This module introduces first-year students to critical legal technique. In doing so, it imparts the critical skills necessary to understand and evaluate the social impact of certain aspects of the Irish legal system.
The module explores the various contexts in which the law operates, and the prisms through which it is viewed: political, social, moral, philosophic, economic, and cinematic. Throughout the course, students are invited to consider how these factors shape (and are shaped by) legal systems. Case studies will explore how the law influences public policy, while guest speakers offer insight on how law can be used to confront contemporary challenges in the digital age and the Anthropocene.
Through assigned reading, in-class discussion, and various forms of popular media, students are encouraged to consider the law as a vehicle for empowerment, control, resistance, and change. The module thus offers a contextual education that supports the doctrinal pedagogy embedded elsewhere in the programme. This contextual knowledge will support students’ understanding of core legal modules in years two and three of the programme.
By the end of the module, students will have a grounding in critical, social, and feminist legal theory. Students will also receive an introduction to complex questions of constitutional, criminal, and private law, which will augment their learning in later stages of the programme.
This module contributes to the attainment and assessment of programme learning outcomes (PLO) 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
I Introduction
II The Role of Law in Society
III The Legal Profession
IV Access to Justice
V Public Interest Litigation
VI Advocacy and the Legislative Process
VII Crime and Punishment
VIII Private Law and Social Change
IX Gender and the Law in Ireland
X The Constitution & Contemporary Irish Society
XI Law in other Media
Lectures
The module will be delivered through asynchronous lectures, totalling an hour each week. Students will be assigned self-directed learning activities which they can pursue in advance of, or following, class.
Interactive Tutorials
Students will receive synchronous, ‘live’ teaching in smaller tutorials groups of 20. In these tutorials, students will be invited to work together, to contribute to discussion, and to reflect on themes covered in that week’s lecture.
Small Group Activities
Students will be assigned to ‘break-out’ groups to discuss and interpret assigned readings. Students will be expected to present their findings to their peers via short oral presentations.
Problem-Based Learning
Students will be assigned to ‘break-out’ groups to work through hypothetical scenarios. Students will be expected to assist one another in the identification of legal issues, the interpretation of the relevant rights, and the presentation of an accurate response.
Learning Technologies
In-class platforms like Mentimeter and Socrative can be used to poll the class; gauge their responses to certain issues or questions in real-time; or to assess them via quizzes. The app, Perusall, also facilitates students’ collaborative work on reading assignments, and assesses them accordingly.
Active Viewing
Throughout the year, students will interact with a variety of engaging audio-visual resources drawn from documentaries, news clips and other popular media. Students will be asked to engage in peer-to-peer discussion and to reflect on these resources.
Guest lecturers
Guest lecturers will be invited to give lectures on the indicative topics, relevant to their area of expertise.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |