giovedì 22 marzo 2018

Lesson_4_2018

Revision Key terms

  • trial /trail/
  • lawsuit
  • out of court settlement
  • claimant/plaintiff
  • defendant
  • find for vs find against
  • affirm vs reverse a judgement
  • proximate cause
  • wilful harm
  • negligence 
  • negligent
  • intentional harm 
  • gross negligence



Frivolous lawsuits  Listening 1 page 32

Reading 4 Letter threatening legal action page 36

Language focus page 38

Reading 1 pp 39-40 ex 3-5 Match the definition with the crimes

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
 intentionally burning a building
7.      domestic violence
 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
 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 

Self study

Grammar: Passive constructions
Key terms_1: punishments
Reading 2 White-collar crime page 43-44 ex ex 19-21
Law in Practice
Language Use 3: giving advice
Language Focus

Listening 1 - 4 strongly suggested 


giovedì 8 marzo 2018

Lesson 3_2018

Unit 3: Tort Law  Reading 1_ pp28-29 ex 1-5; 

From Tort Law
•civil wrong
•contractual relations
•injured party
•fraudulent misrepresentation
•medical expenses
•monetary damages


Terminology: Explain these terms in your own words. Use expressions such as: this is the word for../This is the person who …/This is what you do when ..
  • damages vs damage
  • assignor vs assignee
  • the non-braching party vs the breaching party
  • specific performance
  • restitution
  • the injured party 
  • remedy


Damages: risarcimento danni, indennizzo, risarcimento

Different types of damages:
  • substantial damages
  • punitive (or exemplary) damages
  • liquidated damages

From the film Erin Brockovich 
What kind of damages are being awarded here? 

Self Study: Consolidate your "legal English" through news articles Look up on the Guardian or the BBC news  to find news articles dealing with:
- Punitive damages / Exemplary damages 
- Nominal damages 
- Substantial damages 

Nel vs articolo estrapolate parole chiavi legate all'area giuridica e pubblicate il lavoro
Enjoy it!
Take this article as an example "nominal damages of £1" What could we learn from reading it?

giovedì 1 marzo 2018

Lesson_2_2018

Vocabulary Revision

  • performance and enforcement of contracts
  • offer - acceptance - consideration
  • breach of contract
  • liability
  • strict liability 
  • vicariuos liability
  • nuisance
  • damages vs  damage 

damage: means “loss or injury to a person or property”. It is an uncountable singular noun and has no plural form.
E.g.: The cost of the damage to the US caused by Hurricane Ike was estimated at USD 18 billion.
Other words you could use instead of damageloss, injury
Damages means “money claimed by, or ordered to be paid to, a person as compensation for loss or injury”. It is an uncountable plural noun and has no singular form.
E.g.: The Claimant wishes to sue Acme for damages as a result of a loss sustained by the Claimant after Acme’s failure to perform its obligations.
Other words you could use instead of damagescompensation, satisfaction

  • evidence
  • hearsay
  • law enforcement
  • under the constitution

Language from reading 1
  • Adverb+adjective: intellectually stimulating
  • Verb+preposition: to lead to something; to decide on something; to get involved with something
  • Preposition+noun: in addition (to)
  • Verb+noun: to take a course/subject;to run a partnership; to offer a course; to offer assistance; to hire new recruits
  • Verb+verb: to go on to become something
  • Adjective+noun: future career; local community; day-to-day work; a good command (of English)
  • Noun+noun: work experience

Language from Reading 2:
From contract law: formation, interpretation, performance and enforcement of contracts, offer and acceptance, consideration.
From Tort Law: liability for intentional and negligently caused injures to person and property; strict liability; vicarious liability; ultra-hazardous activities; products liability; nuisance; invasion of privacy; defamation; damages; losses.
From Ciminal Law: crime against persons, property and public administration; the law of homicide
From Evidence: relevancy, hearsay, impeachment, cross-examination.
From Criminal Procedure: regulation of law enforcement, investigation of crimes, search and seizure, electronic surveillance, entrapment,
From Constitutional Law: judicial function, distribution under the constitution, immunities under the constitution.
From legal research & writing: to acquaint students with …; analyze judicial opinions; legal citation; techniques of writing memoranda and briefs.
Language:
What to study - core (compulsory) subjects and optional subjects:
  • criminal law, contract law, land law, equity and trusts, administrative law and constitutional law, family law, employment law and housing law,company law, commercial law, litigation and arbitration.
Where to work:
  • Partnership [general partnership (società in nome collettivo) limited partnership (società in accomandita)]
  • Large law practice/firm
  • Commercial practice
  • Sole practitioner
  • Law clinic
Collocations:
Legal writing, legal research, legal practice, legal assistance, legal community,
Law degree programme, law student, law practice, law clinic, law firm

Awkward words
- equity and trusts = affidamento fiduciario - Leggi "L'utilizzo del trust in Italia"
- Podcast - What is equity?  + Material accompanyng the podcast
- equity vs common law 
Revision Unit 1 A career in Law 


Introduction to Contract Law: 
consideration (nella common law si tratta di un interesse, un vantaggio, un beneficio ricevuto da una parte; ovvero un sacrificio, una perdita concessa, subita o sopportata dall'altra parte.)
From "English for Law"  Cornerlsen: Contract Law Consideration
counter offer
essential terms
assignor (who transfers sth - cedente)  vs assignee (who is entrusted with sth cessionario/assegnatario)
specific performance
breaching party vs non-breaching party/injured party 
binding contract vs non-binding 

Collocations
- An offer
Accept, make, reject, withdraw, increase, submit, receive, consider
- A contract
Breach/form/negotiate/perform/draw up/draft/sign a contract
- Damages
Accept/award/claim/win/receive/seek/pay damages
- A lawsuit
File/bring (fare causa)/launch (avviare)/persue/win/lose

What actions do they carry out
A party
Breaches a contract/performs a contract
The parties
Negotiate an offer/negotiate a contract/form a contract
The court
Enforces a contract/awards damages
A lawyer
Files a lawsuit/negotiates an offer/negotiates a contract/accepts an offer

Focus on: enforce/enforceable (esecutivo)
To enforce: verbo transitivo
1. (impose) imporre [rule, silence, discipline];
fare rispettare, applicare [law, court order];
fare valere [legal rights];
esigere [payment];
fare rispettare [contract]
Enforceable (esempio) 

2. For that reason, the parties consent that such covenants shall be enforceable in a court of equity by temporary or permanent injunction, restraining order or a decree of specific performance. The remedies provided above shall be cumulative and not exclusive and are in addition to any other remedies, which either party may have under this Agreement or applicable law.

Per tale motivo, le parti acconsentono/convengono che tali clausole debbano essere fatte valere in una corte di equità con ingiunzione (esecutiva) permanente o temporanea, ordine restrittivo o atto specifico. Le azioni (giudiziarie) elencate sopra devono essere cumulative e non esclusive e si intendono in aggiunta alle azioni che una delle due parti può esperire in base al presente accordo(ovvero) applicabili per legge.

Self Study 
  • Reading 2 p. 20 ex 9-10
  • Listening 2 p. 21 ex 19-20
  • Reading 3 p. 22 ex 22-24
  • Modal verbs 
  • Focus on language page 27