Course Code: LAW202
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Synopsis

LAW202 Critical Thinking, Legal Writing and Legal Interpretation introduces students to critical thinking, the use of active thinking and reading, and also the art of legal interpretation. Students will be instructed in how to read and apply a critical mind towards what they read, how to analyse arguments and how to respond to arguments. Students will also be introduced to legal interpretation and how legal interpretation works in the context of statutes and case precedents. Students will be introduced to forms of legal argument and application of the law to factual matrices. The course will provide the students with the first of their many ‘building blocks’ in the methodology applicable to the study of law. These are the first ‘building blocks’ upon which the students will build as their law studies progress. They will learn that the methodology and skills taught to them in this introductory course will start them on a continuous journey of learning throughout their law studies until they graduate and even beyond.
Level: 2
Presentation Pattern: EVERY JULY

Topics

  • Introduction to Critical Thinking, Logical concepts and logical fallacies
  • Analysing and responding to arguments, principles of legal interpretation
  • Interpreting statutes 1 – general rules
  • Interpreting statutes 2 – specific rules
  • Interpreting contracts – general rules and specific rules
  • Introduction to Drafting legal documents.
  • Writing arguments in general, elements of a legal argument and writing legal arguments
  • Good principles and best practices in writing legal arguments
  • Identifying the legal issue
  • Introduction to legal research using basic legal texts
  • Introduction to Online resources, eLitigation and LawNet
  • Hands on training on LawNet

Learning Outcome

  • Explain the sources of law, and how it is made and developed; the institutions within which that law is administered and the personnel who practise it
  • Express their knowledge and understanding of a wide range of key thinking concepts, values, principles and rules of critical thinking and logic, and to explain the relationship between them in a number of subject areas
  • Demonstrate the ability to construct and deconstruct legal arguments
  • Respond to a given document form and apply the right rules of interpretation to the document
  • Research and analyse independently the areas of law from standard legal resources on specific matters
  • Advise a hypothetical client, using intellectual and practical skills to apply the knowledge, thought and findings of research to provide arguable conclusions for concrete problems
  • Discuss positions taken in a group setting and in a team environment
  • Express ideas, concepts and arguments in the English language and legal terminology with care and accuracy
  • Employ information technology in an office environment for the search for information, preparation of documents and presentations
Part-time Programmes