99104 - Laboratory: Basic Legal Language and Writing

Learning outcomes

The Workshop on Legal Language and Writing introduces first-year students to a conscious and appropriate use of the words of and in the law. The aim of the Laboratory is to encourage the jurist in training to acquire key skills, such as text comprehension, the identification of legally relevant passages and elements, and their accurate summarisation.

Course contents

 

The Workshop consists of a series of 12 meetings of two academic hours each, during which students will be introduced to some of the main issues related to reading and understanding a practical case and to constructing a persuasive legal argument. At the same time, they will be guided in the practice of debate within the legal field.

With regard to the theoretical tools provided, the workshop will primarily refer to the tradition of ancient judicial rhetoric—especially Roman rhetoric—as well as to its rediscovery in the twentieth century.

Above all, however, the Workshop aims to offer students a space in which to put into practice not only these techniques, but also the legal notions acquired during the first year of the Degree Programme.

 

Readings/Bibliography

For attending students, relevant materials will be indicated by the instructor during each lecture and subsequently uploaded to “Virtuale,” the e-learning platform of the University of Bologna (https://virtuale.unibo.it/).


For non-attending students, the study of the following text is mandatory: P. Ferretti, Racconti romanistici. Il diritto romano in dodici casi, Giappichelli, 2024. Non Italian speakers can ask the teacher for alternative literature in English.

Teaching methods

The programme of the Workshop is divided into two modules.

Module 1 will take place entirely in person and will be mainly aimed at developing the theoretical and technical tools of argumentation and the rhetorical construction of discourse.

Module 2 will take place online on the Teams platform and will consist of a series of controversial exercises based on cases drawn from private law

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning will be conducted through a written examination, lasting 90 minutes, based on the topics covered in lectures and exercises.

Teaching tools

Students who, for reasons dependent on disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA), need compensatory tools can communicate their needs to the teacher in order to be directed to the referents and agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Alvise Schiavon