LLAW3277

General Course Information

1.1 Course details

Course code: LLAW3277
Course name: Seminars in Private Law
Programme offered under: LLB Programme
Semester: Second
Designated research course: Not applicable
Specialization: Commercial corporation and financial law
Prerequisite: Contract Law
Course offered to non-law students: No
Credit point value: 6 credits

1.2 Course description

The course examines cutting edge and fundamental issues in private law (including Contracts, Torts, Unjust Enrichment, Property, Trusts, and Companies), and aims to deepen student knowledge in these areas and plug gaps of knowledge. Through doing so, this course hopes to provide a solid foundation for postgraduate studies and legal practice. It also hopes to equip students with useful skills for application to postgraduate programmes.

While the course develops the knowledge students have acquired in core courses such as Contracts and Torts, it is intended to be free-standing. The course begins with a discussion of the basic values and principles of the main branches of private law, followed by paper presentations by the course teachers and outside speakers (scholars and/or practitioners who are experts in the relevant issues). Students will be well prepared for each presentation by a guided study of the topic concerned in advance, to ensure that they benefit from the presentations.

1.3 Course teachers

Name E-mail address Office Consultation
Course convenor Lusina Ho lusinaho@hku.hk CCT 614 By email
Course convenor Peter Chau pscchau@hku.hk CCT 706 By email

Learning Outcomes

2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course

CLO 1  Describe and explain the core values and principles of private law, and the interconnection between different areas of private law. 

CLO 2 Describe and explain the theories, doctrines, and debates pertaining to topics on private law presented in the course.

CLO 3 Examine the limitations of current principles in tackling new forms of economy and wealth, and globalization of the world.

CLO 4 Engage with academic writing and discussion about legal controversies.

CLO 5 Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of private law doctrines on their broader economic and socio-cultural contexts.

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
CLO 5

Assessment(s)

3.1 Assessment Summary

Assessment task Due date Weighting Feedback method* Course learning outcomes
Class participation N/A 20% 4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Oral presentation TBC 40% 4 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Response essay TBC 40% 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
  *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

The assessment will comprise of: (1) class participation (20%); (2) one written response of about 1,200 words to one of the papers presented (40%); and (3) an oral presentation of about 20 minutes (40%). In detail, they involve the below activities:

  1. Class participation;
  2. Response essay: students may respond to any of the papers presented by teachers/visitors; and
  3. Oral presentation: students may present on any core area of law (contracts, torts, etc) that is discussed in the course and does not fall within the core area of their response essay.

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 / 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

Reading; class discussion; presentation

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/