Civil Law Module

Nivel: Upper-Intermediate

Curso: Inglés Jurídico - Rama Civil “Civil Law Module”
("Law of Contract, Law of Tort, Alternative Dispute Resolution in the US")

Students' English Level Required: Upper - Intermediate.

This course is ideal for students that have already studied English for three or four years and know some basic English vocabulary and structures and can understand what they read at this level, even if they find it more difficult to speak, listen or write.

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of this course is to teach speakers of other languages to understand and use the language of the law in English. Through a wide variety of exercises based on authentic legal texts, students will gradually learn the reading, vocabulary and study skills necessary to work independently on legal materials of their own choice. Students are encouraged to practise the language presented in the book in a variety of speaking and writing activities. The topics and texts in the book provide an introduction to some important aspects of the English legal system, these materials present the language of different areas of the law in their natural context.

Students will learn to focus only on the words which are important to understand a text,; using the context to understand new words and phrases, fast and accurate dictionary use; how to study, store and remember English vocabulary.

Students will also learn the form and function of some structures which are typical of legal English. This will help them to understand legal texts which contain these structures and in some cases there are exercises to practise the said structures.

UNIT I: LAW OF CONTRACT PART I

A- The language of the law: characteristics applicable to contracts. Mood. Tenses. Modals.
B- Topics: Elements of the contract: mutual agreement, capacity, legality, consideration. Elements vitiating will: fraud, duress, undue influence, mistake, misrepresentation.

UNIT II: LAW OF CONTRACT PART II

A- The language of the law: plain English rules: influence in legal writing. Legal usage: doublets and triplets. Sexism.
B- Topics: Rights of a third party. Interpretation and performance of contracts. Discharge of contracts. Remedies for breach of contract.

UNIT III: LAW OF TORT

A- Legal usage: legal collocations. Old formalism. Legal terms of art. Vocabulary issues. Precision vs. vagueness. Subordinate clauses.
B- Topics: Intentional harms to persons and property. Intentional interference with persons. Intentional interference with property. Malpractice: medical malpractice. Other professional malpractice. Defamation of character: libel and slander. Negligence: automobile accidents; death claims; negligence claims against owners or tenants of real estate and persons supplying property for use of others.

UNIT IV: AVOIDING CIVIL LITIGATION

A- Legal usage: Legal argot. Passive constructions. Tenses: the perfect tenses. Subordinate clauses: adjectival clauses as modifiers; reduced clauses.
B- Alternative dispute resolution: settlements without resorting to litigation. Negotiation: mini-trials; early neutral case evaluation; summary jury trials; conciliation. Mediation. Arbitration. Providers of ADR services. Online dispute resolution. International dispute resolution.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Anderson, O. J.: Outline of Business Law. Rowman & Allanheld: Totowa, N.J.:1983
Coughlin, Jr, George G.: Your Handbook of everyday Law. Fifth Edition. Harper Perennial: New York: 1993.
Clarkson, and others: West's Business Law. West Publishing Co.: 2000.

COMMENT ON THE BIBLIOGRAPHY:

All class materials are going to be made available to students in the class.