General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3001 |
| Course name: | Introduction to Legal Theory |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme |
| Semester: | First |
| 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
Legal Theory is also commonly called jurisprudence. The word jurisprudence derives from the Latin terms juris prudentia, and refers to “the study, knowledge, or science of law”. It can also be thought to refer either to the virtue (prudence) that law can help bring to society; or the wisdom (good judgement) that is required for making good laws. Today, as a subject taught in Anglo-American law schools, jurisprudence or legal theory covers a diverse range of issues and themes. It covers philosophical and political analysis of law, sociological enquiry into the role that legal institutions and laws play in modern society (sometimes referred to as the sociology of law), the relationships between law and other social systems such as the economy, and the values law may express (or suppress) such as liberty, justice, equality and so on. It does not cover any particular substantive area of law. Rather, it examines the foundations, assumptions, and practices of the whole legal system.
This introductory course provides an opportunity to investigate and reflect on in a disciplined and critical way various jurisprudential themes and concepts, on the structure and functions of legal institutions and values, on the nature of legal reasoning and discourse, and on the connections between law and other aspects of life and society. It is intended to be both thought-provoking and intellectually rewarding.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Shane Chalmers | chalmers@hku.hk | CCT 809 | By email |
| Course tutor | Bryan Lee | bryanlee@parksidechambers.com | N/A | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Demonstrate a knowledge of some of the main schools of thought in contemporary jurisprudence.
CLO 2 Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of competing theories of law.
CLO 3 Critically assess different approaches to legal reasoning.
CLO 4 Develop and defend your own jurisprudential views in light of the materials studied.
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 |
| Class participation | TBC | 15% | 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Essay | 14 Oct 2023 | 35% | 2, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Final in-hall exam | 14 Dec 2023 | 50% | 1 | 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 / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course 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: | 2 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Tutorial: | 1 hour / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit 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 course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted to Moodle |
| Core reading list: | Jurisprudence Themes and Concept 4th edn. 2023 |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/