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LA-121A
Fundamental Principles of Contract Law
This module is available only for visiting exchange students from Chinese partner universities.
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LA-122A
Fundamental Principles of Tort Law
This module will be available only for visiting exchange students from Chinese partner universities.
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LA-123
Legal Methodology
This module will be available only for visiting exchange students from Chinese partner universities.
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LA-124
Fundamental Principles of International Trade Law
This module will be available only for visiting exchange students from Chinese partner universities.
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LA-300
Applied Commercial Law and International Business Practices
Contemporary concerns originating in market and business failures sufficiently indicate the vital importance of business law for accountability and performance. Taking account of the rapid developments in this field, this module offers students an unique opportunity to explore business law on a broad spectrum. It allows for an investigation into new and dynamic issues pertinent to the operation of businesses in the international context, including intellectual assets management, international payment and transactions, the governance of businesses and aspects of insolvency and personal responsibility. Designed to accommodate both legal and commercial perspectives, it allows students to obtain an understanding of cutting edge developments in a number of discrete legal areas.
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LA-M002
Independent Research Project
This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent, in-depth research project on a topic relevant to their programme. It is designed to develop advanced research, analytical, and critical evaluation skills essential for legal scholarship and professional practice.
Students will identify a research question of significant relevance to the discipline and produce a substantial dissertation that demonstrates mastery of the subject matter. The module emphasises rigorous engagement with primary and secondary sources, enabling students to critically assess current research and advanced scholarship in the field.
Through sustained analysis, students will synthesise doctrinal principles and policy considerations, presenting a coherent and well-structured argument that reflects originality and intellectual independence. The dissertation process also fosters the ability to advance knowledge and understanding beyond existing literature, equipping students with transferable skills for future academic or professional development.
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LA-M003
Employability Skills in the Commercial and Maritime Industry
This module is a dedicated professional development programme designed to equip LLM students with the essential, practical skills required to successfully transition from academic study to a thriving career in the commercial and maritime law sectors. It bridges the gap between legal expertise and professional practice by providing hands-on guidance in critical areas such as effective written and oral communication, strategic career planning, and self-promotion. Through a series of interactive employability workshops, mock interviews, guest lectures from industry practitioners, curated networking events, and organised trips to leading industry organisations, students gain direct, immersive insight into the professional landscape. The module offers specific guidance on qualifying as a practicing lawyer in England & Wales and prepares students to articulate the value of their academic experience, navigate competitive application processes, and build a professional network, enabling them to represent themselves with confidence and competence.
The curriculum is strategically designed to foster not only technical proficiency but also a proactive professional mindset, encouraging students to critically engage with the evolving demands of global trade, shipping, and commercial dispute resolution. By synthesising theoretical knowledge with authentic industry engagement, students will develop a robust professional identity and a clear, actionable career strategy. This forward-looking approach ensures graduates are not just qualified in maritime and commercial law, but are also astute, connected, and strategic professionals ready to contribute meaningfully to their chosen field from day one.
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LACM03
E-commerce and Regulation of Electronic Transactions
This module seeks to address the complex legal issues and regulatory challenges arising from the pursuit of commercial activities by electronic means. It focuses in particular on the expanding role of various types of electronic transactions and different forms of digital assets within the modern commercial sphere. It examines the legal frameworks that have been put in place for dealing with key aspects of such transactions and digital products both at the national level and internationally. The module identifies and discusses the problems that governments have had to contend with in seeking to exert their regulatory control in the realm of electronic commerce in today¿s Internet age. Where appropriate, it does so from a comparative perspective which looks at the approaches adopted in the U.K, the E.U and various other jurisdictions. Also examined is the application of existing legal principles to e-commerce, again adopting a comparative approach, analysing existing legal adaptations, their appropriateness and how such adaptations might be improved in the future.
