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84913 - Legal English (B1)

Academic Year 2026/2027

                
                        Docente:
                        Alessandro Russo
                    
                        Credits:
                        6
                    
                        Language:
                        English
                    
                        Teaching Mode:
                        In-person learning (entirely or partially)
                        
                            Campus:
                            Ravenna
                        
                            Corso:
                            First cycle degree programme (L) in
                            Legal Consultant in Business and Public Administration (cod. 9242)

                                    Course Timetable
                                
from Sep 14, 2026 to Nov 19, 2026

Learning outcomes

Knowledge of Legal English

Course contents

The course aims to refine students' receptive skills, with particular emphasis on written text, deepening their knowledge of legal English vocabulary in order to enable a better understanding of common law legal language through the explanation of various legal institutions, with particular focus on the terminology used both in legislative language and in the language of the Courts.

The syllabus is structured as follows:

Legal vocabulary
1.1 Languages and languages of the law; 1.2 Legal translation between risks and opportunities; 1.3 English as a lingua franca; 1.4 The Plain English Movement.
English legal language
2.1 The British common law system and its historical evolution; 2.2 Stare decisis; 2.3 The language of judgments; 2.4 The language of the legislator; 2.5 The circulation of the model: the United States of America; 2.6 False friends.
The language of civil law
3.1 The law of Torts; 3.2 The law of contract; 3.3 The law of property; 3.4 Case study on leading cases.

Readings/Bibliography

The reference text is G. Garzone, R. Salvi, LEGAL ENGLISH, 2nd edition, Egea, 2007.
For attending students, the Teacher will indicate which parts of the book will be replaced by lecture notes and/or handouts provided during the course.

Teaching methods

The course follows an interdisciplinary approach aimed at directly involving students. Lectures are complemented by the analysis of case studies.
The intensity and continuity of participation in the course will be verified through self-certification.

Assessment methods

Learning assessment takes place solely through the final exam, which verifies the acquisition of knowledge.
The final exam is oral and consists of an interview covering the topics indicated in the "Syllabus and Contents" section; it aims to assess the level of understanding and mastery of the comparative perspective in the study of the English legal system and English legal language.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Russo