degree may be awarded (see 7.5 below).

HONOURS DEGREES (ROUTE B) - BORDERLINES

7.4 Candidates who achieve within 12 points of a class threshold for Route A areconsidered to be borderline and will be considered for classification underRoute B. Route B allows candidates who demonstrate a marked improvementin Part II to graduate with a higher degree than would be awarded underRoute A. The precise conditions for the operation of Route B are as follows:

Candidates within 12 points of the points total required for a first class degreeunder Route A will be awarded a first class degree if they satisfy all of thefollowing conditions:

(i) a minimum of 156 points in Part I;(ii) a minimum of 198 points in Part II; and(iii) a minimum of 366 points over Parts I and II.

Candidates within 12 points of the points total required for an upper secondclass degree under Route A will be awarded an upper second class degreeif they satisfy all of the following conditions:

(i) a minimum of 108 points in Part I;(ii) a minimum of 156 points in Part II; and(iii) a minimum of 276 points over Parts I and II.

Candidates within 12 points of the points total required for a lower secondclass degree under Route A will be awarded a lower second class degree ifthey satisfy all of the following conditions:

(i) a minimum of 60 points in Part I;(ii) a minimum of 108 points in Part II; and(iii) a minimum of 180 points over Parts I and II.

7.5 School Ordinary degree: Honours candidates who pass 60 credits or morein the final year may be awarded a School Ordinary Degree (e.g. LLB Ord)

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Degree Class Descriptors

The following descriptors set out the typical characteristics of answers at four levels (firstclass, upper second class, lower second class and third class). Where within a singleanswer there is a combination of characteristics that are typical of different levels, it isfor the examiner to determine whether the strengths sufficiently outweigh theweaknesses to justify a mark in the higher class.

First class (70+)

A clear first class answer has a thoughtful structure, a clear message displayingpersonal reflection informed by wider reading of articles and/or othercommentaries and a good grasp of detail (as evidenced by the choice ofrelevant examples which are well integrated into the structure of the answer).A first class answer will contain no major errors or omissions.

A first class answer is an answer that is exceptionally good for an undergraduate andwhich, in addition to the qualities expected of an upper second class answer, excels in atleast one and probably several of the following characteristics:

it is comprehensive and accurate; it demonstrates clarity of argument and expression; it integrates a range of materials; it provides evidence of wider reading; it demonstrates insight into the theoretical issues.

Although there is no expectation of originality of exposition or treatment, a first classanswer is likely to identify points rarely seen by undergraduates. A starred first classmark is likely to excel in most if not all the above characteristics and may also displayoriginality.

Upper Second class (60-69)

A clear upper second class answer generally shows a sound understanding ofboth the basic principles and the relevant details of the law, supported byexamples which are demonstrably well understood and which are presented ina coherent and logical fashion. The answer is well presented, displays someanalytical ability and normally contains no major errors or omissions. It is notnecessarily excellent in any area.

An upper second class answer is achievable by a wide band of undergraduates. Such ananswer is highly competent and typically possesses the following characteristics:

it is generally accurate and well-informed; it is reasonably comprehensive; it well-organised and structured; it provides evidence of general reading; it demonstrates a sound grasp of basic principles; it demonstrates a good understanding of the relevant details; it is succinctly and cogently presented; it displays some evidence of insight.

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One essential aspect of an upper second class answer is that it must deal competentlywith the question asked by the examiner. In problem questions (i) all the major issuesand most of the minor issues should normally be identified; (ii) the application of thelegal rules should be accurate and comprehensive; (iii) the application of the legal rulesshould be insightful (i.e., the candidate should demonstrate that s/he can bothdistinguish cases on their facts and argue by analogy).

Lower Second class (50- 59)

A lower second class answer is a substantially correct answer that shows anunderstanding of the basic principles.

A lower second class answer displays an acceptable level of competence, as indicated bythe following characteristics:

it is generally accurate; it provides an adequate answer to the question based largely on textbooks and

lecture notes; it is clearly presented; it contains no real development of arguments; it may contain some major error or omission.

Third class (40-49)

A third class answer demonstrates a basic understanding of the main issues butis not coherently or correctly presented.

A third class answer demonstrates some knowledge or understanding of the general areabut it tends to be characterized by some or all of the following weaknesses:

it is descriptive only; it does not answer the question directly; it misses key points; it contains major errors or inaccuracies; it covers material sparsely, possibly in note form; it contains assertions not supported by authority or evidence.

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School of Law Prizes

The following are prizes typically awarded annually each academic year. This list ofavailable prizes and their conditions are subject to change.

Azlan Shah Prize - Awarded to a student who has made an outstanding contribution tothe life, work and well-being of the School of Law and to its capacity to operatesuccessfully as a multi-cultural community (£100)

Franco-British Lawyers’ Association Prize – Awarded to for best Law with French andFrench Law Graduate (£100)

Franco-British Lawyers’ Association Prize – Awarded for the best year abroadperformance by a Law with French and French Law student (£100)

George Norton Memorial Prize - Awarded to the best student in Criminology (£15)

Harold Wyatt Scholarships - Awarded on the results of the Qualifying examination forLLB or of the Part I examination for BA Law students – awarded to two students annuallywith the possibility of renewal for a second year (£50 each)

Harry Street Prize - Awarded to the best student in Tort (£150)

Human Rights Law Centre Prize in European Convention in Human Rights –Awarded to the best student in European Convention in Human Rights (£100)

Human Rights Law Centre Prize in International Human Rights – Awarded to thebest student in International Human Rights (£100)

Human Rights Law Centre Prize in UK Human Rights Law – Awarded to the beststudent in UK Human Rights Law (£100)

Ince & Co Prize in Tort Law – Awarded to the best student in Foundations of Tort orAdvanced Tort (£250)

JC Smith Prize in Criminal Law - Awarded to the best student in Criminal Law (£150)

JC Smith and Punch Coomaraswamy Prize in the Law of Evidence - Awarded tothe best student in the Law of Evidence (£180)

John Warren Prize - Awarded to the best candidate in Part I (£150)

Macgregor Prize - Awarded to an upper second class student who has made anoutstanding contribution to the life, work and well-being of the School of Law as well asto other areas of University life (£500)

Maxwell Law Prize - Awarded to the best graduating student – four year degree (Booksto the value of £100)

Mills & Reeve Prize in Understanding Law – Awarded to the two best students inUnderstanding Law (£150 each)

Neil Desai Prize – Awarded to best second year student (£150)

Nora Hunter Prize - Awarded for the best performance by a mature student in the finalexaminations (£100)

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Old Square Chambers Prize in Labour Law – Awarded to the best student inEmployment/EU Employment Law (£250)

Oxford University Press Law Prize - Awarded to the best candidate in the Qualifyingexamination for the degree of LLB or BA Law or Joint Honours (Books to the value of£100.)

