DROI1267-1 : Communication and argumentation as applied to legal professions

Study Programmes 2015-2016

DROI1267-1

Communication and argumentation as applied to legal professions

Duration :

6h Th, 8h AUTR

Number of credits :

Master in law (120 ECTS)		3
Master in law (120 ECTS)		3
Master in law (120 ECTS)		3
Master in law (120 ECTS)		3
Master in law (120 ECTS)		3
Master in law (120 ECTS)		3

Lecturer :

Philippe Culot, Daniel Faulx

Coordinator :

N...

Language(s) of instruction :

French language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

Organised jointly by the Faculties of Law and Political Science, and Psychology and Education Sciences, the 'communication and debate applied to legal professions' seminar offers students a range of references, concepts, ideas and illustrations relating to communication and debate, specifically in contexts when a point of view has to be expressed and an audience has to be convinced. The course mainly focuses on two theoretical and practical trends: 1. The pragmatics of communication, which looks at the impact on communication on human relationships and behaviour. 2. The new rhetoric, which believes that all communication aims to convince the other party. In this context, debate is understood in its broadest sense as a procedure which aims to make something understandable and to convince. The examples and applications which are set out come from legal and political contexts as well as from daily life. They are addressed through cases provided by a lawyer, documentaries, fictional films and examples from daily and political life. Students will use three practical cases: a defence speech in a business law case, a presentation by a lawyer in a board of directors meeting, and a speech in a parliamentary debate.

Learning outcomes of the course :

- to be able to identify the major principles and rules of communication and debate as applied to contexts such as defence and prosecution speeches, board of directors' meetings or political debates. - to develop the ability to critically analyse such presentations in legal, social and political environments - to develop the ability to prepare, analyse and conduct this type of presentation in line with these theories and principles.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

The course framework will be organised as follows:

September 2013: presentation of the course, presentation of three cases from which students will have to chose (defence/prosecution speech, board of directors' meeting, parliamentary debate), creation of two-person teams who will work together throughout the process.
End September 2013: students choose cases (in teams of two)
October 2013: students conduct a filmed presentation of their case. The aim of this initial presentation is to learn from the process.
The presentation will be submitted to the teaching staff's department on USB key by 5 November. Daniel Faulx, Secretariat: Ms Jasna Vorgic, 2nd floor of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences
23 November 2013: half day of courses given by D. Faulx (teacher ), Cédric Danse (assistant) and Philippe Culot (laywer);
26 November and 2 December 2013 (one session to be chosen by students), half day of viewing films and discussion based on the classes (D. Faulx, P. Culot, C. Danse).
Between December and February, students should prepare their presentations in teams of two. They will review their first presentation and analyse it in light of the course content, workbooks and reference films available on the MyULg platform.
March 2014: student presentations (defence/prosecution speeches, presentation to a board of directors, parliamentary debate), debriefing with the assistants from the Faculties of Law and Psychology and Education Sciences

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :