Lesson 3

Introduction to Contract Law: Key language

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
injured party
Collocations
- An offer
Accept, make, reject, withdraw, increase, submit, receive, consider
- A contract
Breach/form/negotiate/perform/draw up/draft/sign a contract
- DamagesAccept/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.

Homework
• 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 lesson 2

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
• 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 

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
• 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.

•  Comparative
• Reading 3 Graduate Recruitment programme
• University of Nottingham - school of law 

Homework

Unit 2 Contract Law (all reading activities)

Lesson_1

Get to know my students:  Why are you studying law?? What made you choose this course of study?   You are invited to leave your answer in the comment area..


Please find below a copy of unit 1 from the textbook - You will need to study all the reading parts + exercises
Reading 1
Reading 2
Grammar: Comparative and superlative forms
Reading 3
Language Focuse

- Unit 1 (text book)

- Le caratteristiche dell'inglese legale Presentation given 

- Programma a.a. 2015-2016

Hello 2015-2016

Hello everybody!!

We should be soon ready to embark on another legal English journey! 

I hope you are hungry enough to come along and be fed! 

The course should start on 23rd February at 9:50

Textbook used during the course of study. This is also compulsory for the exam preparation:
 A. Krois-Lindner,  M. Firth  Introduction to International legal English, CUP, 2008  -

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