Prasad Abraham Prize in Corporate Law - Awarded to the best candidate inCorporate and Business Structures or Corporate Management and Control (£80)

Punch Coomaraswamy Prize - Awarded to a student who has made an outstandingcontribution to the life, work and well-being of the School of Law and to its capacity tooperate successfully as a multi-cultural community (£100)

Reuben Lipman Prize in Land Law - Awarded to the best student in Land Law (£125)

Routledge Law Prize – Awarded to the best first year student (Books to the value of£75)

University of Nottingham Law Graduates Association Law Prize - Awarded to thebest graduating student – three year degree (£100)

University of Nottingham Law Graduates Association Moot Prize - Awarded to thebest competitor in the final of the Moot competition (£100)

Commendations

From the 2014/2015 academic year, the School will be awarding commendations to highperforming students on the following basis:

To the best performing student (or students when candidates are of equal merit) inany taught module which does not have a prize attached to it.

To the students ranked in positions 2-5 in each year of study at the end of theacademic year (with the top ranked student receiving the relevant named prize listedabove).

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Section 5: Academic Development: Study and Feedback

Lectures, Seminars and Tutorials

Taught Sessions

One of the main sources of your academic development will obviously be from the taughtsessions you attend while you are at University.

Lectures, supported by handouts, will provide you with grounding in a particularmodule, giving you the framework on which to base your studies.

Tutorials will give you the opportunity to expand upon particular areas of a module,looking deeper into aspects of the law covered in the lectures and giving you theopportunity to discuss issues with your academic tutor and fellow students. This is anideal opportunity for you to get feedback on the work that you have been doing outsidethe classroom. The School believes that by maintaining small tutorial groups, usuallyaround eight students in a group, this is the right size to allow everyone to becomeinvolved in these discussions.

Seminars are a combination of lectures and tutorials, with some direct teaching andsome discussion between the whole group or in smaller groups.

Independent learning

While these taught sessions are important to your academic development, there is also aresponsibility on you to undertake the required reading and preparation for thesesessions. It is only by doing this that you can get the most out of them, particularlytutorials and seminars. If you are not fully prepared for a session, then you may not beable to follow the discussions that take place or contribute fully.

You are also encouraged to undertake supplementary reading to expand your knowledgeof the subject. Most modules will provide recommended texts for you to look at and youwill also be able to search for further texts in the library or online.

Moodle

Some modules, but not all, provide a ‘discussion board’ on Moodle which allow you topost questions or start discussions about any aspect of that module. In many cases, theteaching team will allow you as students to answer each other’s questions and build upthe discussions, but they will contribute if any guidance is needed.

These discussion boards become most popular prior to examinations or courseworkdeadlines as people start to revise and concentrate on the module material, but doremember that they are available throughout the relevant semester.

If you are registered for a module that does not have a discussion board on Moodle andyou feel this would be useful then please discuss this with the relevant module convenor.Please be aware, however, that it is at their discretion as to whether they run adiscussion board.

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Discussion/Study Groups

Getting together as a group to discuss any issues that arise from a module can be a goodway of developing your knowledge and understanding in the subject. Small group studyrooms are available to book in Hallward Library for this purpose.

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Tutorial Feedback Essays and Provisional Assessments

Undertaking a piece of assessment in a module can help to develop your understandingof the subject and help you identify areas of strength or weakness in both yourknowledge and your academic skills.

Tutorial Feedback Essays

Tutorial feedback essays are an ideal way to help your academic development and thereare two distinct types set by the School.

Compulsory tutorial feedback essays may be set in any module, at the option of theteaching team. These essays are intended to develop necessary writing skills and,although a record is kept of the marks, they form no part of the formal assessment forthe module.

Voluntary tutorial feedback essays are set in all modules. Each module team willprovide a question or questions for you to answer and it is School policy that your tutorswill provide feedback on one answer per module per semester (so for year-long modulessuch as Land Law, you would be able to submit two answers during the course of theyear). Some tutors may be willing to mark more than this but you should speak to themfirst to see if they will agree to do this prior to completing the work.

As these essays are voluntary it is a matter for you to decide whether to undertake theseessays. They may be beneficial to improving your academic skills but you should becareful of taking on too many essays and overburdening your workload.

All tutorial feedback essays are timed to ensure you have the opportunity to completethem and receive your feedback in plenty of time prior to formal assessments. Byreading and understanding the feedback you receive you should be able to develop youracademic skills, such as presentation and analysis.

Your tutors are responsible for releasing essay titles, setting deadlines and dealing withany extension requests or late submissions.

Provisional Assessments

As with tutorial feedback essays, provisional assessments are a very helpful tool indeveloping your academic skills. The difference with these is that they are a formalassessment and therefore compulsory. Failure to complete a provisional assessment willresult in a mark of zero and a requirement to complete remedial work, the purpose ofwhich is to ensure you are at a standard where we can enter you for the finalassessment. Failure to submit remedial work can result in a student being refusedpermission to take further assessment in the relevant module or linked module.

Provisional assessments take place in all foundation subject modules.

For first year students, the provisional marks will be overridden by the marks from thefinal assessment. For second and final year students, the provisional marks can be usedto improve your overall grade depending on your mark from the final assessment (asexplained on page 49).

In all cases the feedback from your provisional assessments will help you develop yourstrengths and tackle any weaknesses.

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Feedback

Feedback from tutorial feedback essays and provisional assessments are a key tool indeveloping your academic skills and knowledge. In addition, feedback from your formalassessments in your first and second years is important in helping you develop andprepare for the following year of study.

