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European Law in Practice - Practicum

Vak
2013-2014

Admission requirements

Admission to the Masters programme (European Law specialization).

Description

Students will be introduced to the practical side of EU law both from a procedural as well as a substantive point of view. Students will solve cases and act in groups as applicant, defendant, advocate general / representative of the European Commission, and as judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union in a series of moot courts in the fields of internal market law and/or competition law. In their respective teams, students will research, analyze and apply EU law and case law from the Court of Justice and the General Court of the EU. Students will be required to to prepare written submissions to the Court of Justice on a variety of issues. Furthermore, they will be asked to present their case orally and will thereby practice their presentation skills in a courtroom situation.

Course objectives

Objectives of the course
The Course seeks to provide student s with the opportunity to explore their talents to practically apply their knowledge of EU law in real-life scenarios and cases. The basic skills of lawyers, i.e. preparing written and oral submissions, will be practiced.
Secondly, the course aims at teaching students to familiarize themselves with different areas of EU law in a limited period of time and to produce acceptable pleadings as a litigation team.

Thirdly, the course intends to teach students to work in teams under time pressure.

Achievement levels
The following achievement levels apply with regard to the course: At the end of this course, students will:

  • Know how to research topics relating to EU law

  • Critically read ,analyse, and apply EU law and case law from the European Courts

  • Be able to write , present and defend legal papers in a court forum

Timetable

Will be announced later on blackboard

Mode of instruction

Lectures
In the first week there will be an introductory lecture, intended to lay the foundation for the rest of the course and explain the rules of the moot courts that follow.

Seminars
None.

Other methods of instruction

  • Description: “Court sessions”
    The heart of the practicum consists of 9 weeks, during which the students act in small groups as participants in court sessions which will be held on the basis of fictional cases or cases that are pending before the European Courts. Each subgroup will act in turn as the Applicant, as the Defendant, the Advocate General / Commission Representative or as the Court. In this role they submit papers and give oral presentations of their views on the case. To this end, the students will meet once a week during 2-4 hours in “court sessions” (depending on the case to be discussed). The students will have to conduct individual research when preparing their papers and presentations.

Total number of lectures and “court sessions”: 10 (4 hours each)

Each paper will be carefully read and graded. General remarks about the papers will be made in class; individual papers may be discussed further with the authors when necessary. The oral presentations will be followed by plenary discussion in class; individual feedback will be given.

Assessment method

Examination form(s)
Four papers (group work) and oral presentations (individual work)

Both the group work and the individual work count towards the individual grade.

Poor participation in class can have a negative effect on the individual grade.

Submission procedures
The papers have to be handed in electronically as indicated in the course outline. The oral presentations will be given and discussed in class.

Areas to be tested within the exam
Not applicable (there is no written exam). The final paper will test the individual student’s ability to write a coherent and sufficiently “academic” paper (since the other papers are the result of the teamwork of the subgroups).

Blackboard

More information on this course is offered on Blackboard.

Reading list

Obligatory course materials
Students are required to collect the relevant material themselves.

Recommended course materials
Not applicable: students are expected to gather the necessary materials themselves.

Registration

Please register for this course in uSis

Contact information

  • Co-ordinator: dr. mr. Moritz Jesse

  • Work address: Steenschuur 25, room B.133 KOG

  • Contact information: via secretariat; see below

  • Telephone number: 7232

  • E-mail: m.jesse@law.leidenuniv.nl

Institution/division

  • Institute: Public Law

  • Division: European law

  • Room number secretariat: B 1.21

  • Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 9.00 – 17.00

  • Telephone number secretariat: 071 – 527 8837

  • E-mail: w.h.rodger@law.leidenuniv.nl

Remarks

None.

Contractonderwijs

Belangstellenden die deze cursus in het kader van contractonderwijs willen volgen (met tentamen), kunnen meer informatie vinden over kosten, inschrijving, voorwaarden, etc. op de website van Juridisch PAO