Postgraduate Course: European Law Moot Court (LAWS11377)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Students will be participating in the European Law Moot Court (ELMC) (https://www.europeanlawmootcourt.eu/).
The course accompanies students until the end of the written phase and prepares them for the oral rounds, which - if the students' team is selected - will take place in January or February (the oral round is not part of the course as such).
The course requires students to prepare for the written submissions to the moot problem, which will be published on the ELMC website in September. Students will be split into teams of and must prepare written pleadings both on behalf of the applicant and on behalf of the defendant within the stated rules of the ELMC.
The weekly seminars will be used to introduce students to the competition and to mooting; and to mark certain 'milestones' along the way, including: a (formative) presentation early on in the semester allowing for feedback and a decision as to the key arguments to be made; an individually submitted research paper outlining the legal issues and possible solutions (summative 30% of the mark); further meetings in teams to work on advocacy skills (short stand-up preparations) and to prepare a team draft (written submission to the ELMC, which is equally 30% of the summative assessment). Finally teams will plead their case in different roles in an assessed mock moot court (40% of the summative assessment).
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| Course description |
1. Academic description:
The aim of the course is to enhance student learning in a number of ways:
* acquisition of practical legal skills by working on a 'real' case
* acquisition of advocacy skills and the skill to think on their feet when pressed by a judge
* enhancement of research skills by having to work with unfamiliar aspects of EU law that are not usually covered by standard textbooks thus requiring students to engage in depth with case law and EU legislation
* encourage students to think strategically and creatively 'like a lawyer'
* a strong group-work element
The course thus complements the other courses on the EU Law LLM perfectly. In terms of course content, it is difficult to predict what the topic of the ELMC will be in any given year. Students will be guided through the experience in 10 seminars which will be primarily used to support students' independent research and to hone their argumentative skills, in particular their oral presentation skills.
An exact outline will be presented in the course guide, but the following seminar topics are an indications:
1. Introduction to the moot
2. Discussion of the moot problem in allocated groups
3. Identification of key issues and discussion in class
4. Individual presentations on main arguments to be used
5. Introduction to mooting and 'stand-up' practice; submission of individual research papers
6. Group work on draft briefs
7. Peer review and critique of draft arguments
8. Small group meetings
The course will be student-centred and taught interactively. A key skill students will take from the course is an ability to work autonomously. Teaching will therefore be partly reactive to students' needs. It will also ease students into presenting oral argument and defending one's position when challenged. Hence students will be supported by way of practical skills sessions and feedback sessions on their research and argument.
If a student team is selected for the oral rounds, there is naturally no obligation to participate as the oral rounds take place after the course has finished. Nonetheless students are strongly encouraged to do so and the course organiser will make every effort in getting at least a partial cover of the costs from the School's mooting budget. This however, cannot be guaranteed.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 25 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4,
Formative Assessment Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Research paper (submission before reading week): 30% individual assessment«br /»
Team draft (submission on the day of ELMC deadline): 30% group assessment«br /»
Advocacy element (mock moot pleadings in early December): 40% individual assessment «br /»
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| Feedback |
It is in the nature of the course that students will receive constant feedback on their work in progress. Feedback consists in both teacher-led feedback and peer-feedback. Key instances of feedback are: feedback to the formative assessment (individual presentation); feedback on the research paper (summative assessment 30%); feedback on mooting practices; feedback on final submitted pleadings (summative assessment) and written feedback on the oral assessment in December. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a high level of practical knowledge of EU law that covers and integrates most of its principal areas, features, boundaries, terminology and conventions
- Apply this knowledge by using a significant range research skills and argumentative skills both when preparing the written argument and when delivering the oral argument.
- Think creatively, critically and strategically about their arguments and to question and test legal arguments made by others.
- Work collaboratively with others in their assigned group while taking responsibility for their own work and shared responsibility for the work of other group members
- Act with a high degree of autonomy in planning and implementing solutions to the moot problem
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Reading List
Key reading in preparation:
* Any advanced EU Law textbook, e.g. Craig and de Burca or Chalmers/Davies/Monti
* European Law Moot Court website
* European Law Moot Court book
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will make the following contribution to the personal and professional attributes and skills:
Cognitive skills:
* Capability of applying critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to complex legal and factual questions, in particular
* Identifying, conceptualising and defining new and abstract problems and issues.
* Development of original and creative responses to problems and issues.
* Critical review, consolidation and extension of knowledge, skills, practices and thinking in law.
Communication, numeracy and IT skills;
* Use of a wide range of routine skills and a range of advanced and specialised skills, in particular:
* Oral and written communication, using appropriate methods, to a specialist audience
* Communication with peers, staff members and specialists (i.e. moot court judges) using appropriate language.
Autonomy, accountability and working with others.
* Use of a wide range of routine skills and a significant range of advanced and specialised skills, in particular:
* Communication at an appropriate level to a specialist audience.
* Advocacy skills.
* Communication at the standard of published academic work
* Group work skills.
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| Keywords | EU Law; moot court; legal argument |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Tobias Lock
Tel: (0131 6)51 5535
Email: |
Course secretary | Mr David Morris
Tel: (0131 6)50 2010
Email: |
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