Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice 2020/2021 - UCLan

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Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice 2020/2021 - UCLan
Course Handbook
          Professional Doctorate in Legal
                     Practice
                                         2020/2021

         Please read this Handbook in conjunction with the University’s Student Handbook.

   All course materials, including lecture notes and other additional materials related to your course and
provided to you, whether electronically or in hard copy, as part of your study, are the property of (or licensed
 to) UCLan and MUST not be distributed, sold, published, made available to others or copied other than for
 your personal study use unless you have gained written permission to do so from the Dean of School. This
                  applies to the materials in their entirety and to any part of the materials.

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Contents

   1       Welcome to the Course
   2       Structure of the Course
   3       Approaches to teaching and learning
   4       Student Support
   5       Assessment
   6       Classification of Awards
   7       Student Feedback
   8       Appendices
           8.1 Programme Specification(s)

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Welcome        to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Lancashire Law School and
welcome to the Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice. On behalf of all the staff in the
Lancashire Law School, may We welcome you as a student of UCLan and the Lancashire
Law School and wish you every success in your studies as you start your Doctorate. We hope
you find the experience a rewarding one and all staff will try to make it as enjoyable as possible
as you rise to the challenges which lie ahead.

There are two levels to the learning experience for the professional doctorate and these are
defined by the Framework for Higher Education, a UK-based system of levels that is
recognized and understood globally. The two levels are level seven and level eight. In the
first phase of your study, many of the students studying with you will be aiming to complete
an award at level 7, such as a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, or Master’s
degrees; as you progress, you may be joined by students who have already completed a level
7 award and, like yourself, will be starting out on a doctorate research project.

The innovative course that you have chosen requires you to integrate research at the highest
level with taught components, both supervised and delivered by highly knowledgeable and
competent staff. This activity will, it is intended, lead to a substantial contribution to original
knowledge which takes the final form of a thesis and Viva Voce oral examination. Throughout
the course, an essential critical and creative dialogue between legal theory and practice takes
place, resulting in high impact public domain innovation. As the programme progresses, there
will progressively be an increase in the ratio of independent learning, to taught learning, so
that you develop autonomy and achieve complete ownership of your learning and insights.
Taught learning at level seven focuses upon furnishing you with the conceptual, theoretical,
philosophical, and practical skills requisite of professional practice; study at this level then
introduces practitioner-research so that you can further master your specialism. At level eight,
learning predominantly takes place independently, through expert supervisory team meetings,
active professional experience, and expert training within an interdisciplinary community of
professional doctoral practitioner-researchers. Progress through level eight is overseen by
the Graduate Research School (GRS) whose pertinent committees review Ethics, Research
Programme Approval (including the constitution of each student’s Supervisory Team),
Progress, Portfolio Submission, and Examination.

This student course handbook provides information for continuing students, new students and
those who are returning for more!           It should, however, be read in conjunction with the
University regulations which are accessible on-line. A separate handbook is also provided for

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any relevant taught modules (level 7), if appropriate, which is quite specific to their academic
requirements and physical locations.

Whatever your background I hope that you will find this course a challenging and rewarding
experience which will be of direct relevance to your career. Completion of the course does
not mean an end to being in contact, however! We aim to hold regular events and create
networking opportunities through a number of alumni events.

There are several sections to this course handbook - some are concerned with smoothing out
your academic life, others for longer-term reference. Should you wish to speak with any
member of the course team, please don't hesitate to contact us by telephone, email or through
the e-Learn mailing system.

Finally, may I wish you a successful programme of study on the Professional Doctorate in
Legal Practice - I hope you will find your study with UCLan a stimulating one. More importantly,
I hope that the knowledge and skills you have developed during the programme will be
beneficial for your career and future aspirations.

Vivienne Ivins

Principal Lecturer
Lead for Employability
Lead for Innovation
Lancashire Law School
UCLan
Preston
PR1 2HE

Tel : 01772 893679
Email : vivins@uclan.ac.uk

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1. Rationale, aims and learning outcomes of the course

This vocationally oriented doctoral programme is an exciting and innovative initiative, capable of
providing a high level vocationally focussed award to professionals working in legal practice. As a
professional doctorate, this award will provide you with the subject skills and knowledge to enable
you to make a significant and original contribution to knowledge in the context of professional practice
in the field of law. It will also impart behaviours and attributes for you to become an effective and
highly skilled researcher, a set of skills appropriate for a wide range of careers.

 Doctorate in Legal Practice aims (these are in addition to the LLM aims)

     •   Provide an opportunity for students to successfully realise a major & significant legal
         practice project
     •   Demonstrate mastery of legal practice knowledge and research skills
     •   Extend and develop legal practice theories and concepts in real-world settings
     •   Enhance each student’s practitioner-researcher profile by facilitating their professional
         dissemination of innovative praxis
     •   Foster valid, rationalised, ethically constituted, and critically evaluated original research
         which makes an original contribution to applied and/or theoretical knowledge of a standard
         meriting publication.
     •   Enhance and refine academic, research, specialist praxis, and professional skills to
         publication standards

     LLM aims (these are in addition to the PG Diploma aims)

 •   To provide for the professional development of individuals involved in legal practice, who will
     face complex legal problems and lead and advise others.
 •   To develop students' skills of critical evaluation, communication and self-management.
 •   To evaluate and adapt appropriate research methods to complex problems in legal practice.
 •   To provide students with a high quality postgraduate education in aspects of legal practice that
     will enable them to achieve learning outcomes at a level appropriate for the award of an LLM.

