In this course, students will work in groups (of 3 to 5 students, depending on class size) to examine the relationship between the individual, the community and the law including identifying what constitutes a social problem, how social problems impact in practice on the individual, the wider community and the law’s relationship to solving real problems in society. Students are encouraged to apply their legal knowledge in developing socio-legal research projects in conjunction with and for the benefit of selected groups such as school children, domestic workers, defendants in criminal cases, minority groups in Hong Kong, prisoners and unrepresented litigants. Students will be introduced to quantitative and qualitative research methods and the ethics of undertaking research. Through completing a research proposal, students will develop an appreciation of the role of socio-legal research in exposing the strengths, weakness and limitations of the law. Students will acquire practical experience in engaging with their classmates and members of the wider community. Through working in groups to critically examine a socio-legal problem, it is envisaged that students will gain an insight into the construction of social problems, the context of law in society, and understanding of the role of law in a practical sense. The research proposals produced in this course will serve as a springboard to future courses such as the independent research paper or legal clinical courses where students can take their proposals and subsequently implement them in these courses. In other words, students may choose to carry out the socio-legal research project and submit it as their independent research paper (LAWS4010). Student groups will also have to submit a brief outline of some solution that would help to meet any need for legal advice that the groups that they have studied may have.