Legal English and Intro to US Law - Complete Overview Course

Description

This online class provides an overview of the US Legal System and US Legal Education to beginners as well as professionals in other fields (e.g., business, administrative, office work). As it introduces these topics, students will also learn key terms, words, vocabulary, grammatical concepts, familiarize themselves with technical terms, and develop legal English and communication skills. The course is flexible and can be useful for internationally-trained law students or non-U.S. lawyers, prospective paralegals, college and university students who are interested in law school or the paralegal profession, but who have no background or understanding of the U.S. legal system or common law systems, more generally. LLM program students and students with an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) or similar first foreign degree in law may also find this course useful.

The course lectures include structured outlines, examples, and illustrations. The instructor who holds a J.D. (Juris Doctor - U.S. law degree) presents via video and audio (listening practice) format. The course includes illustrations, handouts, and select exercises. Students are immersed in visuals, speech, and audio taught by a U.S. trained (multi-lingual) lawyer. This online course provides an overview of first year law school topics, technical terms and language, and introduces both the legal industry, court system, and legal education. It can be useful for both international law students as well as college students who are interested in a legal education path. It can be a good introductory course for current, prospective, and future paralegals as well. It can be considered part of a series of paralegal skills courses. For the purpose of language development, this course will work is best in combination with outside tutoring or practice where the student can practice speaking and presenting. 

An array of topics is discussed including common law systems, unique aspects of the U.S. legal system, the concept of precedent, oral and written communication considerations, core areas of law, legal education, and the legal industry. The course assumes students have little to no knowledge of the U.S. legal system and is cognizant of the goal to develop Legal English skills for international and foreign professionals and law students. It can also serve as a good overview for students interested in a highly practical preview of the legal industry and occupation. The course includes extensive lecture and visual materials; however, it is not intended to substitute for post-secondary or formal instruction. This course is also not intended to be continuing education and is not qualified for such credit in any jurisdiction. Moreover it is only for educational / informational purposes and is not presented as legal advice.

This course is a good introduction and suggests several resources that can be used to continue learning beyond the completion of this skills course.  It is also part of a series of skills courses should students choose to expand and continue their learning journey about the law and legal topics. 

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