Tags
IJ
Admissions requirements
At least one of the following courses: Principles of Public International Law, Intro to Social-legal Studies, Sovereignty & Statehood.
Description
The course Moot Court Advocacy and Litigation offers students skills training in research, analysis, legal writing and advocacy through the participation in a litigation simulation before a regional court, namely the European Court of Human Rights.
It is one of the few courses directed to obtain skills essential for both lawyers and other professionals involved with litigation: tackling legal problems in a structured way. The course includes a library instruction, training in argumentation, writing assignments and presentation skills training. It concludes with a final Moot Court session during which the students present an oral pleading as Applicant or Defendant before three judges (two practicing lawyers and a staff member of Leiden University).
The course Moot Court Advocacy and Litigation is intended for students studying in The Hague and offers students an opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of a particular issue in International Law, namely the protection of human rights. The case problem distributed to the students presents a hypothetical or real lawsuit between an Applicant and a Defendant before the European Court of Human Rights. The course serves as an excellent preparation for a Moot Court competition in any field of law.
Course objectives
Students will learn to present a well-structured legal argument, both in writing and orally. The learning objectives of the course are to develop oral and written skills and to learn to construct analytical arguments. At the end of the course students should be able to present a legal case before an audience in a convincing way. Students should be able to pursue research, develop an argument through critical analysis and present it in a clear and structured way.
The following achievement levels apply with regard to the course:
The student is able to write a memo concerning a specific legal question.
The student is able to make a persuasive oral presentation before a panel of three judges/practitioners/experts.
Timetable
The course includes plenary sessions and tutorials on Monday/Friday. Advancement of skills is not without practice. Class attendance is mandatory. Two written submissions have to be submitted in due time according to the timetable in the syllabus.
Once available, timetables will be published here.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Number of (2 hour) lectures: 2
Names of lecturers: Ms. M.H. Park and Ms. F. Baetens
Required preparation by students: to be announced
Tutorials
Number of (1/2 hour) tutorials: 3 (a plenary session to discuss the list of arguments/ a 30 minute meeting to review the memorial assignment/ a 2 hour rehearsal for pleading session in which the memorandum of oral pleading is discussed)
Names of instructors: Ms. M.H. Park
Required preparation by students: writing assignments
Other methods of instruction
Description: Presentation skills training
Number of (1 hour) instructions: 3
Names of instructors: to be announced
Required preparation by students: instructions in the syllabus
Assessment
In-class participation, required and ongoing
List of Arguments, 10%, Week 2
Memorandum, 40%, Week 5
Memorandum of oral pleading, 40%, Week 6-7
Final oral exam/presentation, 10%, Week 7
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
m.park@law.leidenuniv.nl (Block 2)
f.baetens@law.leidenuniv.nl (Block 4)