Legal study skills
Business Law is designed to provide a clear, easy to
understand text for those who are new to the study of
law or who may be studying law as part of a more general
Business course. We recognise that embarking on legal
study for the first time may be a frightening prospect,
but if you read this section before starting your studies
you may find things a little easier. We have five useful
study skills tips for success in law. Some of the tips cov-
ered in this section relate specifically to the study of law,
but others can be applied to a range of subjects. We can’t
guarantee success if you follow the tips – that’s largely up
to the amount of effort you put into your studies – but
we believe that if you adopt a few of our suggestions you
will find studying law easier and possibly even enjoyable.Study skills tips
1 Find out what is on the syllabus for your Business
Law module or unit.A syllabus is a statement about a
course of study. It usually includes an outline of the
topics to be covered in the course, the learning object-
ives, the methods of assessment and an indicative read-
ing list. Business law is a general title for a wide range of
modules and units which cover the law relating to busi-
ness. We have tried to cover many of the topics covered
in ‘Business Law’ courses in our textbook but there are
some topics which we cover in outline only (e.g. law of
agency) or do not cover at all (e.g. the law of interna-
tional trade). Our focus is on the introductory aspects of
English law and the English legal system; the law relating
to business organisations, namely sole traders, partner-
ships and companies; legal aspects of business transac-
tions, covering contract, tort, sale and supply of goods,
consumer law and criminal liability in the context of
business; the law relating to business resources, includ-
ing an outline of the law governing the use of business
property and employment law.
At the start of each chapter we have set out the learn-
ing objectives of that chapter. A learning objective is
a statement of what you should understand when you
have completed the chapter. You may find it useful to
match the learning objectives of each chapter against thesyllabus for your Business Law course. This will help you
to identify and concentrate your efforts on the sections
of Business Lawwhich are directly relevant to your
course of study.2 Make the most of the contact time with your tutor.
The learning time for a module or unit can be divided
up into time where you have direct contact with a tutor,
either in the form of lectures, seminars and tutorials,
and personal study time, which can be used to prepare
for classes, read more widely on a topic, complete as-
sessments or prepare for exams. Although the balance
between tutor-led and personal study may vary con-
siderably depending on the level and method of delivery,
it is important to understand that both kinds of learning
are crucial for success. Let’s explore these different
learning methods in more detail.(a)Tutor-led learning; formal contact time with your
tutor will probably be divided up into:■Lectures, in which your tutor takes the lead in intro-
ducing a topic, outlining the main legal principles
and their source, e.g. legislation, case law. You will be
expected to take notes of what your tutor says and
you should try to develop a system of abbreviating
key words and phrases to save you time, e.g. cl for
‘claimant’ or def for ‘defendant’.
■Seminars; although still tutor-led, you are expected to
play a much more active role in proceedings. They are
designed to increase your understanding of a topic by
setting you tasks or questions which you must re-
search in advance. The seminar may take the form of
a group discussion led by your tutor on pre-prepared
questions or you may be asked to present a topic and
lead the resulting discussion. You will get the most
out of this kind of learning if you prepare the topic
thoroughly by reading over your lecture notes,
reviewing the relevant chapter of your textbook and
researching primary and secondary sources of infor-
mation. (A primary source of information is an Act of
Parliament or a decided case; a secondary source of
information is a textbook or journal articles.)xviiiBUSL_A01.qxd 3/13/09 10:28 AM Page xviii