General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LALS2001 |
| Course name: | Introduction to Law and Literature Studies |
| Programme offered under: | BA&LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Not applicable |
| Specialization: | Not applicable |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
This course introduces students to the ways in which literature and the law intersect. Even though the two disciplines may seem distinct, both law and literature are products of language and have overlapped in significant and interesting ways in history. The course will assess the ways in which literary theory can assist in understanding legal cases, concepts and practices as well as assess how the law is presented in plays, short stories, novels and poetry. Drawing on both classical and modern literature, as well as film, the course aims to introduce students to the ethical, pedagogical and theoretical insights to be gained from reading law and literature together. With the aim of situating legal studies within a social and cultural context, this course provides students with a sound foundation for further interdisciplinary study of the law.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Anya Adair | adair@hku.hk | N/A | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
CLO 1 Describe and explain some of the fundamental approaches to literary criticism and assess how this material informs our understanding of legal texts, theories and concepts.
CLO 2 Critically examine the purpose, effectiveness and limitations of bringing the law into conversation with literature.
CLO 3 Apply a variety of theoretical positions to both legal and literary texts.
CLO 4 Demonstrate a good understanding of the literature covered in the course and evaluate its contribution to our understanding of the law.
2.2 LLB Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link: https://course.law.hku.hk/llb-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Mid-term essay | 16 Oct | 30% | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Oral presentation | in-class throughout semester | 20% | 1, 2, 3, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Final essay | 8 Dec 2023 | 50% | 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email |
| 3 | Individual feedback to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 4 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 5 | Group review meeting |
| 6 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by the convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Lecture: | 3 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit until is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by the convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/