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June 24—August 8, 2008
Application deadline May 16, 2008
Program
English for Legal Studies (ELS) is a six and one half week non-credit
academic legal English program. It is designed for non-native speakers
of English who have been accepted into a competitive U.S. law
school, most typically for an LL.M program. The focus is on the
language and academic skills needed to succeed in a rigorous
LL.M program. Students who are not attending the University of Michigan
in the Fall term are expected to have a minimum score of 580 on the
paper-based TOEFL, or 92 on the
Internet-based TOEFL in order to be considered for admission.
The ELS program provides approximately 20 hours of instruction
per week. Classes meet Monday through Friday and are scheduled
between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Students are expected to participate
regularly in class and complete daily homework. Small class size
and student-teacher conferences provide opportunities for individual
attention. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion
of the program.
ELS also provides opportunities for students to become familiar
with the American legal system and law school culture. This emphasis
has been adopted to facilitate the students' transition
into a fall law program. Students can expect to gain a wider
understanding of the U.S. university system, professor expectations,
and student responsibilities.
Because of the nature of the classes, students are required
to attend the entire program. However, permission to arrive up
to two days late may be given in special circumstances.
The ELS program is committed to extending the students' use
of English beyond the classroom. Staff members plan a variety
of activities, including social gatherings, sports events, and
field trips that provide students with opportunities to use English
in both social and educational settings. In addition, students
are considered fully enrolled in the University of Michigan and
have access to all libraries and computing centers on campus.
ELS Course Descriptions:
Processing Legal Materials
Topics covered in this course are designed to help students
learn reading strategies for processing legal texts. Emphasis
is on cases dealing with United States common law. However,
statutory and constitutional law cases are also included. To
facilitate students’ understanding of cases, legal terminology
is addressed and information on the American legal system
is provided. Students are also expected to orally brief, discuss, and
analyze the assigned cases. Types of law exams and strategies
for writing are covered at the end of the course.
Researching Legal Issues
This course provides an introduction to academic legal research
paper writing. The emphasis of this course is on the linguistic
and rhetorical aspects of legal research papers. Analyses of
published student articles are the starting point for work on
creating a strong introduction, organizing information, defining
terms, making claims of appropriate strength, summarizing the
work of others, as well as using advanced grammar. Students write
a short research paper on a topic of their own choosing and present
their work to other program members at the end of the course.
Academic Legal Writing
One of the main aims of this course is to provide students
with an understanding of the linguistic characteristics of
academic legal writing. In addition to this attention to language, class
time is spent on how to anticipate readers’ expectations
and reactions, how to achieve one’s purpose in writing,
and how to “position” or establish oneself as a
member of the legal discourse community. Through the writing
of a brief, a synthesis, and a memo students also learn strategies for
editing and producing effective texts.
Listening and Speaking
Students have the opportunity to enhance their ability to develop
and orally present legal material in a formal format. The focus
is on individual presentations, including understanding different
speech types, deciding relevant content, choosing appropriate
organizational patterns, and developing a clear speaking style.
Students receive individual feedback on their speeches. Pronunciation
work is provided as necessary.
The listening component of the course provides students with
a variety of listening activities, including visits to law school
classes, guest lectures by legal professionals, and videos on
American law. One aim of the course is for students to become
familiar with the American law class environment, including the
teaching styles of law professors and the types of communication
demands on students.
Speaker and Field Trip Series
Program participants have the opportunity both to attend a series
of lectures on law and to participate in law-related field trips.
Speaker topics have included criminal law, international business
law, student life, copyright and patent law and discrimination.
Field trips have included visits to the prosecutor's office,
federal court, and the student legal aid office.
Download Application
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