Checklist of legal research skills
The table below, referred to in the chapter on curriculum development, lists legal research skills learning outcomes with details of which particular outcomes should form components of the curriculum for different types of law course. It also indicates the focus of the instruction and whether student competence in the skill of performing the objective can be inferred.
The six types of course are:
- undergraduate non-law courses but with a law element (for example BA Business Studies, BA Social Work)
- undergraduate law courses (LLB)
- postgraduate vocational courses (Legal Practice Course and Bar Vocational Course)
- postgraduate non-vocational courses where students already possess a law degree (some LLM courses, and all research degrees)
- postgraduate non-vocational courses where students do not possess a law degree (for example, some LLM courses)
- continuing professional development (CPD) courses
| non-law degree | law degree | PG voc | PG non-voc (law first degree) | PG non-voc (non-law first degree) | CPD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identify & analyse | ||||||
| objective of research | *(academic) | *(academic) | *(practice) | inferred | *(academic) | inferred |
| facts and issues | *(academic) | *(academic) | *(practice) | inferred | *(academic) | inferred |
| relevant areas of law | * | * | *(practice) | inferred | * | inferred |
| classify in legal terms | * | * | *(practice) | inferred | * | inferred |
| develop keywords | (*) | * | *(practice) | inferred | * | inferred |
| Find information | ||||||
| structure of literature | * | * | inferred | inferred | * | inferred |
| locate and use law library | (*) | * | inferred (L) | inferred (L) | * | inferred |
| use IT skills to locate, etc | (*) | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | * | * or U |
| select relevant information | *(academic) | *(academic) | *(practice) | inferred | inferred (R) | inferred |
| use indexes within legal materials | * | * | *(practice) | inferred | inferred | inferred |
| use citations, abbreviations etc | * | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | * | inferred |
| check currency | * | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | * | inferred |
| keep up to date | * | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | * | inferred |
| Present results | ||||||
| organise logically | (*)(academic) | *(academic) | *(practice) | inferred | *(academic) | inferred |
| employ layout techniques | (*)(academic) | *(academic) | *(practice) | inferred | inferred | inferred |
| employ style etc | (*) | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred |
| employ correct spelling etc | (*) | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred |
| summarise/paraphrase | * | * | inferred | inferred | * | inferred |
| summarise/paraphrase | * | * | inferred | inferred | * | inferred |
| apply law to facts | * | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | * | inferred |
| provide clear advice or conclusion | (*)(academic) | *(academic) | *(practice) | inferred | inferred | inferred |
| acknowledge materials cited | (*) | * | inferred | inferred | inferred | inferred |
| construct list of sources | (*) | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred |
| use IT to present results | (*) | * | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | inferred (R) | * or U |
Key
* = essential skill component of course
(*) = some or all of instruction in skill may have taken place already outside law element in degree programme
(academic) or (practice) = focus of instruction
inferred = possession of skill by all students may be assumed unless student performance indicates the contrary
inferred (L) = possession of skill by all students may be assumed but instruction in local aspects will be required
inferred (R) = possession of skill may be assumed for some students but others will require refresher or even basic instruction
* or U = some students will require basic instruction, others will require skill updating only
