Prospectus

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Advocacy and Litigation

Course
2015-2016

Tags

IJ:Methods, GJ:Methods

Admissions requirements

Principles of Public International Law or Introduction to Socio-Legal Studies or Sovereignty & Statehood.

Description

This course exposes students to the practice of law before international/regional courts and it equips them with basic skills in legal reasoning, writing, and oral argumentation. We will combine issues of content with legal skills so that students have a reasonable legal context in which to practice their advocacy or litigation skills. In this course students will be introduced to theoretical skills of negotiation and will put them in practice during a negotiation exercise. Furthermore they will practice their legal writing skills and oral pleading skills in at least two moot courts which will be organized during the course.

Course objectives

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe and analyze the challenges lawyers encounter in negotiations and in a courtroom

  • Identify relevant facts and apply legal rules to those facts

  • Apply legal reasoning and perform legal writing

  • Analyze legislation, treaties and judgments

  • Appreciate the importance of litigation strategy

  • Present oral arguments

Timetable

Once available, timetables will be published here.

Mode of instruction

Weekly lectures and workshops. This course consists of fourteen two-hour sessions (two sessions per week, for seven weeks). Students will work in groups for the mock negotiation exercise and the mock litigation exercise. Students will work on two mock litigation exercises so that progress can be traced.

Assessment

  • Class Participation, In class participation- understanding and critical thinking on reading materials, 10%.

  • Practice of advocacy skills- negotiation exercise, (Group) In-class participation, 10%.

  • Written assignment – memorandum to principal, (Individual) Written assignment, 20%.

  • Practice of writing skills- Written submission/judgment in moot court 1, (Group) Written assignment, 20%.

  • Practice of oral pleading skills – Pleading in moot court 1, (Individual) Oral pleadings, 10%.

  • Practice of writing skills- Written submission/judgment in moot court 2, (Group) Written assignment, 20%.

  • Practice of oral pleading skills – Pleading in moot court 2, (Individual) Oral pleadings, 10%.

Blackboard

There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.

Reading list

TBA

Registration

This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.

Contact

Dr. Darinka Piqani, d.piqani@law.leidenuniv.nl.