     Postgraduate Diploma aims (these are in addition to the PG Certificate aims)

 •    To provide students with a learning experience which will enable them to enhance their career
      potential, personal and professional effectiveness, and performance in employment in legal
      practice.
 •    To enable students to use academic literature and contribute to professional discourse.
 •    To enable the students to critically evaluate and contribute to legal practice projects.
 •    To encourage and enable the students to become reflective practitioners.
 •    To provide students with a high quality postgraduate education in aspects of legal practice that
      will enable them to achieve learning outcomes at a level appropriate for the award of a
      postgraduate diploma of the University.

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Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership and Management in Legal Practice aims

 •   Provide opportunities to develop an understanding of theoretical models, skills and frameworks
     to underpin leadership and management in practice.
 •   Enable students to understand their own organisation, roles and responsibilities, evaluate
     practice and bring about innovation and change
 •   To provide students with a learning experience which will enable them to enhance their career
     potential, personal and professional effectiveness, and performance in employment in a wide
     range of organisations involved in legal practice.

Learning Outcomes

 1. Learning Outcomes, Teaching, Learning and Assessment Methods
 A. Knowledge and Understanding

 On successful completion of the programme students will be able to:

 A.1. Critically evaluate the body of knowledge and research relating to legal practice.
 A.2. Apply advanced knowledge in relation to major theoretical perspectives, current research
      finding and evidence based practice.
 A.3. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of legal issues which arise out of specialist areas of
      legal practice, principles and rules relating to developments in law and practice and be able to
      evaluate and apply this knowledge to a wide range of complex situations.
 A.4. Demonstrate a critical knowledge of the main theories and principles applicable to the
      different fields of law, and understand how these interrelate with the relevant law and
      practice.

 Teaching and Learning Methods

 The teaching and learning approach is based upon an alignment between taught material, the
 learning objectives and the assignments in each of the modules. Predominantly by way of
 independent research and debates in the context of seminars following on from reading
 recommended texts and through seminars (in particular through solving legal problems).

 The bulk of the teaching is provided either in face-to-face lectures and seminars or in online
 interactive workbooks and discussions.

 Supporting material will also be provided to students on-line. This includes lecture material and
 supporting audio and textual material. Active learning is encouraged and facilitated by the
 application of course material to ‘real world’ case studies and students’ own research.

 Students are required to undertake significant background reading and literature searching and
 complete applied research tasks in the completion of assignments.

 In addition, dialogue between students and staff, in the form of debate and discussion is
 encouraged and facilitated by the course team during seminars with students, and the creation of
 a dedicated student discussion board.

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Assessment methods

 Through a combination of essays, seminar presentations, preparation of a reflective portfolio and
 the dissertation.

 B. Subject-specific skills

 On successful completion of the programme students will be able to:

 B.1. Carry out rigorous evaluation of a range of primary and secondary sources relating to legal
      practice.
 B.2. Bring concepts, theories and case study material to bear upon management and leadership
      issues and legal practice issues.
 B.3. Undertake the independent production of a major piece of written work using an appropriate and
      justified research methodology, which employs evidenced based argument, as part of managing an
      effective research project relating to professional practice.
 B.4. Fully realise a doctorate project in legal practice that makes a substantial and original contribution to
      professional practice.
 B.5. Defend, within a viva, the doctorate thesis and its substantial contribution to professional practice
 B.6. Develop knowledge and skills in strengths based approaches to individual and team development.

 Teaching and Learning Methods

 The teaching and learning approach is based upon an alignment between taught material
 produced specifically for this programme, the learning objectives and the assignments in each of
 the modules.

 As part of the process of problem solving in seminars and analysis of the questions which the
 students set for themselves in the course of researching for the dissertation. Conceptual analysis
 in relation to the relevant aspects of legal practice and the wider surrounding issues will take
 place in seminar discussion and in discussions with the student’s dissertation supervisor, reflecting
 current issues in legal practice.

 Supporting material will also be provided to students on-line. This includes lecture material and
 supporting audio and textual material. Active learning is encouraged and facilitated by the
 application of course material to ‘real world’ case studies and students’ own research.

 Students are required to undertake significant background reading and literature searching and
 complete applied research tasks in the completion of assignments.

 In addition, dialogue between students and staff, in the form of debate and discussion is
 encouraged and facilitated by the course team during seminars with students, and the creation of
 a dedicated student discussion board.

 Assessment methods

 Individually completed written assignments involving private study and facilitated by tutorials and
 discussions on-line.

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Through a combination of essays, seminar presentations, preparation of a reflective portfolio and
 the dissertation.

