General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3151 |
| Course name: | Advanced Seminar in Law and Technology |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Not applicable |
| Specialization: |
|
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | Yes |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
This course introduces participants to cutting-edge issues at the intersection of law and technology. The seminar is structured around five to six ongoing research projects from around the region and the world. Through preparatory readings, lectures, and discussion, participants will gain a functional understanding of the technology in question and the legal debates surrounding them. Participants will then interact with investigators leading these projects as part of a workshop series sponsored by the Centre for Law and Technology. Topics will vary from year to year and may feature, for example, (1) dark patterns and consumer protection, (2) generative artificial intelligence and copyright, and (3) algorithmic decision-making and procedural justice.
Format:
The course meets every week for three hours. Except for the first and last session, every meeting will be oriented around a research project conducted by a guest of the Centre for Law and Technology.
The week before the guest’s visit, the class will meet to learn about the themes broached by the research project. Students should come prepared to present and engage with the assigned readings. These readings may encompass both legal and technical materials.
On the day of the guest’s visit, the class will meet an hour and fifteen minutes before the formal start of the workshop to go over and assumptions and arguments of the research project. The workshop will begin with a student delivering a fifteen-minute comment on the research project and the guest will have five to ten minutes to respond before discussion is opened up to all attendees, including members of the public. At the conclusion of the workshop, the guest presenter will continue the discussion with the class.
Enrolled students must serve as a presenter for at least one piece of assigned reading, as a commentator for at least one research project, and submit three response papers of approximately four to five pages each.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Benjamin Chen | benched@hku.hk | CCT 512 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Describe basic technical aspects of emerging technology.
CLO 2 Describe the impact of emerging technology on legal doctrine and practice.
CLO 3 Explain and critique arguments about the relationship between law and technology.
CLO 4 Apply their knowledge and skills to develop their own academic research or practical insights into law and technology.
To be advised by course convenor(s).
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 presentation | TBC | 20% | 2 | 1, 2 |
| Work comment | TBC | 20% | 2 | 1, 2, 3 |
| Response paper 1 | TBC | 20% | 5 | 2, 3, 4 |
| Response paper 2 | TBC | 20% | 5 | 2, 3, 4 |
| Response paper 3 | TBC | 20% | 5 | 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
| Seminar: | 3 hours / weeks 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 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/