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LACM14
International Intellectual Property Law
This module concentrates on the international law aspects of Intellectual Property (IP). With the growing global market and continuing disparity between developed and developing countries, IP has assumed a significant role in international discourse. The module discusses the set of laws that govern the creation, protection, sharing, and use of intellectual property in the global context. Topics such as copyright, trademark, geographical indication systems, traditional knowledge, cultural heritage, patents, plant varieties and industrial designs will be explored. IP protection is traditionally jurisdictional, yet, it has become common for IP issues to arise across jurisdictions because IP laws can vary significantly from one country to another. International IP law is the subject of treaties between nations throughout the world, therefore, the module further examines the various existing and proposed international instruments relating to Intellectual Property, such as the TRIPS agreement; Paris, Berne, Rome and Madrid Conventions; Marrakesh Treaty etc. There are organizations that seek to provide global IP protection by establishing international IP laws, hence, the module reviews the efforts of the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the field of international IP framework.
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LACM19
IP Law in the Context of Creative Industries
This module¿studies the impact of the fourth industrial revolution, precisely modern innovative technologies on law and regulation of intellectual property rights in the digital age.¿It¿focuses on the relationship between law, innovation and technological developments, and explores legal protection of intellectual assets created in the process of digitalisation.
In the digital age, technology has become an integral part of our daily lives and classic human-to-human interactions have transformed into human-to-machine communications. Apart from the inevitable boost in e-commerce and automatisation powered by AI, big data and computation, our dependence on digital technologies and services has increased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst these enormous changes brought by the fourth industrial revolution, digitalisation and intellectual property become hand in hand. Indeed, creative assets and intellectual property rights might become more vulnerable to thefts or infringement risks. Hence, governments and legal authorities strive to ensure appropriate regulation and protection which in turn facilitate digitalisation and provide more opportunities for innovative activities.
The module is designed to give students a knowledge base of the legal doctrines and provisions that are applied to intangible outputs and intellectual property rights and their implications in the digitalised world. It gives an overview of the emerging technological developments and digitalisation trends and scrutinises their relationship with intellectual property rights created through transactions taking place in cyberspace.¿Upon critical evaluation of the nature and significance of intellectual property rights including¿copyrights, patents, trademarks, designs and similar rights¿in terms of technology, commercial interests and the law, the module underpins the increased importance of intangibles, such as brands, know-how and data in the digital economy. In this vein, the course sheds light on the private and public interests of businesses, enterprises, governments as well as the international community to ensure legal protection of intellectual property rights and explores national, regional (EU) and international aspects of the regulatory frameworks. The module further delves into the fundamentals of blockchain¿technology and smart contracts and their implications for the intellectual property ecosystem. Moreover, having regard to technological innovations experienced in the maritime industry and the government¿s Marine 2050 strategy, the course also looks at the intellectual property aspects of the AI-powered ships operating independently of human interaction. Finally, the module addresses intellectual property and technology disputes and their resolution.
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LAD001
Chinese Legal History
This course is one of the core courses for law majors in higher education. The content of this course includes the legislative activities of ancient dynasties, the administrative legal system, the criminal legal system, the civil legal system and the judicial system. Understanding the history of the development of China's legal system and the spirit of traditional law can help to deepen the understanding of the basic theory of law and provide the necessary historical knowledge for the study of other law courses. This course focuses on the overview of the legal system, the main legal ideas, the main legislation, and the judicial system in each period of Chinese history.
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LAD002
Constitution Law
This module is one of the core law courses stipulated by the Ministry of Education. It is an important part of the law curriculum and required for students majoring in law. This course is the basis for students to study other related departments of public law. The teaching aim of this course requires students to master the knowledge related to national organizations and the basic rights of citizens. In terms of teaching content, this course focus on the explanations of the fundamentals and basic knowledge. In terms of cultivating practical ability, it focuses on the training of thinking and methods of using theory to analyse constitutional issues.
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LAD003
Civil Law I
Civil Law I is a compulsory course in law at the undergraduate level. It is one of the important sub-courses in Civil Law, which is one of the 16 core courses in law at institutions of higher learning. The main purpose of this course is to enable students to understand and master the basic principles of civil law, master the concept of it, clarify the subjects for adjusting it, understand the nature and characteristics of it, and familiarize themselves with the basic legal system of civil law. The course covers general issues of civil law, civil legal relations, civil subjects, objects of civil rights, legal acts and representation, limitation of action, etc.
