Legal English & U.S. Legal System

Overview of American Legal System (US) and Legal Language and Legal Communication Skills

What you'll learn

Get a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Legal System

Gain exposure to legal terms, concepts, and Legal English in written and spoke format

Learn about the core areas of law and some key topics from each one

Learn about the basic legal educational pathway in the U.S. including coverage on foreign law degrees

Understand principles of the common law system and the role of case law and case briefing technique

Learn about organizational structures and roles and titles of attorneys in U.S. law offices and legal departments

Develop effective approaches to email and other forms of communication

Requirements

No specific prior course required

For best audio quality, please view this course through the Chrome web browser.

Description

This course provides an overview of the U.S. Legal System. As it introduces these topics, we learn key terms, concepts, and develop Legal English skills. The course lectures include structured outlines, examples, and illustrations. The instructor 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 course is best in combination with tutoring or practice where the student can practice speaking and presenting.  The course includes extensive lecture and visual materials; however, it is not intended to substitute for post-secondary instruction. This course is also not intended to be continuing education and is not qualified for such credit in any jurisdiction.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. 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.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction & Overview

Lecture 1 Welcome & Course Topics

Lecture 2 Preparation & Resources

Lecture 3 What is the Plain English Approach?

Section 2: Overview of U.S. Legal System

Lecture 4 Common Law & U.S. Legal System

Lecture 5 Court Systems in the U.S.

Lecture 6 Areas of Law & Areas of Practice

Lecture 7 Legal Industry & Legal Services

Lecture 8 Legal Education and Regulation of the Profession

Section 3: Legal Communication & Legal Research

Lecture 9 Oral Communication

Lecture 10 Correspondence & Emails

Lecture 11 Legal Research & Legal Writing

Section 4: Core Areas of Law

Lecture 12 Contracts

Lecture 13 Property

Lecture 14 Torts

Lecture 15 Criminal Law

Lecture 16 Constitutional Law

Lecture 17 Civil Procedure

Section 5: Lawyers & Organizational Structures

Lecture 18 Roles in a Law Office

Lecture 19 Types of Meetings

Section 6: Review & Next Steps

Lecture 20 Legal English Course Review

Lecture 21 Bonus Lecture

Students and business professionals (including global / international students) who want to get a good overview of the U.S. Legal System,Students who want to listen, read, and learn terms and concepts from a U.S. trained lawyer and legal educator,International students seeking to develop Legal English skills