Module manager: James Greenwood-Reeves
Email: J.R.H.GREENWOOD-REEVES@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
Students must have passed LLB level 1
| LAW1204 | Foundations of Law |
LAW2620
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module is designed to introduce students to law and society (or socio-legal) approaches to the study of law, to teach them to recognise the importance of social context to legal analysis, to equip them with the skills required to undertake socio-legal analysis and research, and to encourage them to reflect upon their own learning and positionality as students.
The aims of this module are for students to explain sociolegal approaches, to analyse contemporary legal issues in light of those approaches, and to reflect upon their own learning during the module. This knowledge will ensure students can explain disparities of outcomes in those legal issues, and can apply sociolegal theory in those contexts.
The learning activities are designed to help students achieve those aims by explaining sociolegal theoretical approaches, giving students opportunities to evaluate those approaches, encouraging students to critically apply those approaches to contemporary legal issues in class and in the assessment, and to consider how learning about law and society has affected them as a student and an individual.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
Analyse legal and non-legal information to gain insights into how the law operates within broader societal contexts.
Apply sociolegal reasoning to develop an explanation of a complex sociolegal issue.
Identify the significance of sociolegal concepts, values, principles, and rules within broader cultural and societal debates.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
Apply critical thinking to analyse complex legal issues, demonstrating creativity in problem-solving.
Critically reflect on personal and professional growth, discussing how personal values influence decisions and interactions.
Adapt communication styles to suit different audiences, including non-specialists.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 179 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 21 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
179
A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided for the summative assessment task, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to that task. As part of this, each student will receive feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative task.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team