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LAD004
Criminal Law I
General Theories of Criminal Law is one of the compulsory courses for law majors in colleges and universities, as determined by the Ministry of Education. Its content is divided into three parts: overview of criminal law, crime theories, and penalty theories. overview of criminal law is the general description of criminal law to introduce the contents in the connotation and extension of criminal law; the task of it, validity, and the basic principles of it. Crime theories mainly introduces crime and non-crime, criminal patterns, and conviction problems. Penalty theories mainly introduces the penal system and sentencing system including penalty power, principal punishment and additional punishment, sentencing and sentencing system, execution, penalty elimination, and so on. Prerequisite courses include Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law, and Chinese Legal History.
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LAD101
Administrative Law and Administrative Litigation Law
This course is one of the 16 key courses for law majors in national universities determined by the Legal Discipline Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education. It is also an important course for Maritime Law, International Economic law, and other law majors. In terms of teaching content, this course focuses on the explanation of basic theories, concepts, fundamental theories and other general theories of Administrative Law and Administrative Litigation Law, and attaches importance to the interpretation of relevant legal provisions, judicial interpretation and cases, so as to strengthen the thinking ability of law majors in administrative rule of law; and lay a certain foundation for the follow-up courses and the research and practice related to this major.
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LAD102
Civil Procedural Law
The Civil Procedure Law is a basic specialized course for the second grade of law majors, of which the preliminary courses are jurisprudence and civil law (General Principles of Civil Law, Property Law, Law of Obligation Contract). The follow-up courses for maritime law majors include law of evidence, maritime litigation and arbitration, and the follow-up courses for international economic law major include law of evidence, international commercial litigation and arbitration. The main content of the course includes: introduction, basic principles and systems of civil actions, jurisdiction and jurisdiction, parties to actions, agents ad litem, period and service of process, court mediation, property preservation and advance execution, compulsory measures against obstruction of civil actions, litigation costs, trial procedures, execution procedures, foreign-related civil actions, etc.
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LAD103
Criminal Law II
Specific Theories of Criminal Law is one of the main courses required for law majors in colleges and universities as determined by the Ministry of Education. It deepens discussions and learning on various charges based on the systematic completion of General Theory of Criminal Law. It mainly teaches the concept, establishment conditions, judicial recognition, and statutory punishment of various specific crimes in the specific provisions of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China. The contents include: the crime of violating citizens' personal rights and democratic rights, the crime of violating property, the crime of endangering public security, the crime of embezzlement and bribery, the crime of dereliction of duty, the crime of undermining the socialist market economic order, and the crime of sabotaging the social management order.
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LAD104
Civil Law (II) Property Law
The course of Property Law is one of the important professional basic courses of law major in colleges and universities. Through the learning of this course, the students will fully understand the basic concept and characteristics of real right and the nature of real right in the Property Law, as well as the basic principles of the Property Law. They will understand the content and connection of the General Provisions of the Property Law and ownership, usufructuary rights, security interest and possession, to allow the students to comprehensively apply the basic rules of the law and accurately understand and apply the Property Law. It will also lay a good foundation for the learning and practicing of this specialty in subsequent courses.
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LAD105
Criminal Procedural Law
This course is a basic professional course for undergraduates majoring in law. Criminal Procedure Law is an important part of China¿s legal system. As one of the three procedural laws, it is a departmental law that regulates criminal procedure. This course is the main course and one of the required professional courses for students in law majors. The purpose of this course is to help students master the basic knowledge and theory of criminal procedure law, and be familiar with the basic principles, systems, and procedures of criminal procedure. The course mainly focuses on cultivating students¿ ability to analyse and solve problems, laying a foundation for students to engage in judicial work or legal service work in the future.
Prerequisite Courses: Constitutional Law, Jurisprudence, Criminal Law
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LAD106
Civil Law III (Law of Obligations Contracts and Torts)
Law of Obligation Contract and Tort is a compulsory course in law at the undergraduate level. It is one of the important sub-courses in Civil Law, which is one of the 16 core courses in law at institutions of higher learning.
Through the study of this course Part I Contract Law, students can master the basic principles of Law of Obligation Contracts and the basic system of Contract Law, and have a certain understanding of the specific provisions of Contract Law. The course contents include the general principles of debt, unjustified enrichment, spontaneous agency, overview of contract and Contract Law, conclusion of contract, effectiveness of contract, performance of contract, preservation of creditor's rights, change of contract, termination and liability for breach of contract, sales contract and other famous contracts.
