Lesson_20

Lezione tenuta sulla piattaforma di facebook 

Dal text book 

Esercizi di consolidamento Unit 1 - Unit 10  da  completare -  Gli studenti possono postare le loro risposte sul gruppo di facebook. In questo caso occorre tuttavia utilizzare il copia e incolla di tutto l'esercizio e inserire le risposte nel commento .. in modo tale che anche altri possono intervenire..

Sample exam Paper  da stampare e completare - Questo è un esempio tipico del tipo di esame che verrà somministrato. 

Lesson_19

16th December 2014


Come da richiesta degli studenti frequentanti il corso .. questa lezione viene offerta via facebook sul ns gruppo LEGAL ENGLISH


Unit 10 - Reading 1 Comparative Law pp 106-107 ex 1-3

List of legal systems

• Civil Law

• Common Law

• Religious Law (Muslim Law, Hindu Law, Jewish Law)

• Chinese Law

• Socialist Law


Some video lessons on the difference between common law and civil law

• Common law vs civil law_1
• Common law vs civil law_2
• Legal Systems - Adversarial Vs. Inquisitorial

Reading 2 pp107-108 ex 4-6

Self Study
Reading 3 Asset protection pp 112-113 ex 25-28

Text analysis: Discourse markers for text cohesion pag 112 ex 28

Language Focus: page 114 ex 1-4

Extra work: Complete the exercise

Lesson_18

Text analysis audio transcript 9.1 pag 136

Collocations - phrasal verbs - idiomatic expressions - collocations

•  to have a considerable impact on (sth/so)
• to have a considerable impact in (place)
• to be seen in the context of
• a growing concern
• to rely on
• to accuse someone over/of sth
• to go up to
• to call in
• to have right to ..
• the right of someone to ....
• to take actions against ..
• social dumping
• wage dumping
• collective bargaining
• fair working conditions
• regardless of ...

Revision: Reading 3 and 4 + exercises

Language focus: page 105 ex 1-3

Self Study
Unit 10 - Reading 1 Comparative Law pp 106-107 ex 1-3

List of legal systems 
• Civil Law 
• Common Law 
• Religious Law (Muslim Law, Hindu Law, Jewish Law) 
• Chinese Law 
• Socialist Law

Lesson_17

9th December

New Unit: International Law

Unit 9 - Reading 1: International Law pp 94-96 ex 2-5

newsworthy reports: 

• what's the point of having an International Law
• Italy rejects Indian jurisdiction over marines case

Prepositions:

1. Parties to a treaty
2. ....the treaty is in force
3. ....a signatory to a convention
4. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child
5. ...are entitled to special protection
6. International laws apply to the citizens
7. ...regulations are binding on Partner States

Intergovernmental organizations

No significant differences:
Conventions – Vienna Convention (full text)

• agreemments
• charters
• framework conventions deal with very broad areas

United Nations 

• UNited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• United Nation Charter
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The World Health Organization
• The World Intellectual Property Organization

Reading 2 pp 96-97 ex 6-11

Self Study

Listening 1 CPD Seminar on labour law ex 12-14

Reading 3 pp 100 ex 17-20

Key terms 2 Legal instruments

• Directive = Atto giuridico comunitario che vincola i destinatari ad un risultato da raggiungere entro un dato Termine, lasciando alla Loro discrezione la scelta dei mezzi per farlo. Destinatari di una direttiva possono essere singoli stati membri, tutti o alcuni. La direttiva entra in vigore in seguito alla notifica della stessa e al destinatario viene pubblicata sulla GUCE serie L, ma per produrre  effetti sull'ordinamento interno di uno stato deve essere  recepita nella legislazione nazionale.

• Recommendations = è un atto non vincolante A disposizione di varie Istituzioni. Le raccomandazioni sono normalmente dirette agli Stati Membri e contengono l'invito a conformarsi ad un certo comportamento

• Regulations = I regolamenti sono gli strumenti più completi ed efficaci a disposizione delle istituzioni. Sono direttamente applicabili in ogni Stato membro, nel senso che esplicano tutti i loro effetti negli Stati membri, nei confronti delle loro istituzioni e rispetto ai privati, senza che sia necessario alcun atto di attuazione o recepimento; sono di portata generale, cioè applicabili a categorie di destinatari astrattamente determinate; sono obbligatori in tutti i loro elementi, nel senso che gli Stati membri hanno l’obbligo della loro integrale applicazione. Vengono pubblicati sulla Gazzetta Ufficiale delle Comunità Europee, ed in linea di principio entrano in vigore decorsi 20 giorni dalla loro pubblicazione.

• Decisions = Le decisioni sono atti normativi previsti dal Trattato istitutivo della Comunità Europea e sono obbligatorie in tutti i loro elementi per i destinatari da essi designati. Le decisioni possono essere indirizzate sia agli individui che agli Stati membri.

Lesson_16

4th December

Visione del film

The Rainmaker is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by John Grisham.

Learn something more from this project being carried out by by a law class at the University of Arkansas School of Law

Judge Kipler: Are you in over your head, son?

Rudy Baylor: Absolutely!

---

Rudy Baylor: I'm curious.

Leo F. Drummond: About what?

Rudy Baylor: I'm just wonderin'... do you even remember when you first sold out?

Lesson_15

Reading 3 Avoiding litigation page 88 ex 14-16
Reading 4 Cost of litigation page 89 ex 18-21

Language Focus

Collocations:

to reach an agreement

to file a lawsuit

to deliver a judgement

to decide on an outcome

to settle a dispute

adverb-adjective

• strictly private and confidential
• fully entitled
• shortly forthcoming

adverb-verb

• strenuously denies
• recently informed

adjective-noun

• confidential information
• previous criticism
• a positive asset
• a substantial increase
• constructive dismissal (licenziamento senza giusta causa)
• excellent prospects
• exemplary damages
• alternative means
• satisfactory proposals

Reading 5 Letter before action pp 89-91 ex 22-28

Self study

Listening 2 Lawyer-client interview pp 91-91 ex 29-32
Language Focus page 93

Unit 9: International law Reading 1 pp 94-95 ex 1-3 

Lesson_14

27th November

Unit 8 _ Litigation and Arbitration

Focus on language: How do you say that … in Italian?

• Disputing parties
• Litigation
• Settlement
• Hearing
• Pleading
• Out –of-court settlement
• Binding decision
• Legal fees
• To settle a dispute
• To reach a settlement
• To enforce/deliver judgment
• To save money on
• To threaten to sue
• To face court proceedings/litigation costs
• To deny accusations
• To pursue a claim
• In connection with

Examples of disputes:• Dispute over people's behaviour may involve conflict between neighbours over anti-social behaviour (loud parties or verbal abuse)
• Business disputes can involve different interpretation of the terms of a contract, or questions over whether a contract has been breached, and what remedies/damages are appropriate.
• Planning disputes include situations where, for example, a property owner plans to construct a new building, or improve an existing building. (ie planning permissions)
• Environmental disputes include disputes over resources and questions over who has the right to exploit those resources, and at what cost to the environment. 

ADR: Alternative Dispute Resolution:

• negotiation: participation is voluntary and there is no third party who facilitates the resolution process or imposes a resolution
• arbitration:participation is typically voluntary, and there is a third party who, as a private judge, imposes a resolution. Arbitrations often occur because parties to contracts agree that any future dispute concerning the agreement will be resolved by arbitration.
• mediation:there is a third party, a mediator, who facilitates the resolution process (and may even suggest a resolution, typically known as a "mediator's proposal"), but does not impose a resolution on the parties

Article: Alternative dispute resolution in Italy 

European Commission: ADR in Italy 

Reading 2 letter of invitation pp 85-86 ex 7 - ref to ELSA (European Law Students' Association 

Grammar Practice:

• Present Continuous
• Will vs Going to 

Self Study

Listening 1 Question and answer session

pag 87 ex 10-12 peanut kernel case

Reading 3 Avoiding litigation page 88 ex 14-16
Reading 4 Cost of litigation page 89 ex 18-21

Lesson_13

25/11/2014

Vocabulary revision
Laguage Use: formal vs informal page 76 ex 9
Key terms Buying a real property page 77-79  ex 16-23
Vocabulary from Listening 2 


Reading 3: Draft tenancy agreement page 80 ex 25
Language focus page 82 ex 1-4

Self Study
Reading 1 Litigation and Arbitration pp 84-84 ex 2,3

Lesson_12

20th November

Real property law
pp. 72-73 ex 1-3
Instruments and people in real property law

Language use: Forming adjectives with negative prefixes pag. 74 ex 5,6
Reading 2: Real Property investment law ex 7, 9
Key terms 2: Buying real property ex 16

Language notes:
I termini "freehold" e “leasehold” sono entrambi termini di matrice feudale, che rappresentano due sistemi tipici per possedere una proprietà in UK .
Il primo possiamo renderlo con “proprietà fondiaria assoluta/libera” Chi acquista una “freehold” proprietà diventa “freeholder” e acquisisce il massimo dei poteri possibili su quell’immobile e senza alcun limite di tempo;

Rientrano nell'istituto di freehold:
• Fee simple = diritto assoluto sulla proprietà 
• fee tail = Il beneficiario ha un diritto limitato in quanto non può vendere il bene ma solo tramandarlo ai suoi eredi; la proprietà ha un vincolo inalienabile
• life estate = il bene è di proprietà del beneficiario solo per la durata della sua vita 
• Estate pur (pour) autre vie = simile al life estate ma il bene è di proprietà del beneficiario per la durata della vita di una terza persona. For example, if Bob is given use of the family house for as long as his mother lives, he has possession of the house pur autre vie

Leasehold, pur traducendosi con proprietà in affitto, si riferisce alla locazione del suolo. Il termine fa riferimento ad un rapporto giuridico in base al quale un soggetto detto lessor(locatore) conferisce al lessee (locatario) un diritto esclusivo di proprietà sull’immobile per un periodo di tempo determinato, di solito per una consideration detta ground rent . Deve essere sottolineato che il lease si differenzia profondamente dalla locazione così come intesa nei sistemi civilistici, soprattutto per il fatto che il titolare del lease è titolare di un diritto di natura reale sull’immobile, dove invece il locatario dei sistemi di civil law può vantare soltanto un diritto di credito nei confronti del locatore. Quando si acquista una proprietà con leasehold bisogna prestare attenzione alle covenants, ossia le obbligazioni alle quali il lessee è tenuto ad osservare, la cui presenza rappresenta una delle particolarità più difficile da accettare per chi è abituato al sistema civilistico.

- Dal Il sole 24 ore "A Londra la proprietà è del re"


Act of conveyance: (atto di cessione) transfer of title in land from one person to another

Goods and chattels: beni ed effetti
title interest: diritto nel titolo, interest in the real property
Lease/let/rent vb. They are used interchangeably – More common:
To lease/let property to somebody and rent property from somebody
Lease= n. the agreement
Rent= n. the money to be paid
inheritable = passed on to heirs

References
Buy to let investment 
Real Estate in Italypros & cons of leasehold


Statute of frauds
The statute of frauds del 1677 fu la prima legge nel sistema inglese a prevedere la forma scritta ad probationem, ossia la possibilità di far valere in giudizio un contratto che è e rimane valido di per sé. Successivamente il Law of Property Act 1925 ritenne obbligatoria la forma scritta ad probationem solo per i contratti aventi per oggetto la proprietà o altri diritti reali su beni terrieri e il Law Reform (Enforcement of Contracts) Act 1954 stabilì che detta forma fosse da ritenersi necessaria per i contratti di garanzia.[read more..]Traditionally, the statute of frauds requires a writing signed by the party against whom enforcement is sought in the following circumstances:
• Contracts in consideration of marriage. 
• Contracts which cannot be performed within one year. 
• Contracts for the transfer of an interest in land. Contracts by the executor of a will to pay a debt of the estate with their own money. 
• Contracts for the sale of goods above a certain value. 
• Contracts in which one party becomes a surety (garanzia acts as guarantor) for another party's debt or other obligation.

Law students often remember these circumstances by the mnemonic "MYLEGS" (marriage, year, land, executor, goods, surety). It is important to note that in the United States, each State; in Canada, each province; and in Australia each State has its own variation on the statute of frauds, which may differ significantly from the traditional list. 

Self Study

• Key terms: pp 77-79 ex 16-23  
• Preparare un glossario specifico per "real property law" ex: escrow (account/agreement) = deposito in garanzia
• Listening 2  page 78 ex 19-23

Lesson_11

18th November 

From Legalese to plain English

• Reading_3 Role of Commercial agents
• Reading_4 Commercial agency contract
• Language Focus page 71 

Self Study

Unit 7: Real property law
pp. 72-73 ex 1-3
Instruments and people in real property law

• lease= (contratto di locazione) o meglio diritto di godere di un immobile per un certo tempo.
• licence = licenza d'uso
• deed = atto (notarile)
• tenant
• landlord
• heir
• grantor = concessore
• grantee = beneficiario
• licencee

