LW7091 - Commercial Contracts

You will learn through a combination of lectures, practical workshop based small group sessions, tutor-guided independent learning, problem solving and feedback. The lectures will cover the key concepts and principles of each topic. The practical workshop-based sessions will enable you to examine the principles introduced in the lectures against relevant, realistic and practical scenarios. Your learning will centre on you identifying commercial and practical solutions to problem solving, advising and managing risk in commercial contracts using commercial awareness. Learning materials which will be made available via the module dedicated e-Learning site (Blackboard Ultra) and will include recordings of lectures, slides, handouts, small group session instructions, guided reading using electronic reading lists, webcasts and self-evaluative tasks as well as opportunities to engage with your fellow students.

Support will include feedback from tutors during small group sessions, through formative and summative assessment. You will be provided with guidance on answering problem scenarios, flow chart answers to scenarios, answers to the preparatory small group session questions, the opportunity to engage in a realistic contract negotiation exercise, multiple choice questions and quizzes. You will be given guidance on the assessment criteria and the learning outcomes for the module. This module is designed and will be managed by your designated Module Tutor. All relevant materials and instructions will be accessible on-line through Blackboard Ultra, and the module site is maintained by your Module Tutor. You may communicate with your Module Tutor and your Small Group Session Tutor by e-mail, telephone or face to face by appointment outside of your sessions as well as during your sessions if you encounter any difficulties relating to any aspect of the module. The University is well-placed to support you in learning and research with an excellent library and teaching facilities, access to on-line legal databases and resources and appropriate software.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. You will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the impact of innovative and contemporary research on policy, principles, law, regulations and practice of Commercial Contracts.
2. You will understand the wider impact of legal developments in the area of commercial contracts on social and environmental contexts.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

3. You will be able to analyse and communicate complex legal and policy issues effectively.
4. You will be able to conduct self-directed research including accurate identification of issue(s) in respect of commercial contracts which require researching and the retrieval and critical evaluation of accurate, current and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources including primary legal sources

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

5. You will be able to critically reflect on your own work and that of others.

Formative assessment will be achieved by self-test questions in module materials, group discussion, informal peer assessment and assessed and non- assessed exercises. Answers to self-test questions will be provided on Blackboard Ultra and your tutor will give oral and written feedback to you as required.
Summative Assessment will be undertaken on an individual basis by way of assignment which constitutes 100% of the marks for this module. The assessment will be a 3000-word written assignment using problem-based scenarios to examine the policy, principles, law, regulations and practice of commercial contracts This assignment aims to encourage a deep and critical approach to learning, developing an ability to think widely about the issues presented within the module and to explore these in-line with directed and independent learning.
Assessment criteria will be provided to enable you to understand what is expected of you and how you will be judged on your performance.

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On this module, you will examine the key legal issues that commonly arise in commercial contracts relevant to conducting business successfully in the modern commercial world. This will provide you with a significant advantage when looking for employment by giving you increased commercial awareness. You will focus entirely on business to business contracts (not consumer contracts) and develop an appreciation of the law which is relevant to commercial practice. You will develop an understanding of common drafting issues, interpretation of terms in contracts and the legal rules in relation to the passing of property and risk in a contract. You will understand how to apply legal rules to use contracts as a tool to allocate and manage risk by considering realistic practical scenarios with a focus on commercial awareness, further enhancing your employability and attractiveness to businesses. You will also learn about how business use different marketing arrangements such as agency or distribution in order to increase sales and consider the legal implications and also the impact of EU competition law on these arrangements.