Strathclyde LLM goes into orbit

Linda Tsang reports

Strathclyde University Law School has launched its LLM in Legal Informatics course into cyberspace.

It is believed to be the first course to do this.

The university's postgraduate course in information technology law has switched its method of instruction to electronic distance learning.

A database of over 25Mb of electronic teaching materials is now available to students on-line.

A wide variety of full text documents - books, legislation, case reports and journal articles can be downloaded or browsed through.

The subjects on offer include liability for defective software, computer crime, data protection and intellectual property. With students in such disparate locations as Inverness, the Isle of Wight, Baltimore and Uganda, the course teaching and assessment will take place via conferencing and email on First Class conferencing software.

Masons partner Richard Susskind, visiting professor at the Law School, said: "The use of distance learning techniques to conduct a master's course is virtually unprecedented.

"It is also useful for the practitioner as it brings together the two strands of computer law and the use of technology in law."

He added: "For the practitioner, it shows how you can make valuable legal material available electronically."