Topic outline

  • General

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    • Welcome to Legal Design!


    • In this practical module, you will work in teams to solve a problem for a real client using a Legal Design approach. Legal Design is a creative problem-solving framework used by lawyers and legal innovators to help them adapt for the future of legal practice. You will learn the theory and practice of Legal Design and apply your legal knowledge to develop and deliver a prototype solution to the client. You will engage with the client and external lawyers in addition to the teaching team.

      The module is run by qLegal, CCLS's award-winning pro bono commercial law clinic. Please take a look at the qLegal website to find out about our clients (start-ups and entrepreneurs), partnering law firms and the experience of past students.

      The module classes run for 5 weeks, starting in January, and your client project will be completed within semester 2.

      You must adhere to all qLegal practices and procedures including the signing of a Student Contract. As the module follows a ‘flipped classroom’ format, it is ESSENTIAL you undertake the pre- and post- class work.

    • The module aims to develop your ability to:

      1) Understand client needs; research areas of law and/or practice; produce a commercially aware prototype solution that is innovative and meets the project brief,

      2) Adopt an innovate mindset and generate creative but practical options for your client,

      3) Communicate effectively with teammates, clients and external stakeholders, including through non-textual means

      4) Manage time, people and workload efficiently,

      5) With your teammates, present your prototype to the client

      6) Learn what is expected of legal professionals in the UK, now and in the future, and

      7) Learn how to be reflective about your own work and open to feedback from others.

       

      The module aims to develop your appreciation of:

      1) The changing nature of legal practice in the UK and the need for legal service providers to innovate,

      2) The work of a legal innovators and the start-up/entrepreneur community in the UK

      3) The importance of acting in a professional manner and upholding professional standards,

      4) The breadth of legal challenges faced by start-up companies and entrepreneurs, and

      5) The role of clinical legal education and Legal Design within broader legal services provision and legal tech development.

  • Where to go for help

    • Hospice Education and Learning ...

    • Karen Watton   qLegal area 4th floor CCLS  k.watton@qmul.ac.uk

      Office Hours: Wednesdays 12:00 - 13:00



  • Week 1 - Who is law for? And why Legal Design?


    • ·        Overview of Module

      ·        Analysis of legal services provision/the future of law

      ·        Theory and practice of Legal Design

      ·        Examples of Legal Design

    • You will be introduced to the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Legal Design; and taken through the Legal Design process you will follow in this module. You will be introduced to your teammates, the client and supervisors.


  • Week 2 - Understanding the problem(s)


    • ·        Adopting a Design Thinking-based mindset

      ·        From project brief to problem statement – defining the scope of the problem to be solved

      ·        Empathy and human-centred lawyering

      ·        Researching to understand

      ·        Divergent and convergent thinking

    • You will be working in your team, understanding your client’s needs and researching relevant law and practice to enable the whole group to agree on a specific problem statement.


  • Week 3 - Collaboration and creativity

    • Collaboration: The Missing Standard - AMLE

    • ·        Self-awareness

      ·        Teamworking theory and practice

      ·        Emotional Intelligence

      ·        Higher level communication skills

      ·        Creativity - theory and practice

    • You and your teammates will be using a range of Legal Design tools, exploring multiple solutions and working towards the development of a prototype.


  • Week 4 - Refinement and reflection

    • Building Resilience: the Unsung Hero of ...

    • ·        How to give and receive feedback

      ·        Growth mindset and resilience

      ·        Critical thinking

      ·        Commercial awareness

      ·        Preventative law

    • You will start to test and further develop your prototype within an iterative process, taking on board feedback from your client and others.


  • Week 5 - Presentation and personal development

    • Life After COVID-19: What's Next for ...

    • ·        Theory and practice of presenting/communicating to persuade

      ·        Reflective practice

      ·        Career options using Legal Design

      ·        How to prepare for the final module assessments

    • This is the last week of formal meetings to select the prototype you wish to develop further and pitch to a panel of judges.

      PLEASE NOTE - You will finalise your prototype and pitch to the judging panel at a date and time to be confirmed in the second half of semester 2, after all the formal classes. You are also required to attend a final reflection session as a follow-up after the judging takes place.


  • Syllabus

  • How you will be assessed

    • One 2,000-word essay (selected from a set of titles provided in advance) - 50%

      A recorded oral presentation (answering all set questions provided) - 40%

      Coursework - how you engaged with the project overall - 10%


  • Key texts and resources

    • THE LEGAL DESIGN BOOK – Doing Law In ... 

      The Legal Design Book: Doing Law in the 21st Century by Astrid Kohlmeier and Meera Klemola


      The Future of the Professions: How ...

      The Future of the Professions: How Technology will Transform the Work of Human Experts by Richard Susskind and Daniel Susskind (2022 Edition)


      Open Law Lab – a blog by Margaret Hagan

      OpenLawLab blog by Margaret Hagan: https://www.openlawlab.com/

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