Legal English Program
The Legal English Program is a 4-week Summer preparatory program for international students applying to or admitted to the University of Kansas School of Law.
The purpose of this program is to prepare students linguistically and academically for the types of tasks they will encounter in their law courses.
There are three types of students who may take this course:
- Those already admitted to KU's School of Law.
- Those who are provisionally admitted based on passing this Legal English Program.
- Those who plan to apply to law programs at KU or other university law schools.**
**Unless a student has already been provisionally admitted to KU's School of Law, participating in this program will not guarantee acceptance.
If you want to sign up for this program, please complete our survey.
Program Details
- Program Length: 4 weeks (July 2022 start)
- Credits: 5.5 (3 AEC courses at 1.5 credits each; 1 Law School course at 1 credit)
- Courses: 3 courses at 6 hours/week each + 1 course at 1 hour/week = 22 hours/week total (see details below)
- Estimated Cost: $4,500; tuition and fees may vary
- Please see AEC Tuition and Fees for more information
| Active Listening and Participation for Law Students (AESP 160) |
| 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 (AESP 160) |
| 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 (AESP 160) |
| 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. |
| Introduction to the American Legal System (LAW 946) |
| Credits: 1 |
| NOTE: Students who have been admitted provisionally must take this course. Those who are fully admitted are not required to take this course. |
| This course introduces international students to the common law system and to U.S. legal institutions, including federal and state courts, and the executive and legislative branches of government. Their constitutional position and the role of constitutional law in the U.S. system is emphasized. The course introduces both civil and criminal procedure and gives students practice in legal analysis using both caselaw and statutory sources. Credit for this course cannot be applied toward the J.D. degree. |
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).