The School’s policy is that all modules provide some form of feedback to students whohave taken those assessments. We believe that module convenors should be allowed tochoose the best form of feedback for their particular subject, and this is why you willreceive different types of feedback for different modules. For example, for some modulesyou may receive comments on the examination script itself, for others individualfeedback on a separate sheet, for others a general explanation of how the examinationwas tackled. The School is always happy to receive comments (preferably through theUndergraduate Learning Community Forum) about feedback, and we realise thatdifferent students find different forms of feedback helpful.

Getting the most from your feedback

The key is to be able to get the most from the feedback you receive, whatever form ittakes. Feedback is, after all, designed primarily to help you to improve yourperformance and so your marks. It is an important part of the learning process. Thereare specific things that you can do to help yourself. Some of this may seem like commonsense, but it is still worth emphasising.

Where you receive individual feedback on a paper, think carefully about what is beingsaid. Are the points being made ones that you have heard before? For example, if morethan one marker is saying that you need to back up your points with authorities, expressyourself more clearly, or stick more closely to the question, that gives you somethingvery helpful to think about.

Where you receive generic feedback, for example in the form of a document that sets outwhat the markers were looking for, ask yourself a simple question: can you see why themarkers were looking for that? In those modules where sample answers are provided,the important thing to do is to think why that answer is a good answer to the specificquestion. If you can see this, you are likely to be in a strong position to improve.

If you look at your answer paper at the exams open day (and it is good idea to do so),take your feedback with you. Even if the feedback is generic rather than individual, youcan think about how your answer compared with what the marker says was expected.

A few other points should be noted. First, sometimes it is not particularly easy for amarker to say much of help about an answer. For example, a student who gets a mark of62 might want to know why they got that mark, and the answer may be simply that itwas pretty good, but not quite clear, precise, targeted, sophisticated, or comprehensiveenough for a higher mark, even though it was not weak in any of these areas. It is goodfor those of us who mark to be able to say why we came to the conclusion we did, butthere is a limit to how much a marker can helpfully say in feedback.

Feedback is not provided exclusively in the form of written comments on formalassessments or other submitted answers. Each tutorial can be seen as a form offeedback. When you sit in a tutorial considering a question you have prepared you shouldbe asking similar questions to those you would ask when looking at feedback: what is thepoint of the question, how have I answered it, why does the tutor emphasise thosepoints as being particularly relevant?

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Academic Legal Skills

To supplement the study and feedback elements of your degree, the School also providesassistance with your academic legal skills development.

After consultation with all undergraduate students a few years ago the School felt itwould be beneficial to provide support to help students develop their academic legalskills, building upon the work done in the Understanding Law module in the first year.The result of this was the introduction or the Academic Legal Skills Programme and theappointment of a Legal Skills Advisor

Academic Legal Skills Programme

This programme caters for all students and runs throughout the academic year. Sessionstend to be aimed at entire year groups; for example, we run sessions on answeringproblem questions, and answering essay questions, for any second year student whowishes to attend.

The Programme is constantly under review so that we can ensure we offer sessions thatare appropriate and beneficial.

It is important to emphasise that these sessions are designed to be complementary tothe other aspects of your legal education. Every tutorial you prepare and participate in,every lecture you listen to, and every case you read and think about, should alsocontribute towards the development of these skills. These sessions aim to add to theseby focusing attention on specific matters and should not be viewed in isolation from theother parts of your legal learning.

Programme for 2014/2015

As the Academic Legal Skills sessions are run by staff alongside their undergraduate andpostgraduate teaching, and the teaching timetable has not been finalised, it is notpossible to provide full details of exactly when each of the sessions will run during2014/2015. Each session will be advertised at the relevant time, by e-mail and byannouncements in lectures.

The sessions we plan to run in 2014/2015 are as follows:

Title Target Students Delivered by… Subject Matter

Answering EssayQuestions

First yearsDr ArisGeorgopoulos andSusan Russell

Public Law

Answering ProblemQuestions

First yearsProfessor StephenTodd and SusanRussell

Law of Contract

Exam Technique Second years Dr Christine Davis Land Law

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Exam Technique Final years Dr Christine Davis Law of Trusts

Getting the most outof feedback

Second and Final years Dr Sandra Frisby Generic

How to impress yourexaminers

Second and Final years Dr Sandra Frisby Generic

Organisation Skillsand Time Management

First years Susan Russell Generic

Preparing for Tutorialsand Taking notes

First years Susan Russell Generic

Preparing for Tutorialsand Taking notes(revision)

Second and Final years Susan Russell Generic

Student-led Skills All students Selected students Generic

Taking exams in theLaw School

First years Susan Russell Generic

Writing a good legalanswer

Second years Susan Russell Generic

These sessions are voluntary but you are strongly encouraged to attend as past studentshave found them to be extremely beneficial.

Legal Skills Advisor

Susan Russell is the School’s Legal Skills Advisor.

As the Legal Skills Advisor, Susan helps both undergraduate and postgraduate lawstudents with their academic legal skills. Her aim is to ensure that every student,regardless of background or performance, has someone they can approach to discuss thedevelopment of their legal study skills.

Throughout the school year, Susan offers workshops on a variety of topics, including howto answer problem questions and strategies for effective case reading and note taking.She can also offer advice in private sessions on general legal and academic skills,including legal writing, reading cases and laws, and exam revision. In addition, Susancan help students go through past exams or essays to discuss their strengths andweaknesses.

Susan is also able to help international students make a smooth transition when theycome to study in the UK and she can provide all new students with an understanding ofwhat is expected of them at Nottingham.

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As well as offering workshops, Susan is available to see students individually or in smallgroups on an appointment basis. Appointments can be made either by e-mailing Susanat [email protected] or by signing up for one of the open time slots whichare posted outside her office, B57.

In addition to the support provided by Susan and the School, the School provides generaland legal skills advice on the Skills Toolkit (Law) page of Moodle and the Universityprovides generic study skills information on the website:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studyingeffectively/home.aspx

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Section 6: Personal Development: Skills and Careers

Personal Development Opportunities

The School has an obvious and central role in helping students’ academic developmentbut we also have a role, albeit a less obvious one, in what may be described as ‘personaldevelopment’.