 C. Thinking Skills

 On successful completion of the programme students will be able to:

 C.1. Demonstrate an ability to engage in advanced research and applied investigation within the
      field of legal practice.
 C.2. Demonstrate conceptual understanding and creativity in the application of knowledge of legal
      concepts, rules and principles in the context of of legal practice.
 C.3. Evaluate and justify the selection of research methodologies appropriate to the theoretical
      perspective or conceptual framework employed in research of legal theory applicable to legal
      practice.
 C.4. Demonstrate research skills of project planning, construction of an appropriate research
      question and reasoned adoption of an appropriate methodology.
 C.5. Conceptualise, design, and write a substantial research project which makes an original
      contribution to applied and/or theoretical knowledge of a standard meriting publication.
 C.6. Prepare a strategic document for the management, realisation, and dissemination of original,
      professional, legal practice.
 Teaching and Learning Methods

 The teaching and learning approach is based upon an alignment between taught material
 produced specifically for this programme, the learning objectives and the assignments in each of
 the modules.

 Through analysis of the various problems questions set in seminars and selecting material from
 recommended texts and other material identified through application of research skills, including
 in the course of research for the dissertation. Through engagement with appropriate learning
 resources and discussion in seminars; through preparation for essays and the dissertation.

 Supporting material will also be provided to students on-line. This includes lecture material and
 supporting audio and textual material. Active learning is encouraged and facilitated by the
 application of course material to ‘real world’ case studies and students’ own research.

 Students are required to undertake significant background reading and literature searching and
 complete applied research tasks in the completion assignments.

 In addition, dialogue between students and staff, in the form of debate and discussion is
 encouraged and facilitated by the course team during seminars with students, and the creation of
 a dedicated student discussion board.

 Assessment methods

 Written assignments, both theoretical and applied individual research.

 Through a combination of essays, seminar presentations, preparation of a reflective portfolio and
 the dissertation.

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D. Other skills relevant to employability and personal development

 On successful completion of the programme students will be able to:

 D1. Apply key personal, social, technical and other transferable skills relevant to employment
 within a key role in legal practice.

 D2. Communicate effectively in writing and orally and prepare clear, well-argued, fully evidenced
 and referenced essays and case studies.
 D3. Use IT and e-learning skills developed throughout the programme to sustain currency of knowledge and
 the use of on line learning to develop and enhance personal career aims and life-long learning.
 D4. Input into decision and policy through the demonstration of a systematic and original approach to
 complex problems in order to make sound and confident judgements.
 D5. Demonstrate qualities needed for employment in complex and unpredictable environments
 where sound judgment, personal responsibility and reliability and initiative are required.
 D6. Uphold professional ethics and academic protocol.
 Teaching and Learning Methods

 The teaching and learning approach is based upon an alignment between taught material
 produced specifically for this programme, the learning objectives and the assignments in each of
 the modules.

 Through preparing responses to questions set for seminars and discussion in seminars and the
 production of the module assessed coursework and the production of the dissertation.
 Developed by contact with current issues of legal practice, primarily through working for the
 dissertation

 Supporting material will also be provided to students on-line. This includes lecture material and
 supporting audio and textual material. Active learning is encouraged and facilitated by the
 application of course material to ‘real world’ case studies and students’ own research.

 Students are required to undertake significant background reading and literature searching and
 complete applied research tasks in the completion assignments.

 In addition, dialogue between students and staff, in the form of debate and discussion is
 encouraged and facilitated by the course team during seminars with students, and the creation of
 a dedicated student discussion board.

 Assessment methods

 Written assignments, both theoretical and applied individual research.

 In the completion of this course, students will be required to make oral presentations. These will
 be assessed and feedback given to students individually.

 Students will be encouraged to draw upon their own professional experience in the completion of
 these assignments and in the oral presentations.

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1.2 Course Team

The Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice is administered by the Lancashire Law School.

Course Leader

The Course Leader is responsible for the day to day running of the course.

Disabilities Officer

The nominated Disabilities Officer for the course liaises with students and the University's Students
Support Services department to ensure appropriate provision is made for students with a disability.
Students Support Services will draw up a Learning Contract for students with disabilities, as required
by the both the University and the SRA. This must include any arrangements made in connection with
adjustments to assessments. This should have been done before you came on the course but should
any issues arise whilst here please contact Student Support Services immediately.

1.3 Expertise of staff

Expertise of staff

You will be taught by members of teaching staff who have broad national and international
professional and academic experiences which will help enhance your learning experience.

Most staff have publications to their name and a substantial number are active researchers in the
legal field who will share with you the insights such experience brings. They are all actively engaged
in relevant research and other scholarly activities which will be incorporated into their teaching and
associated learning materials.
For more information about the members of staff who will teach you please refer to the Lancashire
Law School’s website.

Academic Advisor

You will be assigned an Academic Advisor who will provide additional academic advice and support
during the year. They will be the first point of call for many of the questions that you might have
during the year. Your Academic Advisor will be able to help you with personal development,
providing insight and direction to enable you to realise your potential.

Administration details

For Preston-based students (campus-based and distance learning) Course Administration Service
provides academic administration support for students and staff and are located in the Foster Hub
(Room FB058) which is open from 8.45am until 5.15pm Monday to Thursday and until 4.00pm on
Fridays. The hub can provide general assistance and advice regarding specific processes such as
extenuating circumstances, extensions and appeals.

