This course provides a hands-on approach to learning legal English and presumes that students have a general command of English grammar and vocabulary. It will introduce basic British and American legal concepts and terminology and focus on improving written and oral communications skills in English. Equal emphasis will be placed on the British and American legal traditions and, for each topic area, students will learn how to express themselves using both British and American terminology. For example, they will learn not only how British company law vocabulary differs from American corporate law terminology and how “allowing” an appeal means something different to British and American lawyers but how technical distinctions between barristers, solicitors and attorneys are reflected in forms of address, legal education, and even matters of civil procedure. A facility with such distinctions not only helps a student communicate better with native English speakers but fosters an enhanced perception of his or her professional abilities as a lawyer.
Students will be expected to participate in class discussions based on reading assignments, which will consist primarily of English and American case law and scholarly articles. Students will also learn to analyze provisions from statutes and contracts and to draft certain basic legal provisions. There will be in-class and out-of-class writing assignments.
Among other things, the course will focus on the following areas:
Structure of the British and American legal systems
Procedural concepts and terminology
Basic terminology in contracts, torts, company law, product liability law and criminal law
Basic terminology in EU law and public and private international law
Drafting and analyzing basic legal documents, such as contract provisions, corporate bylaws, etc.