Legal English for International Negotiations 

Speak, write and negotiate in "Legalese" 
This course can be either offered in 6 weeks throughout three months, 10 hours per week, leading to 6 ECTS credits; or concentrated in 30h over 10 days with 3 ECTS credits, either combined with Intellectual Property Rights or Competition Law. 


What will you learn?  
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to: 

  • Understand and use legal concepts and terminology by improving their reading, and listening skills and ability to understand the details of a legal text 
  • Draft legal documents, write international commercial contracts and participate effectively in discussions and negotiations related to legal topics
     

WEEK 1 – DRAFTING LEGAL CORRESPONDENCE 

  • International Trade
  • Key terms and expressions in Business and Legal English
  • Legal correspondence: formal and informal 


WEEK 2 – ANALYSIS OF CONTRACT STRUCTURE

  • Different types of International commercial contracts
  • Structure and basic contract terms and expressions 


WEEK 3 – DRAFTING MOU AND NDA

  • The negotiation process
  • Memorandum of Understandings and Non-disclosure Agreements 


WEEK 4 – ANALYSIS OF GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT

  • Formation of contracts: offer, acceptance, counteroffer
  • General terms and conditions of contract


WEEK 5 – DRAFTING AND RE-WORDING CONTRACT CLAUSES

  • Drafting and re-wording contractual clauses
    →Liability clause  →Penalty clause  →Termination clause 


WEEK 6 – DRAFTING AND RE-WORDING CONTRACT CLAUSES 

  • Boilerplate clauses in contracts
    →Governing law  →Resolution of disputes: litigation, arbitration ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution)
     

LECTURES: 60 
TUTORIALS: 15 
SELF DIRECTED STUDY, GROUP DISCUSSION, INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH: 75


Intended learning outcomes 
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Demonstrable understanding of the key terms and expressions in contract and corporate law
  2. Competent use of legal terms and expressions in drafting and writing legal correspondence, contracts, corporate documents
  3. Ability to engage in the analysis of a legal document, grasp its legal meaning and implications and re-word, amend, or make comments to it 


Learning and teaching strategies 
What you will do: 

  1. Examination of individual case studies of people at work 
  2. Formal lectures
  3. Visiting speakers/videos and workshops, i.e how to draft legal correspondence, how to draft contracts and re-word contract clauses 
  4. Seminar group work
  5. Organizational simulations


Transferable skills 
Students will: 

  1. Develop an awareness of the legal oral and written language
  2. Acquire individual, self-reflection and teamwork skills 
  3. Develop negotiation skills in a foreign language


Assessment criteria 
Students will: 

  1. Mid written oral test (30%) 
  2. Individual written exam (70%) 


Course materials 
Handouts

 


Legal and Business English