Modulbeschreibung

The course is designed to introduce to students to legal topics and English used in a professional legal context as well as to familiarize them with the differences of the common law legal system (as compared to the Swiss and continental European civil law legal system). It aims to cover vocabulary of a variety of legal branches, relevant written pieces in a professional legal context, readings in different legal contexts, and also oral exercises related to the professional legal context.
The students know key terms of contract, company, criminal, employment and real property law and civil procedures. They are familiar with expressions used in negotiations, legal meetings, job interviews, client interviews and contracts and know how to apply them. In addition, they are familiar with key expressions used for and the basic structure of emails, minutes and memoranda in a professional legal context and can identify and correct weaknesses/errors in legal emails, minutes and memoranda.

FCE (Cambridge First Certificate) B2

Professional competences

Participants:

• Can understand and develop their knowledge of the English language in a legal context;
• Can read and understand documents concerning legal topics in detail;
• Know and can apply expressions for negotiations, legal meetings, job interviews and client interviews;
• Know and can apply key expressions used for emails, minutes and memoranda in the professional legal context;
• Are familiar with the basic structure of legal emails, minutes and memoranda;
• Can identify/correct weaknesses and/or errors in legal emails, minutes and memoranda

Self-competences

Participants can:

• Take responsibility for their own learning;
• Effectively communicate their ideas and opinions in different legal contexts;
• Respond to questions and ideas of others in different legal contexts

Social competences

Participants can:

• Collaborate with fellow students in a variety of scenarios, such as presentations and roleplays;
• Understand different legal situations and have an awareness of different communication styles;
• Work effectively with people whose personality and culture may be different from their own;

Topic area I: vocabulary

• Contract law
• Company law
• Criminal law
• Employment law
• Civil procedures
• Real property law

Topic area II:

• Content and Structure of contracts
• Expressions for negotiation and legal meetings
• Job interview
• Client interview

Topic area III: writing

• Email
• Memorandum
• Minutes

Topic area IV:

• Presentations

Teacher-conducted class work, individual work, partner work, class discussions, group work, role-play

Mandatory:

• BOLLAG JENNA et al., The Legal English Course Book Volume One, Zurich 2018: Lawbility. ISBN 978-3-9524737-7-1

Optional:

• WYSS Larissa et al., The Legal English Course Book Volume Two, Zurich 2018: Lawbility. ISBN 978-3-907123-10-2
• WESTON WALSH Kathrin et al., The Legal English Manual, 2nd Edition, Zurich 2017: Lawbility. ISBN 978-3-9524737-0-2