Course description

This course is intended for those who need to be able to use English in a legal context. As the majority of legal specialists work in the field of commercial law, the course concentrates on this area, focusing specifically on corporate law, contract law, intellectual property law, property law and employment law.  The course is aimed primarily at legal specialists who are required to give advice in English based on their own legal system. This advice may in some cases have to be given against the background of a different legal system, such as the British or American system, for example. Due to the international nature of the course content, course participants naturally come into contact with the legal systems of different countries, but the primary focus is on learning legal English. The course expressly does not train participants in the area of comparative law, legal counsel or legal competences. 

All language skills – reading, listening, writing and speaking – will be covered during the sessions, with the emphasis on speaking. The different exercises prepare participants for the ILEC examination. This examination can be taken at the British Council, on payment of the appropriate fee. The diploma acquired is internationally recognised.

Course material

• Krois-Lindler, A. & TransLegal (2006), International Legal English. A course for classroom or self-study use. (Student’s book with audio CDs). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-67517-8.

The course material is not included in the registration fee. Course participants are required to purchase course materials themselves.

Target group and admission requirements

Those who have passed the Introduction to International Legal English course or the Legal English for Bachelor’s Students course (2009-2010) can apply. Students who have an alternative prior training can take an entrance test to determine their general language competence.  The required level of general language competence is C1 in terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Other information

• The maximum number of participants for this course is 18.
• The holiday periods can be found in the Academic Language Centre's academic calendar.
• If classes are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, they will be added at the end of the courses. Please take into account that courses may end later than scheduled.
• The course level is indicated with the help of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.