Undergraduate Course: Street Law: public legal education in the community (LAWS10252)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will involve students, under guidance, identifying existing legal needs, researching the relevant law and policy and then preparing and delivering interactive presentations for designated client groups.
The subject matter will depend on what the client requires but will either relate to fields of study relevant to the students¿ overall legal education and/or will involve the skills, attributes and ethical concerns applicable to law in practice. The course will enable students to apply theory in a defined context.
The relevant legal knowledge examined is likely to overlap with or otherwise complement studies elsewhere in the undergraduate programme providing a unique opportunity for students to apply legally relevant principles. For example students¿ understanding of consumer law, the law affecting tenancies and employment rights may well come up as topics for Street Law presentations. |
| Course description |
There is no indicative programme content, as this detail will depend on the subject matter the students must research and present on but the format for content and delivery is set out below. The induction session (likely to be delivered in an intensive day workshop or two half days) will cover the Street Law method (interactive learning and teaching), professional practice considerations and the need for applied research.
Guidance will also be provided on reflective practice and working with and in the community. Past experience suggests that a range of groups are likely to be involved, including school pupils, young offenders, tenants, benefit claimants and the unemployed. Some training of trainers may also be undertaken when working with advisers in not-for-profit organisations.
Street Law is part of the Clinical Legal Education and Professional Practice (CLEAPP) group of subjects, which focuses on the practical application of legal knowledge and the development of professional competencies, often through experiential learning in dynamic, real-world settings.
CLEAPP courses integrate core legal skills such as client engagement, advocacy, legal analysis, strategy, and public-facing presentations within community and legal environments. Students frequently work on real-world legal issues, adapting their knowledge to meet client needs, engage with diverse groups, and solve legal problems. Some activities may involve working with live clients, requiring students to uphold professional responsibilities from the outset.
Teaching methods vary and may include interactive seminars, workshops, large-group plenaries, small-group tutorials, and practical exercises such as mock trials, client consultations, legal clinics, and community outreach. Many CLEAPP courses take place in dynamic, unpredictable environments ¿ such as courtrooms, law clinics, or public legal education settings ¿ where students must adapt to foreseen and unforeseen challenges.
Students are expected to demonstrate professionalism in client interactions, group work, and public presentations. Attendance, engagement, and professional conduct are essential to the learning process.
CLEAPP courses encourage students to step outside their comfort zones, take on new tasks, and learn through observation and feedback. The development of professional skills¿particularly through experiential learning¿is an iterative process: students are expected to attempt tasks, receive feedback, and refine their performance. Feedback - which could be provided in a group setting - is a fundamental part of skill development and should be seen as an opportunity to refine abilities and improve performance. While feedback may sometimes involve critique, it is an expected and constructive element of professional learning.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to learning opportunities. However, given the practical and professional nature of these courses, some accommodations may not be feasible if they are impractical in the environment and/or fundamentally alter the learning outcomes. Where adjustments are not practicable, we will work with students to explore alternative ways to engage while still ensuring that students can meet the core competencies of the course. Likewise, some assessments take place in real-world legal contexts that require professional responsibilities to be maintained. Adjustments applied must ensure that students can still meet the core expectations of professional practice, without undermining the integrity of professional learning.
Students who anticipate challenges due to a disability, health condition, or other need should discuss their circumstances with the course coordinator at the earliest opportunity. Every effort will be made to identify reasonable adjustments that enable participation while maintaining the core learning outcomes of the course. However, some accommodations may not be feasible if they would be impractical in the environment and/or fundamentally alter the essential aspects of learning or professional practice.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Spaces on this course are allocated as part of the Law Honours Course Allocation process. Places are generally only available to students who must take Law courses. To request a space on this course, please email Law.courseselections@ed.ac.uk |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Reflective journal, 50% (submitted at the end of teaching)
Written assignment , 50% (submitted after teaching ends)
Written assignment will address an aspect of law encountered in their case work, and the task will be to critically examine the law as it applied in practice and to identify possible reforms that could be made to improve access to justice. Both the reflective journal and written assignment will be summatively assessed with feedback provided online or in writing as circumstances dictate in order to explain the mark or grade awarded.
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| Feedback |
There are opportunities for formative feedback throughout the Course.
It will be structured through the requirement for students to complete a reflective journal addressing each stage of their work including identifying relevant legal issues, researching the law, analysing results, drafting presentations, making presentations, evaluating impact and reflecting on overall progress. Formative feedback will be given online and/or in writing or orally depending on circumstance. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
| identify, analyse and apply appropriately law and policy on a range of legal issues in relation to given scenarios.
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Reading List
Prescribed textbook
Frances Ridout and Linden Thomas, Street law Theory and Practice, Hart, 2023
Reference
Richard Grimes, Public legal education: the role of law schools in building a more legally literate society, Routledge, 2021
David McQuoid-Mason, Street Law and Public Legal Education, Juta Press, 2019
Lee Arbetman and Edward O¿Brien, Street Law: A course in practical law, McGraw Hill, 2021, 10th edition.
References to other relevant resources will be provided during the course
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
To identify client group need and then research and record accurately relevant sources of law and policy in the applicable subject(s) of study.
To meet learning outcomes in both self-study and working team settings and to critically reflect on the possible need for law reform in a given subject area in terms of improving access to justice.
To prepare an interactive presentation and deliver this to a defined client group in ways that are comprehensible and appropriate to context
To exercise autonomy and initiative in the activities of the Street Law Clinic. To manage time to enable the timely completion of work with a view to relevant deadlines. To work effectively as part of a team. To manage professional relationships with peers and supervisors and client groups.
To produce a set of resource materials relevant to the presentation(s) and utilise effectively applicable resources. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Lourens Grove
Tel:
Email: lgrove@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Evan McVeigh
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: evan.mcveigh@ed.ac.uk |
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