| Unit name | Company Law in Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0178 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Mr. Rob Cason |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Company Law as an undergraduate. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Companies are the main vehicle through which business is conducted. Understanding how they are established and regulated is essential for anyone aspiring to commercial legal practice whether as a company lawyer or in a related area. Studying company law will help you if studying complementary units such as International Corporate Finance and Corporate Governance in a Global Context. In this unit, we will focus on the practical application of company law. This unit is particularly important (and relevant) for those who intend to practise law.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is mandatory for those students studying LLM Company Law and Corporate Governance. It is an optional but recommended unit for those studying other commercially oriented LLM programmes. If you have already studied company law and aspire to work as a commercial lawyer, this unit will help you develop confidence in applying the law in a practical way.
An overview of content
This unit will help you develop a solid foundation in company law principles, studying those principles in a practical and theoretical context. It is designed, as far as possible, to reflect the fact that clients rarely seek legal advice based on discrete topics. It is far more typical for legal advisers to be confronted with a scenario that the client would like resolved. It is for the adviser to identify what the issues are and to apply their legal knowledge so that the matter can be concluded satisfactorily. This unit will enable you to understand, evaluate and critique the underpinning principles of company law and engage with contemporary academic debates within this field.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will be able to identify, with confidence, the legal issues that are relevant in each scenario. You will think holistically about problem-solving. You will be comfortable with decision-making and with a lack of legal certainty in some areas. You will be commercially aware, able to understand a client’s appetite to risk, confident at expressing yourself clearly and concisely, and able to work under time pressure as some activities will be conducted in ‘real time’ during a workshop or seminar
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
This unit is applied in nature and focusses on some of the skills needed for future practice as a commercial lawyer. As such, the learning approach is problem-based and interactive in nature. Learning cycles will be structured around key topics in company law. Seminars will focus on problem-solving, giving advice, decision-making and critical analysis. Students can expect to work individually and in small groups. Seminar activities will include real-time drafting and advice-giving, oral presentations, and group discussions.
Reading and References
For those who have not studied Company Law in the UK, the following textbooks will be useful pre-reading:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will have the opportunity to submit a 1,000 word answer to either a problem question or essay question on which you will receive individual feedback. Formative feedback will also be provided within the lectures, seminars, office hours and through a discussion thread on Blackboard.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The summative assessment comprises a 4,000 word piece of coursework, which requires students to answer one problem question (2,000 words) and one essay question (2,000 words). This assessment covers all ILO for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis with new assessment questions.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0178).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
