American English For Students of Law (S995-30004)

All available spaces for the Law Seminar for this summer have been filled.  We appreciate all the interest the seminar has generated and encourage students to apply for the 2010 seminar.

This seminar provides intensive orientation to the American legal system. It is designed for non-native speakers of English who are planning to enter law school in the U.S. or who will be working in the field of law in an international context. Participants explore the historical roots and basic institutions of the American legal system and are introduced to concepts and methods of American legal analysis. In the process of discussing legal topics students have the opportunity to sharpen their English language skills including discussion techniques, principles and strategies of oral and written argument, and informal debate.

The morning program is conducted by a practicing attorney who is also a teacher of law. Seminar students will practice written and oral communication within the context of such contemporary American legal issues as:

	the right to freedom of speech
	the right to privacy
	discrimination based on gender or race (judicial selection and discipline)

To complement class sessions, field trips are projected to:

	a federal and state correctional facility (prison)
	state and federal courts to observe a criminal trial and to meet with judges before and after the trial
	the United Nations

Afternoon Courses

Two afternoons a week students take an Advanced Writing course that explores the elements of persuasive writing and argumentation through a variety of contexts related to the U.S. legal system. Twice a week students also have an Oral Communications Skills class that will focus on effective oral presentation skills; in a setting that emphasizes collaborative learning, students will practice increasing clarity of expression through discussions, interviews, and dramatic reenactments of courtroom scenes.