Academic literature on the topic 'Law academics'

The primary aim of this thesis is to identify a coherent legal response to the particular causal problem of the ‘evidentiary gap’. In order to do this, it is necessary to understand how the ‘evidentiary gap’ relates to causation in negligence more generally, so the thesis addresses both the nature and function of the tort of negligence as well as the role played by causation within that tort. It argues that negligence is best understood as a system of corrective justice-based interpersonal responsibility. In this account, causation has a vital role so the test of causation must be philosophically sound. Causation, however, also occupies only a limited role so analysis must draw fully on the doctrines of damage and breach which bracket the causation inquiry, as well as notions of quantification of loss. The NESS test for causation is shown to be preferable to the but-for test because it is conceptually more adequate and therefore able to address causal problems that the but-for test cannot. This thesis rejects claims for proportionate recovery based on the notion of loss of a chance of avoiding physical harm in medical negligence, but proposes limited recovery for loss of a chance as an independent form of damage arising because of unique considerations of interpersonal responsibility in the doctor-patient relationship in cases of misdiagnosis/ mistreatment of existing illness. It is argued that the Fairchild test of material contribution to risk of harm in cases of evidentiary gap is not consistent with corrective justice, and that this cannot be resolved by reconceptualising the gist of the action as the risk of harm. The Fairchild exception lacks coherence because of its instrumentalist basis, so should not be applied outside of the mesothelioma context.

Most law enforcement officers experience a traumatic event within the first 3 years of duty but may not receive proper mental health training in the police academy to prepare them for a career in law enforcement, and little is understood about police academy training regarding mental health. Using secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the perspective of law officers on the usefulness of academy training to prevent or manage mental health issues that may arise from law enforcement duty. Data were collected from 35 law enforcement officers in a Southern state through an online, qualitative survey. These data were inductively coded and subjected to a thematic analysis procedure. Findings indicate that both STS and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are shunned topics in the law enforcement community. Additionally, respondents perceived that reconstructing police academy training manuals to include personal stress management and increasing awareness of STS may better protect law enforcement officers and enhance community relations while providing a more sustainable police force. The positive social change implications of this study include recommendations to police academies to include mental health training and preparation as part of early academy training to promote better mental health among police officers and reduce the negative effects of STS and PTSD.

The research explores the experience that students with Dyslexia, on law degrees, have of academic assessment, and the environmental factors that influence their experience and perceptions. The research is situated in one HEI (the Research Institution), which has a student population of 18,800, of which 634 had declared a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) (including Dyslexia) during the academic year 2014/15. Previous research has shown that students with Dyslexia are disadvantaged by traditional forms of academic assessment. Whilst little research has been carried out on Dyslexia and law degrees, the predominance of traditional approaches to assessment is commonly believed to disadvantage students with Dyslexia. This potential disadvantage is explored within the Research Institution (RI). In light of their obligation under the Equality Act 2010 to take reasonable steps to alleviate such disadvantages, specific consideration is given to the RI’s response to potential disadvantages faced by such students. In order to facilitate this objective a multiple-methods approach has been utilised for gathering data. Data has been collected through questionnaires, focus groups and interviews, with law students with and without Dyslexia, with lecturers inside and outside the law school, and with student support staff and other professionals. The range of data was then analysed, utilising an inductive approach. Five main themes emerged, and were explored using a social model of Dyslexia and from an emancipatory perspective. The themes are: 1) diagnosis and categorisation of Dyslexia; 2) the students’ experience of academic assessment; 3) the students’ experience of adjustments to academic assessment; 4) the impact of the law school environment on the experience of students with Dyslexia, and 5) the effect of the wider institutional environment and institutional policy and practice on the experiences and perceptions of how students with Dyslexia, and how they are responded to. The data collected pointed to the fact that students with Dyslexia struggled with traditional academic assessment, to a more significant degree than students without Dyslexia. While reasonable adjustments were provided by the institution to help students with Dyslexia overcome such difficulties, and whilst these were helpful to some extent, their overall effectiveness was shown to be limited. The main reasons for the student experiences that emerged from the research were related to the fact that, due to their Dyslexia, the forms of assessment used by their department presented a direct difficulty for students. Traditional forms of assessment utilised on law degrees are therefore considered to be a ‘disabling barrier’, as they inhibit students with Dyslexia from fully demonstrating their academic ability. The thesis then presents pointers to how law degree providers can respond to this issue. It is argued that this can be achieved by adjusting assessment methods in a way that removes, or at least reduces, the ‘disabling barriers’ faced by law students with Dyslexia. The research suggests that this is made possible by utilising a broader range of assessment methods beyond those traditionally utilised in law degrees. It also details how the individualistic nature of Dyslexia means that the most effective means of improving inclusivity for all students is to provide them with elements of choice as to the form of assessment adopted. The research concludes with proposals for alleviating the disadvantage experienced by law students with Dyslexia in respect of their experience of the academic assessment process and academic assessment outcomes. It is argued that to enhance the quality of their learning opportunities, and in order to be inclusive, academic assessment policy and practice should be informed by/premised upon a social interpretation of Dyslexia.

