This course is designed for students needing revision and refinement of English language skills as they relate to optimal participation in the MLB Program.  The class will meet twice weekly and provide structured opportunities for students to reinforce their speaking, listening, note-taking, reading and text skimming skills through a variety of interactive tasks such as mock negotiations, mediations and client consultations. Exercises and tasks will primarily be structured around fundamental themes found within international law and business (e.g. corporate law, commercial law, judicial review and legal procedure) with an emphasis on associated vocabulary.

This course, meeting once a week, is designed as a hands-on workshop that will allow students to identify and develop those skills essential to effective presentation.  Each week, participating students will be required to prepare and deliver a brief presentation which will then receive comments and feedback from the other workshop participants.  Presentations will be filmed, and students will be provided with a DVD copy of their presentation each week for their own review and consideration. Specific presentation themes to be addressed include introductions, organization, the use of visual aids, body language, conclusions and handling questions.  Those students who successfully participate in the workshop and complete a specified minimum number of presentations will receive a transcript notation.

This course is designed to introduce students to writing styles and formats common to the world of legal practice and advocacy.  Namely, students will be presented with approaches and techniques for briefing legal opinions and writing legal memoranda and advice letters.  Initially, the course will address how to effectively reduce a legal opinion into its constituent, functional parts in the form of a case brief.  Subsequently, the students will be instructed on the use of “IRAC” legal analysis (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) as a vehicle for writing legal memoranda.  Finally, client advice letters will be focused upon with a review of common English language convention found in business correspondence and e-mails.  Those students who successfully participate in the course and complete a specified minimum number of written assignments will receive a transcript notation.