Student Co-Creation Through Live Client Briefs in a First-year Contract Law Module

Abstract

This article presents an in‑depth case study of a live‑client brief embedded within a first‑year Contract Law module at a new‑style university in the United Kingdom. The project involved two distinct stages of co‑creation: first, a collaborative design process between academic staff and an external industry partner; second, a live assessment in which students worked directly with the industry partner to analyse, critique and revise a contractual document used in professional practice. Drawing on semi‑structured interviews with four students, the study identifies five interrelated themes that shaped students’ experiences of co‑creation: ownership, structural design, future scalability, problem‑based pedagogy and student agency. These themes illuminate how live‑client briefs can operationalise co‑creation by positioning students as epistemic partners who contribute to the production of knowledge with real‑world impact.

The findings demonstrate that live‑client briefs may transform traditional pedagogical relationships by redistributing authority, fostering shared decision‑making and enabling students to influence both the process and outcomes of learning. However, the study also highlights structural challenges relating to assessment design, timetabling constraints, group dynamics and equitable participation. These challenges stress the value of intentional scaffolding, institutional adjustment to accommodate new demands and sustainable partnership models. The article contributes to scholarship on: industry‑integrated curriculum development; assessment and evaluation of co‑creation; innovative collaborative learning. It argues that authentic co‑creation requires a reconfiguration of pedagogical relationships, a commitment to relational accountability and the embedding of co‑creative practices within institutional structures. The study offers insights relevant to legal education and to wider disciplines seeking to embed sustainable co‑creation practices in undergraduate curricula.