Personal development is a difficult term to define. It is concerned with how you as anindividual advance during your time at Nottingham. Your personal development will resultfrom the experiences you have outside, as well as inside, the School and the University.Some of the skills that we consider to fall under the title of ‘personal development’ are:

Communication Groupwork Problem solving

Presentation Independent learning Self-reflection

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

In the School we have thought about the role that we should play in helping students’personal development. We do not believe that we can teach ‘personal development’ assuch, nor that we should. However, it would be very disappointing if the students wholeft us had not undergone personal, as well as academic development during their time inthe School. We believe that there are three main ways in which students’ personaldevelopment takes place and in which the University plays an important role:

Development as part of your degree

Many things that you do as part of your studies will aid personal development. Forexample:

Tutorials and seminars require students to work independently, and then topresent information and arguments verbally;

Examinations and essays require students to present information and argumentsin written form;

Interaction with other students and staff is an important part of improvingconfidence, particularly in light of both students and staff coming from such awide range of backgrounds;

Personal tutorials provide an opportunity for students to reflect upon their studiesand discuss areas of development with their personal tutors;

For those students on one of our four-year degree programmes, living andworking overseas as part of their degree, there are exceptional opportunities forpersonal and academic development, such as adapting to a new way to study,living in an unfamiliar country and the challenges of adjusting to differentlanguage, cultural and social systems.

Development through other activities in the School of Law

Many students engage in other activities within, or related to the School, which areimportant developmentally. For example:

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Skillegal (further information on Skillegal can be found on page 82);

Involvement in one of the School’s societies (Law Society, Bar Society, Pro BonoSociety, Mooting Society and Advocate);

Undergraduate Learning Community Forum.

Employability Skills Award – New for 2014/15; further information on theEmployability Skills Award can be found on page 83.

While some of these activities are organised by the School, it is students who have beensuccessful in establishing and running many of them. Being involved in these activitiescan be extremely beneficial in terms of personal development and, for those directlyinvolved in the organisation and running of these activities, the benefits can be hugelyrewarding.

Development through activities outside the School

As a student you will spend a number of important years at Nottingham. During this timethere are countless opportunities to become involved in a wide variety of activities, fromtaking part in societies, to volunteering, to organising social events, to undertakingsummer vacation placements or even having a part-time job. All of these of theseactivities have an important developmental aspect.

In addition, there are further opportunities provided by the University, including throughthe Nottingham Advantage Award. This is an accredited programme which is designed todevelop transferable skills.

Further details about the Advantage Award can be found at:http://www/ugstudy/introduction/life/advantageaward/index.php.

Travelling Scholarships

Some students may wish to travel abroad to enhance their studies or practical experiencein law, by attending summer schools, conferences or work placements for example.

The School has two scholarship funds which offer a number of scholarships to assist suchstudents: The Reuben Lipman Travelling Scholarship Fund and The JC Smith Trust FundTravelling Scholarship.

Further details can be found on Moodle and details of how to apply will be circulated atthe start of the second term in January.

Please note that these scholarships are not normally awarded to students studyingabroad as part of our four-year programmes.

Personal Development is, by definition, a personal matter. Students come to universitywith different backgrounds, different experiences and different aspirations. It is not therole of the School, or the University, to tell you who you should be; how you developpersonally is largely your decision. However, the School and the University are happy toprovide the opportunities for you.

Your Personal Academic Record (PAR), which is detailed over the next few pages, is atool provided by the University to help you record and reflect on your personal, as well asacademic, development.

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Personal and Academic Record

The Personal and Academic Record (PAR) is designed as a working record for you to useand update throughout your studies.

The idea of a PAR derives from the Dearing Report, Higher Education in the LearningSociety. The Report recommended that institutions of higher education should develop aProgress File consisting of two elements: first, a transcript recording student achievement;and second, a means by which students can monitor, build and reflect upon their personaldevelopment.

The School’s PAR has the following aims and objectives:

to provide you with a complete record of your academic performance so thatyour progress is fully documented and assessed

to define and document the level of pastoral care which the School provides foryou, including both academic and personal support

to encourage you to reflect upon your academic progress at regular intervals andto record your self-evaluations

to help you to improve your learning, focus your thinking on career options andbuild up an effective curriculum vitae

to provide the material for references for you since a good reference needs, ifpossible, to set your academic qualities and achievements in a wider context

The School operates an on-line system of PAR and this Electronic Personal and AcademicRecord is referred to as ePARs. This system is available at:https://epars.nottingham.ac.uk/

Your PAR

By making constructive use of your PAR, you can construct the evidence on which yourfirst job application or application for graduate study will rest. You are the mostimportant person in the development and maintenance of your PAR and you are expectedto:

maintain and develop your academic, personal and professional knowledge andskills

maintain and develop your PAR portfolio prepare for, attend and participate in individual meetings arranged with your

Personal Tutor

You will probably notice that you make use of your PAR in a different way each year. Everyyear is important: for example, your first year is an important foundation year for the restof your course and those of you who wish to enter the legal profession may be applying forwork placements on the strength of your performance in that year. By the final year youwill be looking to have a completed CV and may wish to draw upon your PAR todemonstrate the skills you have acquired during your time at Nottingham.

Confidentiality: Always remember that your PAR is a semi-public record in that some ofthe items stored in ePARs are accessible to members of staff within the School. The semi-public nature of the PAR means that you should always consider the purpose andreadership of the PAR whenever you add to it, reflecting upon your learning experience andwriting thoughtfully about it.

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PARs and the Personal Tutor System

Scheduled and unscheduled meetings with you personal tutor form part of your PARprocess. Although the process is similar each year, you will notice some differences as youprogress through your course.

You will receive some help from your personal tutor in maintaining and developing yourPAR. They will:

meet with you individually throughout the year take an interest in your academic progress and personal development act as a first point of contact for any guidance you may need in the event of any

problems arising with regard to organisational, personal or academic issues they may provide a reference for applications and discuss other matters relating to your progress on the course

Personal tutorials often have a standard agenda of topics for discussion, but please beaware that if these topics are inappropriate you and your tutor are not bound by them. Insome circumstances, it might be preferable to make a joint record in ePARs of any actionpoints arising from the meeting, and of any information that you and your Tutor agree maybe needed for future reference (e.g., information concerning the existence or nature ofpersonal circumstances that may affect your academic progress).

It is entirely for you to decide what personal information you wish to disclose to yourpersonal tutor. They will exercise discretion with regard to all matters disclosed by you,and will wherever possible treat as confidential any matter which you ask to have sotreated. If your tutor judges that it would be in your best interests to inform one or morefurther members of staff in the School or University of a sensitive matter, they will adviseyou of this and may be prepared to speak to them on your behalf if you wish.

