Duration
6h Th, 15h AUTR
Number of credits
| Master in law (120 ECTS) | 5 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
During their bachelor's degree, students acquired a certain amount of basic legal knowledge. The two years of the Master's degree lead the student to specialise more. Whatever the professional career undertaken, every lawyer is confronted with problems that he or she must first translate into legal terms and then find a legally founded solution that leads to the conviction of the other party, whether at the end of a written or oral argument.
The course proposes to provide students with the necessary tools to perform these tasks on the basis of a fictitious dispute in European law, leading to a real oral hearing. It is open to all Master's students in law.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the course, the student should be able to:
In-depth analysis of a legal issue by
- identifying relevant facts and legal issues from a complex set of facts,
- assessing the relevance and importance of the facts in relation to the legal issues identified,
- identifying the relevant legal rules for the resolution of the dispute,
- by applying the relevant legal rules to the facts.
Conduct research related to a specific case on your own.
By the end of the course, the student should have improved his or her written and oral argumentative skills and be able to:
- distinguish between procedural writing and scientific writing,
- build legal arguments in support of a position in a dispute and assess the strength and weaknesses of its arguments,
- adapt the written argument for the purpose of an oral presentation of arguments in favour of a party to the dispute,
- respond critically to the other party's arguments.
At the end of the course, the student will also have the opportunity to develop his or her teamwork skills and knowledge of English.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
It is strongly recommended to take the European Litigation course.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The first part of the course consists of several sessions during which the theoretical bases are taught (written observations,, oral argument, specificities of the preliminary reference procedure, etc.). For these sessions, students are invited to read different documents in order to allow an interactive approach.
The second part of the course will focus on the preparation of a written procedural document (observations) and the hearing of pleadings (in English) on the basis of a fictitious preliminary reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Presential
Organisational adjustments related to the current health context
Recommended or required readings
Different recommended readings will be communicated to students throughout the year depending on the fictitious dispute.
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 AND oral exam
- Remote
oral exam AND written work
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred in-person
Additional information:
The examination consists of a "trial" on the basis of the case worked on during the various course sessions. The procedural writing written in this framework will also be evaluated and taken into account in the final mark.
The evaluation criteria are as follows:
- accuracy and legal knowledge and mastery of applicable rules,
- quality of the construction of written and oral arguments,
- ability to select the relevant knowledge to address the problem at issue,
- quality and sufficiency of the justifications given to support the proposed analysis or position defended,
- correct identification of the applicable legal rules,
- logical rigour of both written and oral reasoning, and
- using of a precise legal vocabulary.
Depending on the evolution of health measures (Covid-19), the exam (trial) could be conducted, if necessary, by video conference. In the event of material impossibility of organisation, the final mark would be awarded on the basis of written observations and participation in the class.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
In principle, the winning team participates in the international Moot Court competition "Europa Moot Court". The results of the students are also likely to be taken into consideration in the selection of students who wish to participate in competitions offered in Master 2 such as the "European Law Moot Court" (ELMC).
Contacts
caroline.langevin@uliege.be
jwildemeersch@uliege.be