Duration
24h Th
Number of credits
| Bachelor in law | 3 crédits | |||
| Extra courses intended for exchange students (Erasmus, ...) (Faculté de Droit, de Sciences politique et de Criminologie) | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The aim of the Legal English course is to introduce law students to a broad range of legal texts that will assist them in their academic and professional undertakings. The method of the course goes beyond mere translation and the memorizing of lists of vocabulary. It is meant to provide an introductory understanding of the legal culture of the English-speaking world so that students may convey their understanding in a non-English speaking context. In order to achieve this objective, students are invited to read a vast array of texts taken from the Common law (and specifically the English and American legal environments). Besides judicial decisions and statutory instruments, the material comprises academic writings as well as law reports taken from leading English newspapers. In addition to the reading material itself, the course provides a vast number of exercises and a thorough glossary of legal terms specifically suited for the course and accessible on-line (E-reading).
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1). convey the meaning of a Common Law judgment in their native language;
2). write a short note in Legal English;
3). command the structure of the court system in the United States and the United Kingdom, in addition to understanding the main features of Civil Procedure in both countries;
4). discuss and analyze several key areas of contemporary legal debate (current and developing trends) in the English-speaking world.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students are kindly requested to have a "reasonable" command of the English language. Those students who feel they have a "below average" command of English are kindly invited to make this known at the outset of the course.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
In the main, the course involves reading a significant number of legal texts in English. All texts will be made available online (E-reading). Exercises will also be given (some of which may involve writing in English).
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Given during the second semester, classes take place on Tuesday evenings, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm (zone Vingt-Août, salle "Wilmotte").
The first class will take place on Tuesday, September 22, 2020.
Organisational adjustments related to the current health context
In consideration of the worsening epidemiological situation, with teaching taking place under the "orange code", classes will be given in accordance with applicable protocols set down by academic authorities. Practically speaking, distance learning will take over on the University's existing platforms (more than 250 students are enrolled for this course).
With regard to the final exam (and subject to possible adaptations), the exam will be "in-person", taking place under the conditions described below.
Recommended or required readings
The texts will be made available online (E-reading).
Besides the texts themselves, the entire course is based on extensive usage of a Powerpoint presentation, available on the website of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.
Any session :
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
- Remote
written exam ( open-ended questions )
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred in-person
Additional information:
The form of the exam is a two-hour written examination comprising:
- six comprehension questions (answers in French)
- a commentary ("case brief") of a judgment in English, analyzed in class (answer in French);
- the translation and commentary ("case brief") of a judgment in English, that was not analyzed in class (translation from the English into French, case brief in French);
No document, course related material or dictionaries are allowed in the examination room.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
See above, Mode of delivery.
Contacts
fvdmensbrugghe@uliege.be
The office of Professor van der Mensbrugghe is located on the ground floor of the Law School - level "0" (office R.35).
Items online
Bruce Barcellona case
The case: Bruce Barcellona v. Tiffany English Pub (5th Cir. 1979)
Introduction + Bruce Barcellona
The first presentation provides a general introduction to the course and focuses on a labor law case: Bruce Barcellona v. Tiffany English Pub, delivered by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1979.