Personal Tutor Meetings

There are three kinds of meetings that take place with your personal tutor:

Group Tutorials

If you are a first year, your initial meeting with your personal tutor will probably fall intothis category. You, your tutor’s other first year tutees and your personal tutor will meetas a group. This group tutorial will be followed by your first Scheduled Personal Tutorial.

Scheduled Personal Tutorials

Over the course of the academic year, first years have four Scheduled Personal Tutorialswhile all other students have three Scheduled Personal Tutorials.

Details of when these meetings take place can be found in the Timechart. It is extremelyimportant that you attend these meetings and, should you be unable to attend at theappointed time, you should make arrangements for another meeting at a mutuallyconvenient time.

For some or all of your Scheduled Personal Tutorials your Personal Tutor may set anagenda with items for you to consider and reflect on before the actual meeting. Thisinformation will be communicated to you via ePARs.

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Beginning of Year Meeting:This takes place at the beginning of the academic year in September.

For first years, the purpose of this meeting is to welcome you to the School and introduceyou to your personal tutor. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions or raiseany concerns you may have.

For returning students, this is an opportunity to reflect on the previous year and lookahead to your development over the year ahead.

End of Term Meeting (First Years only)This meeting takes place in December - at or near the end of the first term.

This is an opportunity for first year students to discuss how you have settled in over thefirst term and discuss any concerns you may have about the first set of assessments.

Change of Semester MeetingThis meeting takes place at the beginning of February.

The principal purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for you and your tutorto review your assessment results and feedback from the first semester.

End of Year MeetingThis meeting takes place in June.

The principal purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for you and your tutorto review your second semester/overall assessment results and feedback. You will alsohave the opportunity to discuss your general progress over the course and your futureplans (e.g. module choices for next year, plans for vacation work or travel, etc.).

Additional Personal Tutorials

You may need to see your Personal Tutor at times other than at your Scheduled PersonalTutorials and you are always welcome to do so. All personal tutors have notices on theiroffice doors providing details of office hours and/or indicating how you can contact them.

There is a whole range of reasons why you might wish to see your personal tutor. Forexample, you may simply want to check that they are willing to be named as yourreferee for a vacation job. You may need to talk about an issue of an academic orpersonal kind, in confidence, especially if you feel that your work is being adverselyaffected.

After all personal tutorial meetings, both you and your tutor will have an opportunity tomake notes on ePARs, recording the issues discussed and any decisions made regardingyour academic or personal development. You may need to consult this information,together with your results and feedback you have received, whenever you need to reflecton your progress or update your CV.

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Skillegal

The Skillegal programme is a series of workshops on legal skills delivered by a range oflaw firms drawn from both London and the regions.

Skillegal is designed to give you an understanding of the skills you will need to be asuccessful lawyer: these are also the skills that law firms will be looking for evidence of intraining contract applications.

The Skillegal workshops have been designed to be interactive and fun, and they do notinvolve any coursework or assessment. Typically workshops cover skills such aspresentation, communication and client skills, and teamwork and negotiation. They arealso an opportunity to meet some of the solicitors and trainees who work for the firmsand to find out more about life as a solicitor.

Skillegal is voluntary, not compulsory. You are strongly advised, however, to considerattending at least some of the sessions. The programme is open to all year groups.

You must sign up in advance for Skillegal sessions. In line with School policy, it isimportant to remember that, if you do sign up for any of the Skillegal workshops, you willbe required to attend, except in exceptional circumstances such as illness. Failure to turnup is not be acceptable and will result in a note being placed on your School file. It isembarrassing both to the School and the law firms that have given time and effort ifthese events are under-attended. The School values its relationship with these firms veryhighly; and it expects its students to take responsibility for ensuring that they do notharm this relationship in any way.

Programme for 2014/2015

The programme for 2014/2015 is still being finalised but details of the workshops will beposted on the noticeboard and will be circulated to you by e-mail

All workshops run between 2pm and 4pm on a Wednesday afternoon.

To attend a Skillegal workshop you must register with Fiona Hayes in room B58.

To give you a taste of the programme, some of the workshops we ran last year included:

Commercial Awareness

Advocacy

Problem Solving for Lawyers

Vacation Placement and Interview Skills

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Employability Skills Award

Launching in the 2014/2015 academic year, the Employability Skills Award is an entirelyonline award delivered via Moodle and consists of 12 interactive exercises designed totest and hone your employability skills in readiness for a successful career in law aftergraduating from the University of Nottingham.

The Employability Skills Award has been designed by Chris Bevan (Assistant Professor inLaw) to give you an appreciation of some of the most fundamental skills you will need tobe a successful lawyer and to secure employment after graduation. The award will evenassist you to succeed during undergraduate degree.

Who can take the Employability Skills Award?

The Employability Skills Award is a voluntary award open to all undergraduate studentsstudying in the School of Law.

How can I find the Employability Skills Award?

The Employability Skills Award is found on Moodle. Details of how to locate and registerfor the Award will be circulated via e-mail during the first few weeks of term.

How long do I have to complete the Employability Skills Award?

The Employability Skills Award can be undertaken at your own pace and in your owntime. You must complete all 12 exercises to be eligible for an Employability Skills AwardCertificate. Each of the 12 exercises can be attempted a maximum of 10 times in anyacademic year.

How long will the Employability Skills Award take to complete?

The Employability Skills Award has been specifically designed to take just 2-3 hours.

Why should I complete the Employability Skills Award?

Research shows that students with experience of employability skills are particularlyattractive to graduate employers. This award will provide you with this experience and isan invaluable addition to your CV. There is no reason to overlook this exciting newaward.

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Careers and Employability Service

Peter Kay is the Careers Adviser for the School of Law and is your first point of contactfor careers advice, information and guidance and is based at the Careers andEmployability Services Centre.

You can contact him on [email protected]

The Careers and Employability Service is here to provide you with a one-stop shop for allyour career development needs. The Centre can help you with:

An opportunity to talk about what you want to do Advice, information and guidance about legal and non-legal careers Help with applications, curriculum vitae and covering letters Information about vacation placements, mini-pupillage, non-legal internship

opportunities, voluntary work and part-time work during your course Access to modules available on the Nottingham Advantage Award Access to graduate recruiters through fairs, presentations and workshops Further study advice and information

For more information see www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers

Location of the Careers and Employability Service

You can find the Centre on the main campus on Level D West of the Portland Buildingextension.