Foster Hub
telephone: 01772 891990/891991

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email: FosterHub@uclan.ac.uk

For students studying in Mauritius, you will be provided with full academic administration support
from the Blue Tower at Ebène

The Blue Tower at Ebène.
Naresha Neetye Administrative Officer UOM Enterprise Ltd / University of Central Lancashire
(UCLan), UK
1st Floor, Blue Tower,
Rue de L'Institut,
Ebène,

Mauritius Office: 230 467 8925 / 8926 Fax: 230 467 8916
www.uomenterprise.mu

1.4 Academic Advisor

You will be assigned an Academic Advisor who will provide additional academic support during the
year. They will be the first point of call for many of the questions that you might have during

1.5 Communication

E-Mail
The Lancashire Law School policy is for staff to respond promptly to e-mails, within three working
days. Often, staff will be unable to deal with your query in this time, but, in these circumstances, staff
will reply within the three days, even if it is just to explain that they are unable to respond in full at
that point, but will do so as soon as possible.

It is very important that you take note that the University expects you to use your UCLan email
address and check regularly for messages from staff. If you send us email messages from other
addresses they risk being filtered out as potential spam and discarded unread.

Blackboard
All Lancashire Law School modules have a dedicated virtual web presence on Blackboard (UCLan’s
virtual learning environment platform). Module leaders and module tutors will use Blackboard to post
relevant information on your module blackboard space. This is in addition to the dedicated Prof Doc
Course space. Therefore, you are advised to check the Course and Module Blackboard sites regularly,
and monitor these as you would your email account.

Each Blackboard Module space contains full contact details, and availability hours, for relevant
members of the Course Team so that you can contact them easily.

Starfish

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Starfish is about you. It is an online system designed to help you make the most of your time at UCLan
by pulling together lots of information about you and your UCLan journey in one easily accessible
place. Within the system you can do all of the following and more:
    •         See a list of staff who can support you throughout your learning journey, and easily book
              appointments with them
    •         Request help where you need additional support, whether it is academic, social or
              financial.
    •         Access a dashboard showing you your upcoming appointments and the achievements you
              have been awarded
    •         Alert you any items which might need your attention – for example your tutor referring
              you to Wiser for additional study skills support

1.6 External Examiner

The University has appointed an External Examiner to your course who helps to ensure that the
standards of your course are comparable to those provided at other higher education institutions in
the UK. The name of this person, their position and home institution can be found below.

Robert Collinson
Edge Hill University

If you wish to make contact with your External Examiner, you MUST do this through your Course
Leader and not directly. External Examiner reports will be made available to you electronically via
Blackboard.

2. Structure of the course

2.1 Overall structure

This qualification, which is equivalent in status and challenge to a PhD, is aimed at individuals wishing
to pursue a professional, career in or relating to legal practice. Consequently, students undertaking
this professional doctorate are expected to make a contribution to both theory and practice in their
field, and in particular to develop professional practice by making a contribution to (professional)
knowledge in the field of legal practice.

To make sure you address and appreciate this breadth and diversity, when we created this course we
ensured that:

    •   Theory and practice will be linked in a logical and approachable way.
    •   You will appreciate and develop professional habits and practices.
    •   You will develop good working practices and research-based skills.
    •   You will recognise that reflection and evaluation are an essential aspect of the learning
        process.

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•   The requirements of effective time management, team skills, plus project administration and
        presentation techniques will be emphasised.

Together, those factors ensure that your course will produce able, resilient, resourceful,
knowledgeable individuals, who are committed to the law and who will make an important
contribution within a broad range of career opportunities. Those rubrics have been converted into a
series of Aims and Learning Outcomes for each module. The Aims are what we expect you to achieve
through study and the Learning Outcomes are specific abilities or skills that you will be able to achieve
upon successful completion of each module at each level of study.

The table below maps out both the full time and part-time professional doctorate in Legal Practice
programme. It shows the full-time Professional Doctorate route takes a minimum of three years**,
with the part-time route taking a maximum of five** years.

                              Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice
                                  Programme of modules by year

 Semester and                   Full time student                          Part time student
      Year
 Year one            (Modules selected from the                   (Modules selected from the
                     modules validated and available in           modules validated and available in
                     Lancashire Law School’s portfolio            Lancashire Law School’s portfolio
                     of level 7 modules)                          of level 7 modules))
                     6 X 20 credit units selected from            3 X 20 credit modules selected
                     appropriate modules offered at               from appropriate modules offered
                     level 7                                      at level 7
                     Dissertation (L7) 60 credits
 Year two            Doctoral Study and Reflective                3 X 20 credit modules selected
                     Practice (L8)                                from appropriate modules offered
                                                                  at level 7
                     Commence Thesis in Legal Practice            Dissertation (L7) 60 credits
 Year three                                                       Doctoral Study and Reflective
                                                                  Practice (L8)
                                                                  Commence Thesis in Legal Practice

 Year four

 Year five

    •   *progression on to the Doctorate subject to successful interview

Overview of stages of the course

The course has been designed for delivery in four successive stages which lead to the final award of
the Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice. The three stages comprise the Postgraduate Certificate

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in Legal Practice, the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice and the MSc in LLM in Advanced Legal
            Practice. The details are set out below in Table 1:

            Table 2.1 Stages of the Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice

    Stage                             Award                               Type of Award                 Time period

             Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership and
1                                                                               Exit         12 weeks (FT)
             Management in Legal Practice

2            Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice                             Exit         36 weeks (FT)

                                                                                             48 weeks (up to a maximum of
3            LLM in Advanced Legal Practice                                     Exit
                                                                                             52 weeks for stage 3) FT

                                                                                             104 weeks up to a maximum of
4            Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice                         Target
                                                                                             384 weeks for stage 4

            An exit award may be achieved if you fulfil the requirements of the PGC, PGD or LLM stage and
            either do not wish to proceed to the next stage or do not satisfactorily complete the required
            modules comprising the next stage.

