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Information Technology and Legal Reasoning (Distance Learning) (P01167)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : LAW-P-P01167

Students will be introduced to key technologies that could change the face of the legal profession, with an emphasis on technologies that support administration of justice

Session titles are:
Case management 1
Case management 2
Legal expert systems and the dream of using 'strong' AI 1
Legal expert systems and the dream of using 'strong' AI 2
Decision support systems
Legal information systems
Courtroom and jury support systems
Online dispute settlement
Sentencing support systems
The future of the legal profession in a computer environment

Entry Requirements

? Costs : Students should have regular and reliable access to the Internet. Print consumables (paper and ink) would be recommended to provide hard copy of some on screen text and materials (e.g. articles). Also purchase of textbooks.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Law, (School of Law, Schedule F)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

- To understand how and which technological solutions are currently developed to address perceived problems in the legal process and in administration of justice
- To be aware of different paradigms for intelligent technology and their underlying principles, covering Toulmin argumentation systems, rule based and case based reasoners
- To evaluate critically the derivation of computer technologies from jurisprudential theories of legal reasoning
- To understand the impact of new technologies on questions of civil rights, due process and access to justice
- To form an informed opinion regarding the conformance of the proposed technologies with ethical, political & economic models of the legal process & access to justice
- To analyse critically the role of technologies in the social, economic and ethical environment in which the legal profession operates and to develop a vision of the skills the legal profession needs to develop in dealing with new technologies.

Assessment Information

One essay, 6000 words (80%) and coursework assessment (20%).

Note: Completion of the Certificate, the Diploma and progression through the LLM programme will be subject to participation in and completion of core activities within this module.