The aim of this course Part II Tort Law is to enable students to master the basic theory and knowledge of the subject and the basic rules of the tort liability law of our country. The aim is also to develop their ability to analyse and solve related legal problems by using the knowledge of Law of Obligation Torts, raise the students' awareness of using legal means to solve tort disputes, and to lay a professional foundation for law majors.
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LAD201
Chinese Maritime Law
Chinese Maritime Law is an elective course for students in all majors. It is a professional, technical and foreign-related course, which has been the first-class course in our university as well as an excellent course in universities in the Liaoning Province. The main purpose of this course is to enable students to understand the theoretical system, basic principles and the main content of every concrete legal system of the Maritime Law through study. In China, Maritime Law is a special law of civil law. The prerequisite courses of this course are the Introduction to Law, Civil Law, Contract Law, International Trade Law, etc. In addition, having studied relevant navigation courses and other practical courses will be helpful when studying this course. In the teaching process, heuristic teaching methods are mainly used. Meanwhile, students can master the basic skills of this course through case evaluation and classroom discussion.
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LAD202
Environment and Resources Law
Environment and Resources Law is an independent, borderline and interdisciplinary subject with specific content, which is formed by the mutual penetration and combination of Environmental Science and Law. This course is one of the 16 core courses for law majors in national universities determined by the Legal Discipline Steering Committee of the Ministry of Education. This course focuses on the basic theories of Science of Environment and Natural Resources Protection Law, the basic principles and systems of China's Environmental Law, environmental tort and environmental civil liability, and so on.
The prerequisite courses are Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law, General Civil Law, etc.
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LAD203
Commercial Law (Bankruptcy Law and Corporation Law, Insurance Law)
Commercial Law is one of the core courses in law as stipulated by the Ministry of Education and is also a compulsory course for law students, comprising two parts: Commercial Law I and Commercial Law II. The task of this course is to enable students to understand the special value of Commercial Law, the difference between Civil Law and Commercial Law, and the significance of the independence of Commercial Law. Students shall systematically master the basic theoretical knowledge and have a systematic understanding of the main components of Commercial Law, including the general theory of Commercial Law, commercial subjects, and the commercial legal systems such as Partnership Law, Corporation Law, and Bankruptcy Law, as well as their main principles, systems and rules. The course focuses on the teaching of basic principles and knowledge, and adopts a combination of case studies and simulation training to develop students' practical ability to analyse and address commercial-related legal problems, and to lay a good foundation for commercial law practice.
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LAD204
Labour and Social Security Law
This course is the core professional course for law majors in colleges and universities, and one of the major social sciences courses. It is a basic course for students of law majors and other social science majors to learn and master the basic theories and knowledge of Labour and Social Security Law, and apply what they learned to analyse and judge labour legal issues and solve labour disputes. This course is also the theoretical basis for students majoring in maritime law to study seafarer law in the future. This course emphasises the explanation of basic knowledge and theory in the teaching content, and the basic training of legal article understanding and case analysis skills in the training of practical ability.
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LAD205
Economic Law
Economic Law is an elective course for undergraduate students whose major is law in universities. It is an independent legal department in China's legal system and an important basic law. Economic law is a theoretical, comprehensive and practical subject. After the study of this course, students will have a deep understanding of the adjustment objects and principles of economic law, be able to fully grasp the basic contents of the economic legal system, and improve their ability to analyse and solve problems with the principles of economic law. It aims to improve students' comprehensive quality of law through the study of this subject. It contributes to the construction of economic law discipline and the popularization of modern law concepts. It also promotes the legislation, law-abiding and law enforcement of economic law to the direction of a country under the rule of law. Finally, it sets a solid foundation of knowledge for students to engage in economic and legal work in the future.
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LAD206
Private International Law
Private International Law is one of the core courses for law majors stipulated by the Ministry of Education, and is a critical part of international law and a compulsory course for law students. The course mainly cultivates students' ability to solve foreign-related legal disputes and legal problems, and enables students to understand and master various theoretical knowledge and practical skills for adjusting foreign-related civil and commercial legal relations.