            A module consists of a block of study material complete with its own aims, learning outcomes,
            assessments and reading matter. Each module has a number of credits allocated to it. The number
            of credits attached to a module denotes the amount of work and time you would have to put in to
            pass it. A full module has a credit rating of 20. As you pass the various modules, your total stock of
            ‘credits’ builds up to a points total which then allows progression to the next stage or one of the exit
            awards if you do not wish to proceed.

            As you would expect, each qualification equates to a specific number of credits as follows:

                •   Postgraduate Certificate in Legal Practice - 60 credits
                •   Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice - 120 credits
                •   LLM in Advanced Legal Practice – 180 credits
                •   Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice – 540 credits

            2.3 Transition to thesis

            Stage 1 of the programme concludes with preparation for the thesis in Stage 2. This will involve the
            preparation of a thesis topic, discussion with potential supervisors and course team and the
            formulation of a proposal. The culmination of this process is the submission of a proposal in the form

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of a RPA (Research Programme Approval) for formal approval. This will also require submission for
ethical approval. The RPA process will ensure that the student has an appropriate, experienced,
director of study, and supervisory team including a member of academic staff with two prior successful
completions at doctoral level. Teams may be formed from staff across the Management School
depending on the topic.

The final stage is the Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice

It is possible to enter the Professional Doctorate at this stage provided sufficient evidence of
appropriate prior study is available for scrutiny.

The modules which comprise the Professional Doctorate Stage

                    Module                                          Module       Credit
                                           Module title
                   reference                                         value       rating

                                 Doctoral Study and Reflective
                 Compulsory                                            1.0
                                 Practice                                          20

                 Compulsory                                           17.0
                                 Thesis in Legal Practice                          340

2.3 Course requirements

As detailed earlier, you must attempt and successfully complete (or be credited with prior study)
modules to the value of 540 credits to gain the award of Professional Doctorate.

Classification of Awards
The Professional Doctorate in Legal Practise is unclassified.

2.4 Study Time

2.4.1 Weekly timetable
A timetable will be available once you have enrolled on the programme, through the student
portal.

2.4.2 Expected hours of study
The normal amount of work involved in achieving a successful outcome to your studies is to study for
10 hours per each credit you need to achieve – this includes attendance at UCLan and time spent in
private study.

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You are expected to undertake preparation for classes, reading and personal study for each module
as well as assessment and class contact time. Your personal study, assessment, preparation, and class
contact time is expected to be the equivalent of 200 hours per 20 credit module

2.4.3 Attendance Requirements
You are required to attend all timetabled learning activities for each module. Notification of illness
or exceptional requests for leave of absence must be made to:

FosterHub@uclan.ac.uk or by telephoning the hub on 01772 891990/891991

3. Approaches to teaching and learning

3.1 Learning and teaching methods

All of the modules are delivered by a combination of lectures, seminars and discussions, supported
on-line through Blackboard and with extra material made available to students on-line. The course is
based at the UCLan Preston campus.

Each module includes access to on-line discussion contact and a student discussion forum will also be
available on-line to students for the duration of the course. Tutor contact will be set for an agreed
weekly time during the course.

As with all university education you are responsible for your own learning; the lectures are merely the
starting point and you will have to undertake a substantial amount of study in order to succeed.

The aim of the Lancashire Law School is to promote deep and active learning and for the students to
achieve an appropriate balance between, the accumulation of subject specific knowledge; the
understanding of subject specific concepts; the application of these and; the development of general
investigative and presentational skills.

The modules which comprise this course are delivered via a mixture of teaching methods with
particular emphasis on independent study followed by discussions and on-line presentations which
will be discussed on-line and lead to the preparation of assignments.

The pass mark for each module is 50%. Further information can be found in the School Student Guide
to Assessment, and in the module information packs.
Our teaching staff will aim to provide you with feedback on all in-module assessments which
contribute to the module mark within fifteen days of the scheduled submission date. In addition to
the above you will be provided with individual written feedback for all assessments. You will get this
on the coversheet of your assignments when it is returned to you. You must fill in your portions of
the assessment coversheet to receive feedback.
In this Professional Doctorate in Legal Practice emphasis is progressively placed upon student-led
independent studies conducted as practitioner research. You are also supported in your independent
learning by the provision of in-person one-to-one (1:1) tutorials, group tutorials/ supervisory
meetings, virtual/ email tutorials and/ or telephone tutorials.

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The level seven modules

At level 7, essential facilitation for independent studies is given in taught sessions wherein teaching
and learning methods are tailored to the modular contents. Modules are taught in a variety of ways,
from block delivery to online materials. Teaching and assignments are aligned to facilitate deep, active
learning.

Level 7 modules are constituted by developmental progressive learning; consisting mainly of lectures
and seminars and supported by seminar groups and tutorials. Assignments are in the form of written
and oral presentations.

The Dissertation module is constituted by personalised learning; consisting mainly of subject-specialist
tutorial guidance and is supported by traditional lectures, seminars, case studies, and skills sessions
tailored to the topic by interaction with subject specialists.

The Level eight modules

For the level eight modules, in addition to the Course Team, your Progress is supported by the School’s
Research Degrees Tutor (RDT). They provide support, advice, and guidance upon processes and
committee requirements, liaising with the Graduate Research School Office (GRSO) - which acts as the
central source of advice and guidance upon all of the procedural and administrative aspects of
doctoral study.

Your first task is to ratify the research findings from your Doctoral Study and Reflective Practice
module into a level eight Research Programme Approval Document (RDSC2) that defines the aims,
questions, objectives, rationale, context, method, and dissemination strategy for your doctorate
practitioner research project; providing a time management plan to completion and specifying a
prospective Supervisory Team.

You are further supported by the provision of an Independent Referee who may ask to meet with you
when reviewing your RDSC2 proposal, offering expert independent advice, setting Recommendations
for you to take on board and/ or Conditions that must be met in order to Progress. The Referee may:
recommend acceptance of the proposal; or recommend acceptance of the proposal subsequent to

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amendments/ corrections that have already been made prior to tabling at committee; or recommend
acceptance of the proposal provided that amendments/ corrections are made; or recommend that
the proposal be returned for revision.

All governance arrangements must be confirmed before the start of any field work and this requires
agreement by the prospective Supervisory Team, the Referee, the RDT, and the Dean of School.
Ethical clearance must be obtained before the start of any field work and this requires completion of
the ethics submission procedure, together with formal approval by BAHSS Ethics Committee (for some
projects, for example: those involving external collaborators, ethical approval may (also) be required
from an Ethics Committee external to the University, such as IRAS). You work with guidance from your
prospective Supervisory Team, Referee, and RDT, in accordance with the BAHSS RDSC timeline,
towards submission of the proposed project in the form of the RDSC2, for prospective approval by the
RDSC. At the BAHSS RDSC, your RDSC2 is reviewed together with your Referee’s Report, whereby
Registration can be: Approved; or Approved subject to Chair’s Action (your subsequent satisfactory
fulfilment of minor amendments/ corrections); or Returned for further revision and resubmission to
the BAHSS RDSC; or Returned for further major revisions and resubmission to the same or another
Referee for further review before being resubmitted to the BAHSS RDSC.

The proposed practitioner-research project must achieve successful Research Programme Approval
within the published timeframe; otherwise, there has been unsatisfactory Progress. Once your
Research Programme has been approved, you can begin practitioner-research data collection. Your
approved Supervisory Team will consist of at least one Director of Studies (DoS) and one 2nd Supervisor
(but sometimes there is also a second 2nd Supervisor and, exceptionally, there is also a third 2nd
Supervisor and/ or a Specialist Advisor). Between them, the Supervisory Team will have the requisite
experience of supervision to successful completion at level equivalent to the Professional Doctorate,
plus the subject expertise to guide your practitioner-research to successful timely completion. You
meet with your Supervisory Team no less than six times per annum for full-time students or no less
than three times per annum for part-time students.

The next stage of Progress Review is Annual Progression Monitoring for which you must keep a written
record of each Supervisory Meeting and resolve to complete within the given timeframe the actions
specified therein, as formally agreed with your Supervisory Team. All of the Supervisory Meeting
records are collated by you and filed together with a Progress Report in a Progress File, which is
submitted for Annual Progression Monitoring. You are encouraged to publish journal articles,

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artefacts, or reports (as appropriate) and you create these during modular assignments at levels seven
and eight. It is required to provide at least one presentation of your work per annum, either internally
at symposium or externally in publications or at conferences.            Any external awards (such as
competitions) are also recorded within your Progress File, alongside your Assessment Reports and
Grades/ progression profile for modular learning.

You receive guidance upon the completion of your Progress File from the Course Team before it is
reviewed by the Supervisory Team who may: recommend Progress; or recommend Progress to MPhil
only (please note: if approved and you wish to pursue this option, it will require withdrawal and
subsequent registration for the MPhil research degree); or recommend Referral and specify remedial
action; or recommend Failure. Whichever the recommendation, the Supervisory Team’s Progression
Document is then sent to the School’s RDT who arranges to meet with you to discuss your Progress.
The RDT adds their recommendation: Progress; or Progress to MPhil only; or Referral; or Failure, and
the RDT seeks approval from the Dean of School. Whichever the recommendation, once the
Progression Document has been approved for submission by the Dean of School, it is tabled at the
BAHSS RDSC Progression Board who may: award Progress; or recommend Progress to MPhil only
(please note: if you wish to pursue this option, it will require withdrawal and subsequent registration
for the MPhil research degree); or award Referral and specify remedial conditions (that you must fulfil
on time for subsequent approval by Chair’s Action or for Resubmission to the BAHSS RDSC Progression
Resubmission Board); or award Deferral (only in exceptional circumstances that are administrative);
or award Failure. For details of appealing against a Progression Board decision, please refer to Section
L of the Academic Quality Assurance Manual, Part 2: Research Degree Regulations.

