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561
Introduction to Common Law

PAC 1

● Presentation
● Exercises
● Evaluation
● Submission date and form

Presentation

The PAC consists of 6 questions designed to assess your study of the first unit of the
Module: Introduction to Common Law. In order to solve it, the student must have
previously read and understood its contents.

This PAC must be responded on an individual basis.

Please follow the instructions as to recommended length for each question.

Learning Objectives:
- Identify the legal principles and the legal institutions of common law systems.
- Other learning objectives: Developing communication skills in English

Exercises

1.- Succinctly explain the multiple meanings of the common law (maximum 135 words)
Ch.1.3

2.- Explain the difference between vertical and horizontal precedent. (maximum 150
words)
Ch. 1.4.1

3.- Elaborate on the statement, “common law judges make law” (100 words)
Ch. 1.6

4. Imagine that Bob, an attorney for the city of Hater in state X of the United States is
attempting to argue the constitutionality of a city law that mandates separate public
swimming pools for whites and minorities. Bob is defending the city law in a federal
district court. Bob, who is also a little lazy, has read a little law: specifically pages 10-13
of your Unit 1. Using the concepts discussed in these pages, and the description of the
cases of Plessy and Brown in Unit 1, what argument would Bob make as to why Brown
is relevant or not relevant to the case at hand. The holding of Brown was that “in the
field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place,” as
segregated schools are “inherently unequal.” Use this information and the information
given in the module to answer this question; do not research further information and
just paint the broad strokes of how he would argue Brown or Plessy is relevant.
(Maximum 150 words)

Distinguishing case (1.4.2) or arguing over holding/dicta (1.4.3) He would argue that
Brown is inapplicable because it pertains only to the field of public education as the
holding states. Of course, just as Plessy, a case about segregation in trains, lead to
Brown, Brown over time lead to eliminating segregation in all publically funded
institutions.

5.- Explain the major differences between a solicitor and barrister in the UK and how it
is different from Spanish practitioners? (maximum 100 words).
3.2.3 and SP: abogado+procurador

6.- Identify and explain the features (country, court, dates, etc.) of the following cases.
Don’t explain anything about the facts or ruling of the case:
Annex: Citation rules

Murray v. Foyle Meats Ltd., (2000) A.C. 51

Al-Waheed v Ministry of Defence [2017] UKSK 2.
City of Millville v. Rock, 683 F. Supp. 2d 319 (D.N.J. 2010)

Evaluation
The exercises will be evaluated according to the following criteria: correct (or incorrect)
answer, reasoning, arguments and legal grounds exposed to support the answer, as
well as complying with any formal rules on legal citation and quotation.

Submission
Exercises must be submitted by the end of the day of March 14, 2019 (before
midnight).
The file must be named as follows: PAC1_Surname1_Surname2_Name.doc.
The exercise must be answered in 3 pages or less.
Make sure you respond to what is being asked. Be concise. No extra points for
going off the question.