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LAD207
Maritime Litigation & Shipping Management
Maritime Litigation and Arbitration is a limited optional course for students of Law (Maritime Law). The main purpose of this course is to train students to establish the correct learning objectives and to cultivate a solid and serious scientific attitude. Through this course, students shall understand the basic concepts, rules and systems of maritime litigation and arbitration; master the basic content of China's Maritime Litigation Law and be able to put the rules and systems into practice in the judicial and shipping practice; master the basic content of China's Arbitration Law, understand the nature and role of arbitration rules, and master the basic content of the arbitration rules of the China Maritime Arbitration Commission; and master the differences and links between maritime litigation and maritime arbitration.
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LAD208
International Trade Law
International Trade Law is one of the main modules of law study in higher education, which integrates the basic theory of law and practical business knowledge, and is a compulsory course for undergraduate majors of Maritime Law and International Economic Law. This course focuses on the basic theoretical knowledge of International Trade Law and, at the same time, it introduces typical cases to guide students to interpret the cases correctly and master the ideas of case analysis.
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LAD209
Marine Insurance Law
The Marine Insurance Law is taught to undergraduate students majoring in Maritime Law. Marine insurance is the guarantee of all maritime risks and liabilities, and the main legal systems of Maritime Law all involve or are related to maritime risks and liabilities. Therefore, Marine Insurance Law is a crucial part of Maritime Law and thus a crucial specialized course of Maritime Law majors. Students of related majors with knowledge of Marine Insurance Law shall comprehensively and accurately understand the continuous responsibilities and risks in the international shipping business and the corresponding legal consequences, and know how to take effective measures and methods to avoid risks and responsibilities, acquiring the knowledge and ability to provide effective legal protection for the normal operation of organizations in their future career.
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LAD210
Property Law of Ships
The Property Law of Ships is one of the specialized courses of the Maritime Law Department of the Law School. The course focuses on the basic theories, systems, principles and systems of Property Law of ships. In terms of practical training, the course focuses on the application of the theory and the practice of the property law of ships, as well as the skills of solving the practical problems. The main contents of this course are the basic concepts and general theories of the property law of ships, ownership of ships, priority of ships, mortgage of ships, liens of ships and property rights of ships under construction.
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LAD211
Liner Shipping and Tramp Shipping Law and Practice
This course is one of the limited specialized courses in the direction of Maritime Law for undergraduate students majoring in law. It is a professional course integrating practice and legal theory. Compared with other legal courses, it highlights the characteristics of shipping practice. The course is based on a comprehensive introduction to the operation mode of international shipping. The course systematically describes the operation characteristics and practical operations of traditional and modern liner transportation, including the functions, contents and circulation process of various liner shipping documents, as well as the main equipment and facilities of container transportation. Domestic legislation, international conventions and international practices related to maritime cargo transportation are also thoroughly explained, combined with typical cases focusing on the legal significance and function of transportation documents such as bill of lading, sea waybill and waybill. At the same time, the main contents of laws related to liner transportation market supervision are also introduced. Besides, the course also introduces the basic modes of charter transportation comprehensively and systematically. It teaches the main clauses of basic standard charter parties, such as voyage charter party, time charter party, bareboat charter party and bareboat charter purchase party, as well as mastering the process of establishing a charter party, and charter broker¿s concept and role. Understanding the international chartering market, the composition of voyage freight and cost estimation, relative laws, regulations and shipping practices. Acknowledging the relationship between charter party and bill of lading, especially the concept, function and validity of bill of landing incorporation clauses. It mainly involves voyage charter party, time charter party and bareboat lease transport.
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LAD213
Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual property law is a basic course for law majors in universities, and is one of the sixteen courses for law majors. The main purpose of this course is to enable students to understand and master the basic principles of intellectual property law, master the concept of intellectual property, clear the scope of intellectual property, understand the nature and characteristics of intellectual property, familiar with the object of intellectual property law adjustment, improve the awareness of intellectual property protection, focus on mastering and understanding the basic content of China's current intellectual property law and intellectual property jurisprudence of the discipline system. This course focuses on the explanation of basic knowledge and theory in terms of teaching content, and on case analysis and practical ability in terms of cultivating practical ability.
