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Commercial Law & Practice - LAW00055M

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  • Department: The York Law School
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

This module will develop students' knowledge, skills and professionalism in the field of providing legal advice to business organisations on a range of commercial matters, including commercial transactions, employment and intellectual property.

This module is one of six integrated modules that make up the first phase (120 credits over two terms) of the LLM in Professional Practice (Corporate Commercial). Within this programme, students will provide legal advice on more than one area of law to corporate commercial clients in the context of individual simulated transactions and matters.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23 to Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

The aim of the module is to develop students' knowledge, skills and professionalism in the field of providing legal advice to business organisations on commercial matters, specifically commercial transactions, employment and intellectual property. This will include the practise of a range of technical legal skills, and application of understanding of the regulatory framework within which solicitors provide legal advice, their professional ethics, and commercial understanding of clients' interests. The knowledge, skills and professionalism gained from the programme are designed to align with competencies required by solicitors in practice.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to, in the context of commercial transactions and matters:

advise clients and progress transactions and matters on their behalf, in compliance with relevant law and practice

analyse client instructions and supporting legal and factual documentation, to identify legal and practical issues

apply understanding of current professional and commercial issues, and critical reasoning, to solve client problems and develop solutions aligned with client interests

practise and demonstrate the application of a range of technical legal skills, including oral and written communication, in the context of advising on commercial matters and transactions

evaluate commercial, financial, political and policy perspectives applicable to the progression of client transactions and matters in accordance with their instructions

work independently and collaboratively to manage and progress client matters and transactions

reflect on learning gained through advising on commercial matters, and identify areas for further development

Module content

The module content will include advising on commercial transactions and contracts; employment law issues; and intellectual property. This advice may be given in the context of a simulation in which students are also advising on other, related matters, for corporate commercial clients.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

The reflective learning portfolio will require students to demonstrate, using evidence from transactional and matter outputs, and a reflective learning journal, how they have met the module learning outcomes. The feedback provided on individual outputs will be formative in nature.

The assessment of this module will also be used by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for the purpose of assessing whether a student has, by equivalent means, achieved the Legal Practice Course elective outcomes in respect of one defined area of practice in the context of an overall assessment of whether a student has met the SRA LPC outcomes by equivalent means. It should be noted that, for the purpose of this SRA assessment of elective outcomes ONLY (i.e., NOT for the purpose of the LLM award, where the assessment IS compensatable), this module assessment will be non-compensatable.

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Students will receive regular individual feedback from their supervisor on the outputs created in the context of the simulated client transactions and matters on which they will work throughout the module. Feedback on the final submissions for assessment will be provided in week 5 of Summer Term.

Indicative reading

Due to the PBL nature of this module, there are no set key texts.



The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.