Term-time opening hours are: Monday to Friday 10.00am–5.00pmVacation opening hours are: Monday to Friday 10.00am–12.45pm & 2.00pm–5.00pm

What the Careers and Employability Service can do for you

The Careers and Employability Service is a central service provided by the University tomeet the needs of its students and graduates. It does not matter where you are in yourthinking, be it undecided about careers or already focussed on a career in law: their aimis to help you make an effective transition from Nottingham to employment and/orfurther study. They have lots of information available on the web and in hard copy. Alllegal directories they receive are free for you to take away and use.

Part-time work to Internships

The Careers and Employability Service can direct you to relevant resources to assist yoursearch for these opportunities. They also run UNITEMPS which is the Universities part-time job zone and is notified of local part-time jobs, including some on campus that youmay want to apply for, as well as full-time vacation jobs and Internships. If you want toview the latest work experience vacancies, then you can visit their website and findinformation under the job hunting section of our website. UNITEMPS is located on theground floor of the Portland Building on University Park.

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Advice and Guidance

At some stage you may want to discuss your career ideas or concerns with a CareersAdviser. You can speak to Peter Kay or one of his colleagues. If you want help in gettingstarted, need to have your CV or application form checked, need to clarify a particularpoint, are considering a course change or looking for work experience, then we wouldadvise you to visit the centre and make a LAW ADVICE appointment. Appointments areavailable for you to book via the on-line booking system ‘MY CAREER’ available throughthe careers website.

These appointments are made available for those interested in a career in law as well asthose who are not. They are appointments specifically for law students. All appointmentsare bookable in advance.

The CES run CV and application form checking appointments, bookable in advance.Please visit the Centre if you are unsure about what to do or which appointment is bestfor you. CV and Application forms will not be reviewed by email. You are welcome toemail brief enquiries to Peter on the e-mail mentioned above.

Law career tutorial/clinics will take place throughout the semester and you will benotified of their times and location via e-mail.

Contact with employers

Nottingham University attracts a lot of interest from top graduate recruiters. In theautumn of each academic year, over 120 top employers visit Nottingham and presentrecruitment activities and information sessions. Many Law firms, and increasinglyBarristers, will come and present information sessions for students. Check the Careersand Employability Service website and the School of Law electronic noticeboard for up-to-date details of visiting employers and events. The Careers and Employability Servicealso advertise lots of work experience and graduate opportunities at the request ofemployers. The Annual Law Fair is a must attend event which takes place in Octoberevery year.

Careers events and activities

So that you get information on as wide a range of careers as possible, the Careers andEmployability Service organises speakers from areas of work not covered by the bigemployer presentations. These talks are called ‘careers in’ or ‘spotlight on’.Past speakers have included those working in the media, international development,patent work and the civil service.

You will need to develop your employability if you are going to succeed in the job marketand Skillegal and other skills events facilitated by legal and non-legal organisations areworth participating in. The Careers and Employability Service invite employers to runsessions on skills such as team working, problem solving, business awareness andleadership. They are highly participative and an excellent opportunity to understandmore about what these skills mean in the workplace.

Remember if you are not sure where to find something, are feeling lost or just do notknow where to start then please ask. The Careers and Employability Service is here tohelp.

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Making the Most of University

Much more than Lectures and Seminars

Being at university is about learning and achieving, but it is not just about lectures andseminars: it is also about developing your personal skills, disposition and qualities. Beingpart of a team, doing valuable community work or achieving tangible results are all waysof showing employers you have what it takes in the employability stakes. Making acontribution to clubs and societies, pursuing your interests or volunteering can also helpto make university life even more enjoyable too. In addition, pursuing one or more ofthese activities can help to increase your employability. Employers are keen to find outabout how you have spent your spare time as they are to find out what degree result yougot. They want evidence that you have had other interests outside your degree.Positions of responsibility, such as chairperson of a society or a team leader, willdemonstrate important leadership skills, dedication and commitment that lots ofemployers want in their future employees. Work experience and extra-curricular activitiesare a great way of getting that ‘wow factor’ that will impress employers.

The Nottingham Advantage Award provides opportunities to accredit your extra-curricular activities and experience. Do consider registering for modules that interest you.There are a number of modules to choose from. Please see the followinghttp://www.nottingham.ac.uk/careers/students/advantageaward/index.aspx for furtherinformation.

Bigger and Better

There is much to do on and off campus and while many activities are the same as anyother university, Nottingham often does it bigger and better. Take, for example, thestudent media. URN, our student radio station, has received numerous awards, whileImpact, our student magazine, is at the forefront of student journalism in the UK and hasrepeatedly won prestigious awards.

The University also boasts the largest student volunteering organisation in its StudentCommunity Action (SCA). Similarly, Karnival is the largest student-run fund-raisingorganisation in the UK, providing plenty of opportunity for student involvement. The sizeof the University means there is a vast range of societies, associations, sports clubs andstudent-run services that enable you to develop skills and gain experience that add valueto your University career.

Employers want you

You have chosen to come to an institution which has a national and internationalreputation. Many academics are world experts in their field. Nottingham is also highlyrespected by many graduate recruiters. Many employers are selective which universitiesthey target? Nottingham is fortunate to attract a high number of prestigious companiesthat come on campus to recruit.

The Nottingham experience provides you with ample opportunity to develop as anindividual and to find out what you are good at. The University also supports you intaking your next step on from University by providing expert help and advice via theCareers and Employability Service. You can use the Service throughout your time atUniversity and after graduation. Using its resources will help you to establish where youwant to be in life and how to get there.

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Get started now

Wherever you are in your thinking as you read this, now is the time to make the most ofyour time at Nottingham and the easy access you have to the Careers and EmployabilityService.

What do Law Graduates do?

Some graduates go on to study the Legal Practice Course (LPC), the professional stage ofeducation for practice as a solicitor, or the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), theprofessional stage of education for practice as a barrister on completion of their degree.On completion of these professional courses, graduates pursue careers in law with adiverse range of employers – including governmental, non-governmental, internationalinstitutions and organisations, law firms and barristers chambers. Please seewww.sra.org.uk and www.barstandardsboard.org.uk for information on qualifying as asolicitor or barrister. The roles they are recruited to range from trainee solicitor, pupilbarrister to paralegal, legal assistant and other legal related roles. Completing theBPTC or LPC does not guarantee you a pupillage or training contract.