The described process of supervision and support is continued through subsequent Annual
Progression up until the point of timely completion. You are supported by the provision of a mock
viva voce examination prior to your actual Viva Examination. After Viva Examination resulting in
requirement for revisions, resubmission and/ or re-Examination, you will continue to meet with your
Supervisory Team in order for them to guide the research project to successful completion.

You are also supported in your independent learning by the provision of limited teaching wherein the
ratio of independent -to- taught study is markedly and progressively increased, working towards
autonomy and your complete ownership of your substantial contribution to original knowledge.
Altogether, the Course Team and the Supervisory Team provide the following support for the two level
eight modules.

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Doctoral Study and Reflective Practice: constituted by student-led high visibility and/ or high impact
professional practice, achieved through systems and strategic project management.                 You are
supported through Project Registration and Progress Review. Expert lectures, seminars, and symposia
support you in the enhancement of your practitioner-researcher profile. Expert consultation sessions
support you in entrepreneurialism and the dissemination of your original, professional, doctorate legal
praxis. Action Learning Sets refine peer learning and reflective practice; academic, articulation,
dissemination, and synthesis skills.

Thesis in Legal Practice: constituted by student-led expert professional practitioner research with
expert supervision, screenings, case studies, and debate that support innovative project realisation.
Learning is enhanced by tour(s)/ visit(s) or internship(s). You complete a Progress Review with
supervisory guidance, focussing your abilities to innovate and realise professional legal praxis by
testing project strategies, theories or concepts, methods or processes, and techniques. Supervision
focuses upon diagnostic action planning to support you in the conceptualisation, orientation, and
devising of your innovative legal practice project.             Directed independent study deepens
contextualisation, underpinning innovative praxis with pertinent philosophy and focussing the
conceptual or theoretical framework in order to identify substantial contribution to original
knowledge.

3.2 Study skills
Study Skills - ‘Ask Your Librarian’

https://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/support/study/it_library_trainer.php

You can book a one to one session with a subject Librarian via Starfish. These sessions will help with
questions such as “My lecturer says I need a wider variety of sources in my references, what do I
do?"

"I need to find research articles, where do I start?"

"How do I find the Journal of ...?"

"How do I use RefWorks?”

In addition to the development of study skills in each module, students will be provided with a range
of online study skills materials in Blackboard .These include essay writing, report writing, learning
styles, effective reading, thinking skills, referencing and reflective writing. Students requiring
additional advice are referred to WISER. http://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/study/wiser/index.php

3.3 Learning resources

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3.3.1 Learning and Information Services (LIS)
The best place to start when exploring the Library resources available to you is;
•       Your ‘Subject Guide’ can be found in the Library Resources
•       Your ‘My Library’ tab in the Student Portal
•       Library search

Extensive Resources are available to support your studies provided by LIS – library and IT staff. Take
advantage of the free training sessions designed to enable you to gain all the skills you need for your
research and study. Further links to resources and support are available and details can be found in
the programme area in Blackboard.

3.3.2 Electronic Resources
LIS provide access to a huge range of electronic resources – e-journals and databases, e-books, images
and texts. Each module has an area in Blackboard where module documentation and additional
resources are made available to students. Blackboard also provides access to course level information
and other resources such as study skills materials. Students will be given training on how to access
specialist materials for their course e.g. Mintel during induction week.

Students at UCLan now have unlimited free 24/7 access to lynda.com, an online library of high-
quality instructional training videos and tutorials covering a wide range of software, technology and
business topics. lynda.com is designed for all levels of learners and is available whenever you're
ready to learn - you can even use it on your iPhone,iPad, Android phone or tablet, or other mobile
device.
To access lynda.com:

    1.   Go to www.lynda.com
    2.   Select Login (top right-hand corner)
    3.   Under Log in through your organization or school enter www.uclan.ac.uk and click Go
    4.   Enter your UCLan username and password

3.4 Personal development planning
Employability skills and personal development is embedded in all modules on the course. However,
additional resources are made available in Blackboard for students to use. These include time
management, emotional intelligence, assertiveness, impression management, giving and receiving
feedback etc.

3.5 Preparing for your career

As this programme Programme is offered to experienced practitioners we do understand that your
interest in enhancing your employability may be minimal. If, however you would require any support
please refer to Careers for:-

    •    career and employability advice and guidance

    •    support to find work placements, internships, voluntary opportunities, part-time employment
         and live projects
    •    workshops, seminars, modules, certificates and events to develop your skills.

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Daily drop in service available from 09:00-17:00 for CV checks and initial careers information. For more
information come along and visit the team or access our careers and employability resources via the
Student Portal.

Student Support
Information on the support available is at: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/students/

4.1 Academic Advisors
Students are directly supported by the Programme Director, their supervisor and their academic
adviser

4.2 Students with disabilities
If you have a disability that may affect your studies, please either contact the Disability Advisory
Service - disability@uclan.ac.uk - or let one of the course team know as soon as possible. With your
agreement information will be passed on to the Disability Advisory Service. The University will make
reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs and to provide appropriate support for you to
complete your study successfully. Where necessary, you will be asked for evidence to help identify
appropriate adjustments.

