030233 KU Legal Writing (2018W)

The goal of this class is to provide students with comparative (EU - USA) information and skills concerning basic legal writing and related research skills: introduction to Academic Legal Writing: legal writing as an element of a research process and related exercises; reading cases globally: strategies for case reading and interpretation; argumentation skills and strategies (Moot Court presentation skills); organizing legal analysis and synthesizing legal sources; appellate writing; how to find the necessary information in books, journals, case law, etc.; citation skills: making correct legal citations, avoiding plagiarism; the ability to brief a case, find important information, use it as an argument; the rules and structures of legal documents, seminar papers and final papers (master thesis, doctoral thesis).

Comparative and interactive class sessions in an highly international environment will stimulate active discussion and exchange. Presentations and basic input by the class teachers will be complemented by group exercises, their presentation in class and exchange of knowledge and know-how through discussion.

The course will be carried out in cooperation with the EALT Legal Writing Autumn School at Masaryk University Brno and with John Marshall Law School (Chicago) and will be held from 15th to 19th October 2018 in Brno/CZ. In order to prepare for the excursion, presence in the preparatory meeting at Juridicum Wien on 01 10 2018 at 18:00 is compulsory (intake of additional students on the waiting list will also take place at this meeting, subject to any remaining free places).