The following links provide information on the differences between solicitor and barristerand other useful careers information:

www.lawcareers.net

www.chambersandpartners.com

Not interested in being a Solicitor or Barrister?

What if you do not want to pursue a career in law? What else can you do? Well, quite alot actually! Your degree qualification, intellectual and personal skills are sought after byan exciting range of employers: many jobs available to graduates are open to graduatesof any discipline.

Recent graduates from the School of Law have secured employment in the followingareas: accountancy, management consultancy, marketing, the civil service, the armedservices, retail management, banking, community work and teaching. Some graduateshave chosen further academic study – for example, a taught masters degree programmeor a research degree (a masters or a doctorate). Their study choices have been veryvaried: from Computer Science, Musical Theatre, Film, Video & TV Production to mastersdegrees in law (e.g., Human Rights Law or International Economic Law). If law is not foryou do start researching alternatives as early as possible.

The Careers and Employability Service is your primary point of contact for all thingsrelated to ‘what next after graduation’. It can provide information and help finding workexperience, term-time employment, year-out information, graduate and postgraduatestudy opportunities.

If you do not know what you want to do, you should:

Speak to a Careers Adviser Attend careers presentations Attend workshops Get some work experience

The Careers and Employability Service is your service – it will be able to help you getstarted on what to do on graduation if you think a career as a barrister or solicitor is notfor you.

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Developing Your Curriculum Vitae

Year One Get Involved!

Join student societies, begin to research the legal sector – Find out about firms, industrysectors, practice areas. Stay informed – follow the news, seek temporary employmentthrough Unitemps.

Ask any public or private sector graduate recruiter the question ‘What makes a perfectapplicant?’ They are likely to reply, ‘Someone who has a good academic record, as wellas excellent personal and interpersonal skills and competencies (such as problem solving,teamworking, leadership, analysis, commercial awareness and decision-making) and thatthey understand our business and our clients’.

Your task, as the applicant, is to convey all of the above on a curriculum vitae orapplication form, using previous experience as evidence, and highlighting the qualitiesthe employer is looking for.

In the coming months and years, you will be applying for work experience, workplacements, open days, training contracts, mini-pupillage, pupillage and other forms ofgraduate employment or further study. You will be asked to provide evidence of yoursuitability, and you will use your prior experience as the evidence.

But evidence cannot be acquired at the point of application. You are strongly advised todevelop your personal and interpersonal skills (law after all is a people business) and,importantly, to record your skills and experience as you progress through your academiccareer. Having a portfolio of evidence will enable you to assess your suitability for thecareer you have in mind; it will also help you to compile a CV or complete an applicationform.

Becoming skilled in reflective thinking is something you will need to learn very quickly ifyou are going to be able to market yourself effectively throughout your academic andprofessional career. Highlighting key points from past experience and then being able toarticulate them succinctly on CV and application forms can be the key to securing aninterview.

Penultimate Year

As year one, Join student societies, begin to research the legal sector – Find out aboutfirms, industry sectors, practice areas. Stay informed – follow the news, seek temporaryemployment through Unitemps.

For many law students the penultimate year is dominated by the completion of CV andapplication forms for work placements, mini-pupillages, training contracts, pupillages andother forms of work experience. A good application will, in most cases, secure you aninterview and, conversely, a poorly completed application is likely to get you rejected.

You should by now have been keeping a record of your skills and activities – what youdid, how you did it and the outcomes you have achieved from the activities undertaken.Without this evidence, you may find completing a CV/application form very difficultindeed.

For those of you interested in a career as a solicitor, be aware that many law firms willbe seeking applications from you in the early autumn. Being ill-prepared can result inmissed opportunities. It is imperative that you prepare your CV/application forms as soonas possible.

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A range of the law firms visit to Nottingham to give presentations on their opportunitiesand what they are looking for in their ideal candidate. It is in your interests to attend:knowledge acquired at such sessions may assist you in compiling a better CV/applicationform.

Final Year

As per penultimate year, Join student societies, begin to research the legal sector – Findout about firms, industry sectors, practice areas. Stay informed – follow the news, seektemporary employment through Unitemps.

Some of you will have been fortunate enough to have secured a job offer or trainingcontract. If so, congratulations! Note, however, that the necessity of developing your CVhas not gone away. It is very important that you ensure that your CV is kept up to dateand that you include all the relevant information as it occurs.

Those of you who are applying for training contracts, mini-pupillages, BPTC/LPC places,graduate study or general graduate opportunities are welcome to discuss yourapplications and CV with Peter Kay, Careers Adviser to Law, throughout the academicyear. Experience shows that students prefer a one-to-one discussion and you are invitedto use the service as often as required. Alternatively, you can e-mail a brief enquiry butnot CVs and Application Forms to Peter at [email protected]

Finally, remember that the Skillegal programme and legal talks programme is relevant toall students whether they plan to continue their careers in law or follow an alternativecareer. As a solicitor or barrister, and in other professions, you will be required to engagein Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – in other words, learning does not endwhen you graduate. The programmes can introduce you to some of the skills that will bedeveloped in CPD and this may give you an advantage over other trainee solicitors/pupilbarrister who have not had the opportunity to begin to learn professional legal skills.

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Section 7: Making it work

In this handbook we have explained how things should work and how you can get theinformation and support you need in your studies and during your time at Nottingham.This last section of the handbook will explain the systems we have in place to ensurethings work as they should.

Review of Courses and Modules

The School keeps all of its degree courses and modules under regular review and accountis always taken of the views that students have expressed. This is achieved in variousways:

Undergraduate Teaching Committee

The Undergraduate Teaching Committee is a standing Committee of the School, whichconsiders all proposals for new undergraduate courses and modules and for majorchanges to existing modules. It also serves as a forum for discussion of methods ofteaching and assessment and makes recommendations about School practice. It draftsguidelines such as those for assessed coursework.

A student representative, usually a member of the Learning Community Forum, will beinvited to sit on the Undergraduate Teaching Committee. The student representative, onbehalf of the Learning Community Forum, may suggest items for inclusion on theUndergraduate Teaching Committee's agenda.