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LAMM001
Admiralty Law
This module introduces the core principles and legal framework of Admiralty law, a central branch of maritime law that governs rights and liabilities arising from the operation of ships.
The module examines the principal areas of Admiralty jurisdiction, including liability for collisions, the powers and duties of port and harbour authorities, salvage operations, towage contracts, and the carriage of passengers by sea. A key focus is placed on the international conventions and domestic legislation that underpin these regimes, as well as on the complex interplay between contractual obligations and tortious liability.
Students will also study the limitation of shipowners¿ liability and the mechanisms available for the enforcement of maritime claims, such as ship arrest and related procedures. In doing so, the module will highlight the practical importance of Admiralty law in securing maritime claims and ensuring fair outcomes between competing interests.
By engaging with case law, statutes, and international instruments, students will gain a detailed understanding of the rights and responsibilities of shipowners, operators, salvors, passengers, and other stakeholders. This module therefore provides both a conceptual and practical grounding in Admiralty law as applied internationally.
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LAMM002
Charterparties and Carriage of Goods by Sea
This module provides an in-depth exploration of the legal and commercial significance of charterparties and other principal contracts used for the carriage of goods by sea, including bills of lading and seaway bills. It examines the fundamental legal principles governing charterparties in general, as well as those specific to key forms of charter agreements, particularly voyage and time charterparties. The module also considers how these principles continue to evolve in response to market developments and commercial pressures and explores the relationship between charterparties and other contracts relating to the employment of ships and the carriage of goods.
In addition, the module analyses the main features and characteristics of the various forms of contracts of carriage used in sea transport. It addresses the legal and practical issues that arise when cargo carried under such contracts is lost or damaged and examines the role of the principal international regimes governing carriage by sea, including the Hague, Hague-Visby, and Hamburg Rules. Finally, the module considers contemporary challenges associated with the nature of bailment contracts and the practicalities of pursuing cargo claims.
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LAMM003
The Law of Marine Insurance
This module introduces fundamental principles and key concepts of marine property insurance, covering the insurance of ships, cargo, and freight. While the focus is primarily on English law, the subject has significant international relevance. English marine insurance principles are widely applied across Commonwealth jurisdictions and are frequently cited as authoritative in the United States. Additionally, insurance forms used in the London market are adopted in approximately two-thirds of the world¿s markets (UNCTAD), with US forms showing notable similarities.
The legal framework for English marine insurance is based on the Marine Insurance Act 1906, as updated by the Insurance Act 2015. However, many provisions are often modified by agreement between the parties, and the Act does not specify the perils covered. Therefore, this module places particular emphasis on the standard clauses developed by the International Underwriting Association of London, which form the basis of contemporary marine insurance contracts.
Throughout the module, students will examine the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of both assureds and insurers. Key topics include the principles of indemnity, subrogation, and co-insurance, as well as the practical application of standard contract clauses in real-world marine insurance.
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LAS001
Foundations in Law and Jurisprudence 1
Introduces Dalian Maritime University (DMU) students to the skills needed to argue legal and factual matters, and builds upon the knowledge.
From looking at the binding authority of different courts, cases and doctrines, to breaking down the judge¿s decision, the students learn what a strong legal argument consists of by linguistically deconstructing it.
The remaining 50 per cent of the module is about using the knowledge obtained in the deconstruction to rebuild given facts of a case to create an argument. This skill will be developed throughout the rest of the students¿ academic and legal career, and is fundamental to the rest of the DMU courses where the skill of arguing in a strong and clear way is paramount.
Practice exam sessions and revision classes towards the end of the module will prepare students for the final assessment.
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LAS002
Foundations in Law and Jurisprudence 2
This second Legal Reasoning module steps away from the theory and moves into a more practical framework and moves the learning objective away from `What the rules are¿ to `How can the rules be used¿.
Looks at case law (as the primary source of academic and professional research), explores which parts of a judgment can create precedent and bind other courts. Key cases are exemplified and worked through which allow the student to build upon the legalese and academic language used in Legal Reasoning 1.
Further, students break down the reason for the judge¿s decision (ratio decidendi) to see what points of law caused the judge to rule in that particular way, and whether any analogies can be useful (obiter dicta).
