Legal English Program
at the University of Colorado Boulder Program Overview • 8-week intensive program (20-24 hours per week) designed for international students who plan on attending law school in the US as well as practicing international lawyers seeking to refine their English language skills • F-1 or J-1 visa students take the full program, while part-time and current degree students may enroll in individual courses. Individual courses meet 4-6 hours per week • Classes offered in Writing & Rhetoric, Legal Oral Communication Skills, Understanding Legal Texts, Law School Prep (for CU Law conditionally admitted students). Micro-courses focus on structure and grammar, pronunciation, and presentation skills • Students may attend CU Law School events, lectures, and activities.
About the University of Colorado Law School • One of the top public law schools in the US • Ranked #6 in environmental law in the 2018 law school rankings by U.S. News & World Report • Ranked #36 in law school rankings in the 2018 law school rankings by U.S. News & World Report • Programs offered: traditional Juris Doctor (JD) program, an option for completing the JD in 2.5 years, 7 dual degrees and 5 certificate programs, a Master of Studies in Law (MSL) program, and a Master of Laws (LLM) program beginning Fall 2018. • MSL degree program information: https://www.colorado.edu/law/academics/degrees/msl-ethics-and-compliance • LLM degree program information: https://www.colorado.edu/law/academics/degrees/llm-degree
Conditional Admission Students who have been conditionally admitted to the CU Law School may meet the English proficiency requirements by successfully completing the Legal English Program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and no grade lower than a B-.
Full LLM Admission Minimum Total Scores* Conditional Admission Minimum Total Scores*
IELTS
iBT TOEFL
7.0
100
6.0 - 6.5
80 - 99
6.5
90 - 99
6.5
90 - 99
and either demonstrate noticeable deficiencies in admission interview
and either demonstrate noticeable deficiencies in admission interview
and/or score below a 6.0 on any IELTS section
and/or score below a 20 on any iBT TOEFL section
6.0
80 - 89
Conditional Admission Course Requirements 8-week Legal English summer session required 8-week Legal English summer session required
+
One full semester Legal English may be required (which consists of two 8-week spring sessions) 8-week Legal English summer session required
+
One full semester Legal English required (which consists of two 8-week spring sessions) * For PBT TOEFL requirements, please see iec.colorado.edu/legalenglish
Legal English Program Courses
All prices shown are in US dollars.
Legal Writing & Rhetoric • 6 hours per week • $900 Develops legal writing skills and terminology as a means of communicating effectively in different legal contexts such as case briefs, emails, memorandums, statements of facts, and motions. Course emphasizes guided practice in organizing legal discussions and synthesizing cases to formulate rules of law. Extensive instructor feedback is provided on assignments to improve fluency, clarity, and accuracy in writing.
Legal Oral Communication Skills • 6 hours per week • $900 Builds listening and speaking skills through group work and seminar-style speaking activities. Specific attention is given to developing critical thinking skills in conjunction with vocabulary understanding. Focused practice includes becoming familiar with the Socratic method of interpreting and answering openended questions related to case studies, presenting oral summaries, and developing note-taking and outlining skills.
Understanding Legal Texts • 4 hours per week • $600 Explores a variety of law texts by reading, interpreting, and summarizing their key components. Focus areas include annotating effectively, skimming and scanning for important information, understanding vocabulary and terminology commonly found in case studies, and learning to efficiently and effectively read a large volume of legal texts.
Law School Prep • 4 hours per week • $600 Prepares international students for successful graduate study. Course examines strategies for interacting with law professors and classmates both in and outside the classroom. Focus areas include practicing email etiquette, interpreting syllabi and class assignments, understanding plagiarism and academic dishonesty, and navigating textbooks and other Law School resources. Students also attend events at the CU Law School and tour a local Boulder courthouse. Required course for conditionally admitted LLM/MSL students.
Micro-courses • 4 hours per week • $150 each Refines legal English skills in four two-week long micro-courses. Students have the option to take all four courses sequentially or individually. Those enrolled in Public Speaking Skills for International Lawyers are required to attend a minimum of three public speaking events held in the CU Law School. • Weeks 1-2: Legal English Structure and Grammar • Weeks 3-4: Legal Pronunciation 1 • Weeks 5-6: Legal Pronunciation 2 • Weeks 7-8: Public Speaking Skills for International Lawyers
Total Tuition*: $3000 (per 8-week session) Estimated Additional Expenses* (per 8-week session) Charges Housing and Meals Personal Expenses
$313 $3750 $1800 (incl. insurance, books, and supplies)
* Subject to change without notice.
Sample Weekly Schedule Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
8:30 – 10:10 am
Legal Writing and Rhetoric
Understanding Legal Texts
Legal Writing and Rhetoric
Understanding Legal Texts
Legal Writing and Rhetoric
10:30 am – 12:10 pm
Legal Oral Communication Skills
Micro-courses
Legal Oral Communication Skills
Micro-courses
Legal Oral Communication Skills
Law School Prep (for conditionally admitted degree students)
1:00 – 2:40 pm
Law School Prep (for conditionally admitted degree students)
2018-2019 Program Dates 2018
2019
Term
Begin Date
End Date
Term
Begin Date
End Date
Spring 1
January 10
March 7
Spring 1
January 9
March 6
Spring 2
March 8
May 10
Spring 2
March 7
May 9
Summer
June 6
August 2
Summer
June 5
August 1
Fall 1
August 22
October 17
Fall 1
August 21
October 16
Fall 2
October 18
December 20
Fall 2
October 17
December 19
Apply Today: iec.colorado.edu/legalenglish • Email: ieccu@colorado.edu
Legal English Program
at the University of Colorado Boulder