Learning Community Forum

The Learning Community Forum meets three times a year to identify and discuss issuesof concern to students within the School, and to negotiate solutions to problems. Where,as occasionally happens, a matter arises which is of universal concern and on whichmany students may wish to speak, the Staff and Student chairs of the Forum may electto convene a Student Forum for the purpose, either for a particular year or for the wholestudent body.

Further details about the Learning Community Forum can be found later in this section.

Questionnaires

The School uses questionnaires to review each individual teacher's performance and togather your views on the modules studied and of the semester/year as a whole.

The University operates the Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) questionnaireprogramme, which enables students to express their views on the teaching of individualmembers of staff. These responses are then fed back into the University StaffPerformance Review process.

The Student Evaluation of Modules (SEM) are concerned with wider issues, such as parityof workload between modules and the distribution of work over the semester.

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From September 2014 the University will be using Evaluate, an online system throughwhich SET and SEM questionnaires will be delivered electronically via Blue Castle. Youwill be informed when questionnaires are available for completion and further guidancewill be provided as appropriate.

From the SEM questionnaires, information concerning the semester as a whole isanalysed by the Undergraduate Programmes Manager, and that which concerns particularmodules is circulated to the teachers in that module. At the end of each semester themodule is reviewed by the teachers, who complete a report for the School, whichcontains a section for reporting a response to the surveys. In order to complete thefeedback loop these reports are posted on Workspace.

The information contained in the questionnaires is very valuable to us. The teachingquestionnaires help individuals by giving them feedback on their performance, while themodule questionnaires help the School to respond quickly to problems, and also toidentify examples of good practice which meet with student approval. However, weneed you to make your contribution by completing the questionnaires when requested.

Undergraduate Programmes Manager

The Undergraduate Programmes Manager, Ian Bainbridge, is available to deal inconfidence with complaints from individual students or from groups in circumstanceswhere the procedures outlined above are not appropriate, and the matter cannot beresolved by other means, e.g. by direct negotiation between students and members ofstaff.

If you are unsure about the best way to deal with a problem please do speak to the IanBainbridge. He is there to help.

Student Complaints Procedure

The School always aims to resolve any issues or problems that arise informally andquickly.

Should there be a situation where a student is dissatisfied with how an issue has beenhandled within the School, then the University does have a Student ComplaintsProcedure, which means that a complaint can be formally considered by the Head ofSchool and, if appropriate, higher University authorities.

Further details concerning the Student Complaints Procedure can be found here:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/academicservices/qualitymanual/complaintsandappeals/academicappealpolicyandprocedure.aspx

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Learning Community Forum

The Undergraduate Learning Community Forum (LCF) is a key feature of School life andis important in maintaining good communication between the School and you asstudents.

Information relating to the LCF, including the online discussion forum, can be found here:http://workspace.nottingham.ac.uk/display/LCForum/Law+-+Undergraduate

The Forum’s Remit

The Forum is empowered to consider all matters concerning the School other than thoseaffecting staff only or students only (examples would be staff pay and conditions or theStudent Law Society).

Items considered by the Forum may be contributed by staff or student representatives.Examples of items considered include: library provision; deadlines for coursework;attendance at School and/or Career and Employability Service events; and increase inworkload at certain times of the year.

Where a problem is raised, it can often be solved by the Forum or by taking the matterfurther through School or University committees. Where a problem is insoluble, thepublication of discussion in the Forum provides an explanation to the student body of thereasons why.

The Forum is not an appropriate arena in which to debate complaints about individualstaff or students. Problems of this sort, if they cannot be resolved between theindividuals concerned, may be taken up with the Undergraduate Programmes Manager.

Membership of the Forum

The current membership was agreed following discussion between staff and studentrepresentatives about how to maximise the Forum’s effectiveness. This membershipaims to prioritise individual year groups rather than, for example, individual degreeprogrammes.

Staff Co-Chair (nominated by Head of School)Director of Undergraduate Studies (or nominated representative)Undergraduate Programmes ManagerLaw LibrarianLegal Skills AdvisorUndergraduate Programmes and Examinations Administratorplus one other member of academic staff who is a member of

Undergraduate Teaching Committee

Students Co-Chair (Law Society President)Two representatives each from the first, second and third yearsOne representative from the fourth yearOne International Student representativeOne Course Rep, elected through the Students’ Union

The names and university email addresses of student representatives will be posted onWorkspace when they have been elected.

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What does a Student Representative do?

The Forum has an important role to play in improving the quality of teaching and learningin the School. The student representative’s function is to ensure that matters which areof concern to their constituency are brought before the Forum and that the issues arethoroughly debated, and a solution found wherever possible.

A student representative gathers items for the agenda well in advance of the meetingand collects views from a variety of sources to test the strength of opinion on the mattersraised.

Experience suggests that being a student representative is a responsible but rewardingposition.

Election of Student Representatives

Elections are co-ordinated by the Student Law Society, which will provide details of theelection process at the relevant time.

The Forum’s Meetings

The Forum has three regular meetings every year, in November, February and May.These are timetabled to take place before the run-up of School sub-committee meetingswhich precede full School Meetings (e.g., Finance & Planning Committee, InformationResources Committee, Undergraduate Teaching Committee) so that issues raised by theundergraduate student body can be discussed at the relevant School committee.

The agenda for each LCF meeting, and the minutes of each meeting, are published onWorkspace.

On occasion the Forum invites students who are not members of the Forum to be presentas observers during its meetings. Any such invitation will be circulated to the entireundergraduate study body via email and students who want to take up the invitation willbe required to register their interest.

Staff who are not members of the Forum may be invited to attend meetings or providewritten comments where it is felt that they are best placed to respond to a particularagenda item. So, for example, the Careers Advisor for Law might be asked to give hisviews if an issue concerning career opportunities arises.

Online Discussion Forum

The School has an online discussion forum for the Learning Community Forum onWorkspace, the aim being to enhance the ongoing interaction between students andstaff. You are welcome to visit this forum and post new topics or have your say oncurrent topics.

If you have any queries regarding the Learning Community Forum, please contact one ofthe current Chairs:

Peter Davies (Associate Professor) Room C57, [email protected] andClaire Lockett (President of the Law Society) Room A32 (Student Society Office)