Essay on Professor Hart’s Legal Theory (for University of London Jurisprudence Module)
Introduction
This module guide has been written to show you how to lay a solid foundation of knowledge and critical understanding in Jurisprudence and legal theory. This will help prepare you, ultimately, for the examination. The guide is not intended as a primary source, or a textbook, and it would be a mistake to treat it this way. The best way to study is to commit yourself to a sustained reading and writing programme from the beginning of the first term. It is typical for an on-campus student at the University of London to spend two hours in seminars each week for Jurisprudence throughout the academic year and, in addition, the equivalent of several days’ work in the library, reading and taking notes. In the two months before the examination, you would normally begin to formulate coherent thoughts in the subject by practising trial paragraphs, series of paragraphs and finally essays. The activities and sample examination questions in this guide are designed to help you develop these skills. If you follow this pattern and, better, if you are able to let someone else read what you write and discuss it with you, you will place yourself in the best possible position for achieving an excellent mark in the examination. Jurisprudence can be enjoyable. The questions it deals with are very important and they constantly impinge upon the consciousness of all lawyers. You really can go a long way with this subject by a relaxed reading of a variety of jurisprudential writing.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this chapter and the relevant reading, you should be able to:
State the intended learning outcomes for the module.
Decide which books to buy and obtain them.
Locate and distinguish the primary and secondary sources.
Devise an appropriate structure for an examination answer in Jurisprudence.
