I have just completed the 2nd year of my LLB programme from the University of London International and I honestly believe that I should be celebrating at this moment but I can not seem to shake the thought that my work has only begun. It seems ironic, in the sense that this is my last year. However the difference in a student's final year is that he/she is faced with an added task, to completed the Law Skills Portfolio ( LSP) in order to be granted a QLD, which is a requirement to practice in the UK and which maybe the case for other countries.
The purpose of LSP as outlined in the guide "Demonstrating Law Skills" is to ascertain key skills that you would have developed through studying this degree programme. The LSP will focus on five key skills, namely :
1. Legal Source and Research
2. Autonomy and the ability to learn
3. Information Technology
4. Oral Communication
5. Team working
Therefore LSP is a mean to examine these skills. Because such skills will be very difficult to examine using traditional written exams, which we are used to. The LSP requires you to undertake a research project, which compel you to utilize those skills. In addition, a written exam will be taken for the LSP to verify that the work submitted was indeed your work, as declared.
The LSP provides two different path which a student can undertake; 1. LSP1 and 2. LSP2. It is important to note that the objectives are the same for both LSP, however the signification difference lies in the research project that will be undertaken. In both LSP the topic for research will be based on either , Public Law, Tort Law, CLRI, Criminal Law, Contract Law and EU Law. Your essay will be based on a topic which you would have not studied in depth during your undertaken of the selected course. However if you so desire to base your essay on a different subject area, that decision will be subjected to the Law Consortium where a written application need to sent.
The LSP1 can only be undertaken by students who so desire to do the optional subject "Dissertation" and have done EU law or is registered to do EU Law. Dissertation is a subject that equips students with the skills and knowledge that you need to undertake and carry out successful research project and as part of the subject you will be required to carry out a research project and write a 10,000 words dissertation upon it. The assessment of laws dissertation is 90% (dissertation) and 10% unseen written exam.
Therefore the LSP1 utilizes this opportunity created by the dissertation to verify those said skills required to obtain a QLD. However the disadvantage of undertaking the Dissertation is that students are required to submit the research proposal for approval, if approval is not granted students will have to drop Dissertation subject and select another optional subject and completed the LSP2 instead.
In regards to the LSP2, students will be required to undertake a small scale research project and write an essay of 2500 words on their finding. This small scale project will be the means by which skills will be verified.
So significantly, the only difference it that in LSP1 you will be required to do a Dissertation and in LSP2 you will be required to do a small scale research project.
However submitting a Dissertation and Essay alone will not suffice. In the portfolio students will be required to make claims, on eight skill outcomes, which will determine if certain skills are manifested by students. These outcomes are:
1. Identify the principal issues for research.
2. Locate and retrieve relevant information on a specified topic using primary and secondary legal sources, in paper or electronic media (including use of the world-wide web).
3. Use sources in a critical and reflective way.
4. With limited guidance, and using a range of legal resources, plan, research and produce an original piece of legal writing some of which should address areas of law not previously studied in depth.
5. Make an accurate assessment of your progress and quality of your work and, using feedback, identify areas for improvement.
6. Produce a word-processed portfolio, with footnotes, using appropriate formatting, tools, and communicates and exchanges documents by email.
7. Briefly and accurately present and discuss, orally in English, legal information from standard textbooks, leading cases or states in a way that responds relevantly to the question asked or topic set and is understood by audience.
8. Work as an active and effective members of a team contributing productively to the group's task.
However in addition to making these claims, students will need to show evidence of such claims. Some of these outcomes maybe satisfied by reference to certain pages and paragraph on the essay/dissertation, while other claims will require student to provide screenprints of email, notes on meeting, powerpoint presentation or anything that can substantiate their claims of skill outcomes.
In order to have an in depth understanding of the LSP, students should read "Demonstrating LSP1", "Demonstrating LSP2" and the study guide for Dissertation which is found on University of London Student VLE.
This is article is only a matter of personal understanding and opinion derived from reading "Demonstrating LSP1 and 2" .Readers are asked not to take this as a representation of the facts that underlie "LSP"