Lesson_10

Unit 6_ Reading 1_commercial law  pp. 60-61 - ex 2-4 

Language Use: Adverb  functions pp 62-63 ex 7-8

Bodies of Law that govern Trade and Commerce

• Istituto Commerciale Commercio Estero (ICE)

• Chamber of Commerce in Italy

• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)

• World Trade Organization (WTO) + video (WTO)

Self Study

Listening 1: Profile of  a commercial lawyer page 62 ex 5-6

Text Analysis: Letter of application for an internship pp 63-64 ex 11-13

Lesson_9

• Reading_3: Breach of Companies Act 2006 pp54-55 ex 12-15
• Key terms_2: Public relations page 56 ex 20
• Text analysis: Reading a statute page 57 ex 21-23
• Language Focus pag 59 ex 1-3

Self-Study

•  Listening 2  Ref section 172 Company Act 2006

• Phrasal verbs

Extra exercises_company law  page 328 ex 2; page 330 ex 2; pp 333-334 ex 1,2;page 337 ex 1; pp 339-341 ex 1, 2 Toles foundation practice page 345 ex 1, 2

Lesson_8

Introduction to New Unit: Company law

• Reading 1 pp 50-51 ex 1-3

Partnership vs company

Limited partnership with shares= società in accomandita per azioni

Limited Partnership = società in accomandita semplice

General Partnerhip = Società in nome collettivo

Limited Share Company = Società per azioni

Limited Liability Company = Società a responsabilità limitata.

Public limited company vs state-owned company 

A  public limited company  is permitted to offer its shares to the general public. This could be also by way of the stock exchange although note that companies which are on a stock exchange are often referred to as either listed or quoted companies. 

A public company should also be distinguished from a private company which is not permitted to offer its shares to the general public, but both public and private companies operate in what is known as the private sector. 

A state-owned company is a company which is owned by the government for the benefit of the general public, but the difference there is that it operates in the public sector.

Setting up a company in the UK - how easy/difficult is it?

Company act 2006 è una completa codificazione della legge sulle società in Inghilterra e Galles 

• Reading_3: Breach of Companies Act 2006 pp54-55 ex 12-15
• Key terms_2: Public relations page 56 ex 20
• Text analysis: Reading a statute page 57 ex 21-23

Self Study

Listening 1 + Listening 2 suggested only

Language Focus pag 59 ex 1-3

EXTRA: If you like to investigate more the area of company law
A Review of Italian and UK. Company Law.  A joint study by. Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili.

Lesson_7

Key terms_1: punishments

Reading 2: White-collar crime: insider dealing and market abuse pp 43-44 ex ex 19-21

Key terms_2: identity theft

Listening activities sugggested only
Language use_3: giving advice and expressing obligations page 47 ex 31-32
Language focus page 49 ex 1-3


Self-study

Introduction to Company law

• Reading 1 pp 50-51 ex 1-3

Partnership vs company

Limited partnership with shares= società in accomandita per azioni

Limited Partnership = società in accomandita semplice

General Partnerhip = Società in nome collettivo

Limited Share Company = Società per azioni

Limited Liability Company = Società a responsabilità limitata.

Setting up a company in the UK - how easy/difficult is it?

Lesson_6

• Frivolous Lawsuits page 32 ex 14-16
• Language Use: Asking for information
• Reading 4 Letter threatening legal action
• Language Focus 

Criminal Law

Reading 1 pp 39-40 ex 3-5

1.      armed robbery	a  killing somebody through an act or omission
2.        arson	b  deceiving somebody out of money or property
3.      assault	c  creating a false document
4.      battery	d  using a weapon to take money or property by force or direct threat of violence
5.      bribery	e  violence or abuse against a member of the offender's own household (e.g. wife/husband and children)
6.      burglary	f  intentionally burning a building
7.      domestic violence	g  buying and selling illegal narcotics
8.      drug trafficking	h  operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol
9.      drunk driving	i  entering a building with intent to commit a crime
10.  embezzlement	j  striking a person with intent to harm
11.  extortion	k  attempting to physically attack a person.
12.  forgery	l  giving money etc. to influence a public official
13.  fraud	m  stealing from an employer
14.  homicide	n  obtaining money or property through indirect threats or intimidation

From the Guardian: Berlusconi first criminal conviction 

From the BBC Pistorious sentence

Grammar: Passive constructions

Key terms_1: punishments

Self Study:

Listening 1 strongly suggested 

Reading 2 White-collar crime page 43-44 ex ex 19-21