MP309Z Language I.3 - English for Lawyers

Faculty of Law
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Štěpánka Dillingerová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Radmila Doupovcová (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Alena Hradilová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. et Mgr. Věra Hromádková (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Barbora Chovancová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Kateřina Chudová (seminar tutor)
PhDr. Hana Kallus, M.A., Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Radek Šimek, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Lenka Pavlíková (assistant)
Ing. Daniela Svobodová (assistant)
Mgr. Kateřina Špácová (assistant)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Barbora Chovancová, Ph.D.
Language Centre, Faculty of Law Division – Language Centre
Contact Person: Lenka Pavlíková
Supplier department: Language Centre, Faculty of Law Division – Language Centre
Timetable of Seminar Groups
MP309Z/01: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 8:00–9:40 258, R. Doupovcová
MP309Z/02: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 8:00–9:40 257, K. Chudová
MP309Z/03: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 10:00–11:40 316, R. Doupovcová
MP309Z/04: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 10:00–11:40 042, K. Chudová
MP309Z/05: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 12:00–13:40 020, K. Chudová
MP309Z/06: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 14:00–15:40 020, R. Šimek
MP309Z/07: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 10:00–11:40 042, R. Šimek
MP309Z/08: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 8:00–9:40 257, R. Doupovcová
MP309Z/09: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 12:00–13:40 129, A. Hradilová
MP309Z/10: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 10:00–11:40 124, Š. Dillingerová
MP309Z/11: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 12:00–13:40 124, Š. Dillingerová
MP309Z/12: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 18:00–19:40 129, A. Hradilová
MP309Z/13: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 14:00–15:40 042, R. Šimek
MP309Z/14: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 16:00–17:40 136, R. Šimek
MP309Z/15: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Tue 16:00–17:40 315, A. Hradilová
MP309Z/16: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 8:00–9:40 302, Š. Dillingerová
MP309Z/17: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 10:00–11:40 302, K. Chudová
MP309Z/18: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 12:00–13:40 302, H. Kallus
MP309Z/19: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 8:00–9:40 020, K. Chudová
MP309Z/20: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 10:00–11:40 020, V. Hromádková
MP309Z/21: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 8:00–9:40 136, V. Hromádková
MP309Z/22: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 8:00–9:40 034, R. Doupovcová
MP309Z/23: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 12:00–13:40 160, B. Chovancová
MP309Z/24: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 14:00–15:40 258, B. Chovancová
MP309Z/25: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 16:00–17:40 160, H. Kallus
MP309Z/26: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Wed 10:00–11:40 315, Š. Dillingerová
MP309Z/27: Mon 29. 9. to Fri 19. 12. Mon 16:00–17:40 020, R. Doupovcová
MP309Z/28: No timetable has been entered into IS. Š. Dillingerová
Prerequisites
(! MP109Z French for Lawyers ) && (! MP108Z German for Lawyers ) && (! MP208Z French For Lawyers I.2. ) && (! MP207Z German for Lawyers I.2. ) && MP210Z English for Lawyers
The students are expected to have passed the previous courses in the first and the second terms of the first year - English for Lawyers.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The student will be able to discuss, negotiate, argue (and also identify argumentative fallacies), make decisions, and provide reasons for decisions in professional legal topics (business law, family law, consumer law) at the B2 – C1 level (CEFR). They will be able to write a formal letter in English based on a document (a letter in Czech). They will understand the content of conversations on legal topics and be able to capture key information (listening exercises at the B2-C1 level) to advise clients. They will learn to navigate the individual steps of civil proceedings and explain them.
Learning outcomes
The student will be able to discuss, negotiate, argue (including identifying argumentative fallacies), make decisions, and provide reasons for decisions in professional legal topics (business law, family law, consumer law) at the B2 level (CEFR). They will be able to write a formal letter to a client in English based on Czech materials. The student will be able to recognize different types of negotiators, know what to do and what to avoid during negotiations, and consider cultural specifics in negotiations. They will understand the content of conversations on legal topics and be able to capture key information (listening exercises at the B2-C1 level) to advise clients. They will learn the steps of civil procedure and explain them.
Syllabus
Business Law – introduction to company forms; vocabulary of contracts, liability, and business entities; focus on legal English used in commercial contexts. Sale of Goods – rules governing contracts for the sale of goods terminology for buyers, sellers, delivery, payment, and remedies; Family Law – overview of marriage, divorce, parental rights, and custody; vocabulary for family relations and legal procedures; attention to impending changes in Czech family law Civil Procedure – stages of civil proceedings from filing a claim to enforcement of judgment; terminology for parties, evidence, appeals, and remedies; focus on courtroom vocabulary and procedural expressions.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • COSTELLO Natasha a KULBICKI, Louise. Practical English Language Skills for Lawyers: Improving Your Legal English. Routledge, 2023, 376 s. ISBN 9780367690465
    not specified
  • KROIS-LINDNER, Amy and TRANSLEGAL. International Legal English. 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, 2011, 336 pp. ISBN 978-0-521-27945-1. info
  • KROIS-LINDNER, Amy and Matt FIRTH. Introduction to International Legal English. 1st ed. Cambridge: CUP, 2008. ISBN 9780521718998. URL info
  • CHROMÁ, Marta. Czech-English law dictionary with explanations. 3. vyd. Voznice: Leda, 2010, 481 s. ISBN 9788073352493. info
  • Česko anglický právnický slovník s vysvětlivkami (Czech-English Law Dictionary with Explanations). 1st ed. Voznice: LEDA, 2001, 478 pp. ISBN 90-85927-90-X. info
Teaching methods
interactive language seminar
Assessment methods
Requirements: Active participation in class discussion, submission of a written task, oral presentation of a legal case, and final written credit test (a translation, linguistic meditation and providing legal advice in a short dialogue, and a short written text); students must score at least 70%.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
http://law.cjv.muni.cz/
Information about English seminars for lawyers is published in the "Interaktivní osnova" and also on the notice board of the Language Education Center at the Faculty of Law, Masaryk University, and in IS MU. These include the syllabus, a list of literature, requirements for obtaining credits, including seminar attendance requirements. Office hours of the teachers are published in IS and at the department. Individual instructors may also share information for seminar groups on MS Teams.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 1999, Autumn 2000, Autumn 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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