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LAW30180

Academic Year 2026/2027

Jurisprudence (LAW30180)

Subject:
Law
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Law
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Thomas Mohr
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Jurisprudence spans over two millennia of history of people thinking about what law is and what purpose it serves. It examines approaches to law in diverse societies as ancient Rome, medieval Europe, Victorian Britain, Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany and contemporary Ireland. The subject also embraces a number of specific themes such as theories on rights, the relationship between law and morals and theories on how judges make decisions. Jurisprudence encompasses a vast array of varied subject matter. It is not possible to cover all possible themes and theorists in the context of a single module. However, the course does aim at providing a useful and interesting sample. Jurisprudence is a required subject for becoming a barrister-at-law in Ireland.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the module, students should be able to: identify important issues relating to the nature and function of law; critically assess the work of individual legal theorists; analyse theories on specific jurisprudential themes; hypothesise on the practical application of specific legal theories.

Indicative Module Content:

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

24
Autonomous Student Learning

72
Lectures

20
Tutorial

3
Online Learning

4
Total

123

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Students are taught in lectures but also in dedicated seminars taught by the lecturer. Critical writing and reflective learning are important aspects of the module.

Students on this module are expected to have read and understood the UCD Academic Integrity Policy and the School Protocol on Academic Integrity. Students must ensure that they comply with all requirements laid down therein and avoid academic misconduct. Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence, or other machine learning technology, in their learning on this module. Because this module is assessed by an unseen, invigilated examination, no formal citation methodology is prescribed.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Jurisprudence (LAW37180)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): Examination: Closed book written examination End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
100
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Fri 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 22, 24, 31 Mon 16:00 - 16:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 22, 24, 31 Tues 18:00 - 18:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 3 Week(s) - 22, 24, 31 Wed 18:00 - 18:50
Spring Tutorial Offering 4 Week(s) - 22, 24, 31 Mon 13:00 - 13:50
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