Legal English Program
This is a 4-week summer preparatory legal English program for international students admitted or provisionally admitted to the LL.M, S.J.D, 2-year J.D. or JD programs at the University of Kansas School of Law. This program will prepare students linguistically and academically for the types of tasks they will encounter in their first year law courses.
- Program Length: 4 weeks (July 2021 start)
- Credits: 4.5 (3 courses at 1.5 credits each)
- Estimated Tuition: ~$3,033; tuition and fees may vary
- Courses: 3 courses at 6 hours/week each; 18 hours/week total (see details below)
| Active Listening and Participation for Law Students |
| Credits: 1.5 |
| As a law student, you will be expected to participate actively in the classroom, both voluntarily and when called on, by discussing your understanding of the material and presenting arguments based on that understanding. In this class, you will learn and practice these skills, as well as active listening and note-taking skills that will help prepare you for the material you will encounter in your first-year law courses. Additionally you will learn how to demonstrate your understanding of that material through various types of classroom activities including interaction with your instructor and whole-group and small-group discussion. |
| Introduction to Legal Writing |
| Credits: 1.5 |
| This course introduces the forms and patterns of legal writing and conventions for professional or academic purposes in the U.S. The course will begin with an overview of legal writing characteristics including audience, purpose, organization, style, flow, and presentation. You will practice several important writing patterns and genres, primarily focusing on the types of tasks you will typically encounter on law school exams and in your courses. Specifically, the course will help to increase your ability to summarize and paraphrase case elements, and improve your clarity, correctness, and conciseness in legal exercises and exam writing. |
| Legal Reading and Research Skills |
| Credits: 1.5 |
| The purpose of this course is to prepare you to read and analyze legal texts for academic and professional purposes, including graduate-level research. This course will offer strategies and skills for reading large volumes of legal material such as cases and regulations/statutes as well as how to read, analyze, and brief cases. Additionally, this course will introduce you to the principles and best practices for conducting legal research in the U.S. Specifically, you will be introduced to in-person and digital library resources, how to gather sources from an academic library or legal database, and how to understand and use standard legal citation conventions. |
NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LEP courses may shift from in-person to online format in accordance with the guiding principles of the University of Kansas and Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