Practice exam sessions and revision classes towards the end of the course will prepare student for the final assessment of preparing a case brief for a partner at a law firm.
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LAS003
Academic English 1
Provides Dalian Maritime University (DMU) students with the academic English language skills that will lead to success for the study of law. It provides practical guidance on legal English that can be applied across the key academic skills areas of writing, reading, speaking and listening.
There focus will be on legal grammatical constructions and specialist legal vocabulary and terminology that will not only allow students to progress with a more thorough understanding of the law, but also allow students to explain and use the correct terms for future courses.
Practice exam sessions and revision classes towards the end of the course will prepare student for the final assessment.
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LAS004
Academic English 2
This second module builds on Academic English 1 by stepping from vocabulary focus, more towards grammar and clauses at a sentence level. It will span across all skills areas thereby developing writing, reading, speaking and listening proficiency.
The theme remains in the general field of company law, but there is a concerted effort in role-playing between client and lawyer in the spoken and written output which follow from the lecture and workshop input on the topic. The spoken and written work will reaffirm the vocabulary and grammar that the students have been learning for the duration of Academic English 1 and 2.
Practice exam sessions and revision classes towards the end of the course will prepare student for the final assessment.
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LAS101
English and Welsh Legal System
This module introduces students the English Legal System, including its fundamental concepts, its institutions and key procedures. In addition, the students are given a basic introduction to legal terminology, legal reasoning and legal methodology, which they will continue to practice and develop throughout the programme.
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LAS102
Legal English 1
Building upon the general Academic English from Year 1, the Legal English 1 module in Year 2 starts to use more sophisticated vocabulary coverage in sentences as well as developing the collocations of frequent legal words encountered in higher education, with a focus more in the field of contract law.
Classes will further deconstruct and rebuild legal judgements, allowing students to identify key components and grammatical and linguistic constructs that occur within this type of legal text. The written output will be to present a case note on a familiar and seminal contract case, as well as ongoing discussion classes to ensure students understand the legal concepts and use the correct terminology.
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LAS103
Legal English 2
Legal English 2 sees the content move away from legal English vocabulary and focus on its correct usage and grammatical form within oral and written sentences. Building upon the general vocabulary in Academic English 1 and contract law favoured in Legal English 1, this module starts to use the vocabulary coverage in sentences as well as developing the collocations of frequent legal words encountered in higher education and maritime law.
With the basic academic English and legal terminology now grasped, students will be developing this and start learning higher-level vocabulary and structures which will be practised through role plays, pair work, discussions and debates which are all common assessment methods in university and important career skills.
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LAS104
Law of Contract
The Law of Contract is at the heart of the system of obligations in law and forms, together with tort law. It provides the essential foundation for further subjects in the areas of commercial, consumer, company and maritime law as well as international trade. The matters covered within the law of contract include contract formation and contents, vitiating and avoidance factors, terms and performance of contract as well as remedies.
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LAS201
Law of Tort
The Law of tort is a branch of the civil law which provides possible remedies for the protection of a person¿s interests in relation to different forms of loss which may be experienced as a result of different types of incident. In deciding whether there is liability in tort, it may be vital to determine the degree to which one side or the other was to blame for what happened and it may matter whether the defendant caused the injury deliberately, negligently, or there may be liability even though the person who has caused the damage was not to blame at all. These are all issues which the students will address within the module.
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LAS202
Legal Skills 1
Legal Skills 1 is the first step students will take into writing in English for specific purposes, itself an academic discipline. The focus is preparation for writing an opinion essay, which is the end objective of this module and provides a good foundation for writing tasks at university.
Students learn how to structure an opinion essay, and how to use legal and persuasive authorities to support those opinions. Critical thought and questioning is encouraged, and the analytical skills previously learnt are challenged.
To obtain good quality research, students learn the skills involved in navigating a library for books, case law, legislation, journals and law reports. This information is then adapted to be used in an essay by demonstrating and teaching how to summarise and paraphrase while avoiding academic misconduct.
Finally, an essay question is broken down and the key elements extrapolated, and students can use their newly obtained skills to prepare a first draft opinion essay. Students are then taught how to proofread their work before submission.