Assessment arrangements for students with a disability

Arrangements are made for students who have a disability/learning difficulty for which valid
supporting evidence can be made available. Contact the Disability Adviser for advice and information,
disability@uclan.ac.uk

The Disability Lead for the Lancashire Law School is Munira Patel

Email:MHPatel@uclan.ac.uk

Tel: 01772 894910

4.3 Students’ Union

The Students’ Union offers thousands of volunteering opportunities ranging from
representative to other leadership roles. We also advertise paid work and employ student
staff on a variety of roles. You can find out more information on our website:
http://www.uclansu.co.uk/

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5. Assessment
5.1 Assessment Strategy

The overall assessment strategy for this programme set out above and in the programme specification.
Generally, modules are assessed by way of coursework during stage 1 and thesis in stage 2. A variety
of assessment methods will be used and learners will be required to demonstrate their capabilities
through written assessments (projects, reports and research articles), time constrained assessments,
and presentations. A variety of summative assessments are used including essays, reports, practical
projects and exercises, including case studies as well as individual and group oral presentations
Learners may also be provided with formative assessments including case study analysis, problem
solving exercises short essays and market analysis reports. Formative assessment may also include
presentation, short answers and discussions feedback usually in-class.

5.2 Notification of assignments and examination arrangements

Details of assignments for modules are provided in the Module Information Pack given to students
at the start of the module. Individual assessment briefs are provided for each module. These detail
the assessment requirements, marking criteria and submission arrangements. Some submission will
be electronically submitted through Blackboard

5.3 Referencing
It is vital that you reference your work appropriately. Guidance will be given on this during the
Doctoral Study and earlier skills sessions. You should also refer to the LLS Coursework Guide
available on Blackboard or from your tutor.

5.4 Confidential material
Although you not expected to access confidential information during the course you are reminded
that you have ethical and legal responsibilities to respect confidentiality and maintain the anonymity
of individuals and organisations within their assignments

5.5 Cheating, plagiarism, collusion or re-presentation

Please refer to the information included in section 6.6 of the University Student Handbook for full
definitions. The University uses an online Assessment Tool called Turnitin. A pseudo-Turnitin
assignment will be set up using the School space on Blackboard to allow students to check as many
drafts as the system allows before their final submission to the ‘official’ Turnitin assignment.
Students are required to self-submit their own assignment on Turnitin and will be given access to the
Originality Reports arising from each submission. In operating Turnitin, Schools must take steps to
ensure that the University’s requirement for all summative assessment to be marked anonymously is
not undermined and therefore Turnitin reports should either be anonymised or considered
separately from marking. Turnitin may also be used to assist with plagiarism detection and
collusion, where there is suspicion about individual piece(s) of work.

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5.6 How do I know that my assessed work had been marked fairly?
Assessment is an integral part of the course. Module staff work closely together to design
assessments, agree the marking criteria and approve final versions of assessments to ensure that
these are appropriate. The criteria for assessment will be communicated to you clearly during the
module teaching.

All module staff engage in development and training in assessment, marking and feedback. Once
the assessments have been completed the module team will discuss the assessment methods and
marking criteria, prior to starting to mark, so that there is a common understanding of what is
expected of students. All assessed modules have moderation built into the marking process.
Moderation involves sampling students’ assessed work to make sure that the learning outcomes and
agreed marking criteria have been interpreted and applied in the same way. This ensures that you
and your fellow students are treated equitably and that the academic standards are applied
consistently. During the marking process the module leader will co-ordinate moderation to ensure
that at least 10% of assessed work (or a minimum of three pieces) has been reviewed by other
markers and any concerns about consistency or accuracy addressed with the whole module team.
Your work may or may not be part of this sample, but the processes for developing assessments and
marking criteria as well as moderation mean that you can be confident that teaching staff are
marking assessments to the same criteria. Module teams may then use feedback from moderation
to improve clarity about the nature and purpose of future assessment, or to make changes if
required.

Modules are also moderated externally. The module leader will arrange for the external examiner to
receive a sample of work for review and comment. External examiners cannot change individual
grades but can act as ‘critical friends’ and confirm that marking standards are in line with other,
similar courses in the sector. If, on reviewing the sample, external examiners feel that the marking
criteria have not been applied consistently the work of the whole cohort will be reviewed.

6. Classification of Awards
The University publishes the principles underpinning the way in which awards and results are
decided in Academic Regulations. Decisions about the overall classification of awards are made by
Assessment Boards through the application of the academic and relevant course regulations.

7. Student Feedback

You can play an important part in the process of improving the quality of this course through the
feedback you give. In addition to the on-going discussion with the course team throughout the year,
there are a range of mechanisms for you to feedback about your experience of teaching and
learning. We aim to respond to your feedback and let you know of our plans for improvement.

7.1 Student Staff Liaison Committee meetings (SSLCs)

Details of the Protocol for the operation of SSLCs is included in section 8.2 of the University Student
Handbook. As a student your feedback is essential to inform the Course Team of your views about

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modules, the course as a whole and the University facilities. There are opportunities to do so
personally in dialogue with the module tutors and the course leader through the year and more
formally through the Student Liaison Officer and Student Representatives who represent all the
students at the Staff Student Liaison Committee meetings (once a semester and through the Module
Evaluation Questionnaires if applicable)

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