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your Honors Thesis, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by following the instructions on the distribution consent form at http://library.ucf.edu/Systems/DigitalInitiatives/DigitalCollections/InternetDistributionConsentAgreementForm.pdf You may also contact the project coordinator, Kerri Bottorff, at kerri.bottorff@ucf.edu for more information.<br>Bachelors<br>Health and Public Affairs<br>Legal Studies

<p>Recent research suggests that many U.S. students graduate from college with under-developed critical thinking skills. College graduates with deficits in critical thinking skills who pursue legal education face difficult barriers to academic and professional success which, if not effectively addressed, may impact the affected students, as well as the legal profession and society as a whole. Legal education is likewise facing intense criticism regarding educational practices and graduates? level of preparation for the competent practice of law. The purpose of this study was to construct a comprehensive theory of the development of critical thinking skills in law students. Through a process of grounded analysis, the researcher developed a conceptual model of the development of critical thinking in law students based on interview data collected from 14 academic support professionals at third- and fourth-tier law schools in the U.S. The model, referred to as the Critical Thinking in Law Students (CTLS) Model, considers student learning needs, student learning challenges, and legal education system challenges, and identifies twelve factors to optimize the development of critical thinking in law students. The CTLS Model may help law school governing authorities, law school administrators, law school faculty, law school academic support professionals, and law students better understand how critical thinking develops in law students so that students may achieve their full academic, intellectual, and professional potential.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in stress from associated with the occupation of law enforcement exists across the officers' relationship domains. The sample consisted of 51 participants that was comprised of both law enforcement officers and their significant others. Unlike past studies, this study included those that were married, divorced, in a civil union, single, or cohabitating. Based on past research it was hypothesized that the stress placed on officers and their significant other would be higher than that of other relationships. An anonymous survey was sent out to a several departments. Separate one-way between subjects Analysis of Variances (ANOVAs) were conducted to compare the effects of stress on law enforcements officers and their relationships. There was no significant effect of stress found in regards to the occupation itself as it pertained to the relationship (F(1, 48) = 0.99, p = 0.32). There was no significance of stress felt in regards to the individuals relationship on its own (F(1, 48) = 1.62, p =0.21).<br>B.S.<br>Bachelors<br>Sciences<br>Psychology

Immigration law and its enforcement are controversial and highly debated topics. States are increasing their role in the enforcement of immigration law by enacting laws that allow local law enforcement to function as immigration officers with the intent of decreasing the illegal alien population within their jurisdiction. The primary focus of this thesis is to determine whether state and local police have the legal power to enforce immigration laws that have been the jurisdiction of the Federal Government for decades. There are two sides that are discussed in this thesis, the proponents who are in favor of increased participation and those who oppose it. The proponents argue that federal law has not preempted states from enforcing immigration law and that states have inherent authority to do this. The critics argue that this is unconstitutional because the constitution and other legal authorities grant exclusive power to the Federal Government in the area of immigration law. Through the analysis of constitutional provisions, case law and statutes, quantitative statistics, anecdotal evidence, federal and state programs, and governmental resources this thesis evaluates the current role of state and local authorities and proposes a different role for local jurisdictions in the enforcement of immigration law. Evidence shows that states are allowed to enforce some immigration laws but doing this has negative consequences for the people, the states, and the nation. Research shows that increased participation from local law enforcement leads to racial profiling, civil rights violations, and damages the relationship between the police and the community; therefore, the line between state and federal enforcement should be monitored carefully.<br>B.A. and B.S.<br>Bachelors<br>Health and Public Affairs<br>Legal Studies