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LAS203
Legal Skills 2
Legal Skills 2 brings together knowledge from the previous four English and Academic modules, and the research and writing skills from Legal Skills 1 to introduce this to what is seen as the most difficult writing genre in law ¿ the problem question.
The content solely addresses how to understand what the question is asking, how to address each part, learn the structure of a problem question and adapting research to answer each part, as well as reaffirming and consolidating the writing skills learnt in Legal Skills 1.
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LAS204
Law, Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Shipping
New technologies such as maritime autonomous systems are making the maritime sector cleaner, safer, more efficient. They are designed to improve human interaction with machines and ensure the shipping industry stays up to date with other sectors and developing markets. There are rapid developments in artificial intelligence that will have significant implications for both the professional legal industry and within the law itself.
Students will analyse some of the newer technologies which are influencing the maritime industry such as autonomous and partially autonomous vessels, smart ports and smart containers. Students will learn about Artificial Intelligence and the role it has in future legal shipping practice, including looking at case law and complex legal theory. Students will explore the concept and limitations of smart contracts, and analyse Artificial Intelligence from the perspective of potential liability while also studying new, innovative ways of payment, including blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.
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LAS205
Legal Case Reading
Case law and judicial precedent operate under the principle of stare decisis, which means that for the law to function and develop, a judge must know what the previous decisions of courts are. Case reports, or ¿law reports¿, make this possible. This module seeks to introduce students to research methodologies and theoretical perspectives (such as doctrinal, comparative law, socio-legal, historical, content analysis, quantitative analysis, research ethics), with a particular focus on effective dissecting and interpreting case law.
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LAS206
Commercial and Maritime Mooting
A moot court simulates a court hearing (usually an appeal against a final decision), in which participants analyse a problem, research the relevant law, prepare written submissions, and present oral argument. Therefore, the aim of this module is for students to have a practical understanding of the legal challenges they will face in the maritime sector, they will be taught to engage and think deeply about the problems, build up their advocacy skills and legal research, as well as learn teamwork.
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LATM01
Artificial Intelligence in Commerce and Legal Practice
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming integral to the fabric of modern society and is already a staple of commercial organisations and businesses looking to enhance their productivity. It has been used for a variety of reasons, such as the reduction of financial paperwork via the electronicisation of commercial payments (that are now regularly made by computer), and increasingly for the incidence of smart contract payments automatically triggered by a payee¿s computer acting in collaboration with the debtor¿s IT systems. Where goods are ordered automatically (e.g. an industrialist¿s computer hooked up to a component supplier¿s server), they can also give rise to the formation of entirely new contracts.
This module will focus on the use of AI within commercial and legal settings. It is often the case that once the technology is put in place issues will arise, such as the question of whether such technology can function within the parameters of existing legal rules. Human rights ¿ even within a commercial framework ¿ must also be considered as part of any analysis concerning the use of AI (notably, for example, the right to privacy).
Overall, this module intends to provide an in-depth analysis of AI in the context of existing private legal rules while also exploring its role in society, what legal frameworks need to be developed.
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LATM02
Distributed Ledger Technology (Blockchain) and Commerce - Law and Regulation
Distributed ledger technology (DLT) is an integral part of the emerging digital transformation taking place within commercial and financial industries. It has the potential to dramatically alter the way businesses operate, providing improved efficiency of current client requirements and opening doors for new services.
In simple terms, DLT is a database that is distributed across several independent computing devices (nodes) where changes to data are protected and managed by cryptography and consensus ensuring that data cannot tampered with and that all parties have identical copies that can be considered as a reliable source of truth.
This module intends to analyse the legal position of those employing such ledgers in the context of their businesses. To appreciate the potential legal problems emerging, the applications of such ledgers in different areas of commercial law (finance, insurance, shipping) will be studied. The module will then discuss whether any change in private law rules is required to ensure that such ledgers do not create unexpected consequences for relevant parties. Regulators are also actively exploring the need to regulate the use of such ledgers. Regulation is rather challenging in this area due to potential jurisdictional problems, and overly strict regulation could potentially reduce the commercial values of such ledgers. These issues, along with others, will be discussed as part of this module.
