Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Written Legal Defence Techniques
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English,
Teaching staff
Any queries regarding the progress of the subject, its content or its assessment should be directed to the course coordinator.
Introduction
One of the essential and recurring tasks of a lawyer’s professional activity is the written defence of the rights and interests of his or her clients. However, such communicative activity is far from simple, added to which it is a subject not usually included in the teaching content of a law degree syllabus. This course teaches students, in a practical way, the various written defence techniques, based on the specific perspective of presenting specialised legal knowledge to a highly technically aware audience.
Pre-course requirements
None required.
Objectives
That students are able to present, in written form, their specialist technical-legal knowledge, in a rigorous, convincing and brilliant way.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CA11 - Know how to develop skills that allow lawyers to be more efficient in their work and enhance the overall functioning of the team or institution they belong to by accessing information sources, using their knowledge of languages, knowledge management and the management of applied techniques and tools
- CB06 - Possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity to be original in the development and/or application of ideas in a professional context.
- CB07 - Know how to apply acquired knowledge and problem-solving abilities in new or little-known surroundings within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study.
- CB09 - Know how to communicate their conclusions to specialist and non-specialist audiences alike in a clear and unambiguous way along with the rationale and knowledge that supports them.
- CG01 - Acquire the ability to work individually and as part of a team as well as the communication and leadership skills required to progress in the legal profession.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will learn how to:
Transmit their technical-legal knowledge in writing to a specialised audience, in a rigorous, convincing and brilliant way.
Syllabus
Topic 1. Formal aspects of writing a topic.
Unit 2. Background aspects in the elaboration of contents. Handling of legal, jurisprudential and doctrinal texts.
Topic 3. Preparation of practice documents of the forum and opinions.
Topic 4. Technique and practice of the test in Constitutional Law
Topic 5. Technique and practice of the test in Civil Law
Unit 6. Technique and practice of the test in Criminal law
Unit 7. Technique and practice of the test in Procedural law
Topic 8. Technique and practice of the test in Administrative Law
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The teaching methodology will combine two educational strategies.
One half of the course will consist of master classes, with thorough explanations about how to prepare a report/judgement and similar types of documents.
The other half of the course will concentrate on preparing students for dealing with all kinds of written disclosure evidence requiring specialist legal knowledge. This is mainly achieved through:
-Tests that will allow students to get used to the methodology used in the legal profession’s entrance examination.
-The preparation and defence of a judgement/report on a legal problem -related to the specialist topics covered by the subject «Fundamental Issues of Public and Private Law (I and II) ».
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The final grade will result in 90% of the completion of a written test. The remaining 10% will be obtained from a written test type practical case / opinion on the contents of Fundamental Topics of Public and Private Law II.
Regarding the multiple choice test, the exam keys are:
- The test will reproduce, with absolute fidelity, the structure of the multiple choice exam of the state exam for access to the Legal Profession.
- It will be scheduled for a specific and limited time.
- The Moodle Questionnaire will be used but in the classroom.
- The main parameters of the questionnaire are as follows: time limitation and penalty for wrong answers.
- Number of questions: 20-25 (duration: 15 minutes).
As for the opinion-type test: it will be carried out on a practical case that will deal with some of the topics studied during the semester in the subject "Fundamental Topics of Public and Private Law II". The duration will be two hours and the student may only use, as support material, legal bodies, as many as they need, according to their criteria, which must be downloaded to their computer in "pdf" format.
Bibliography and resources
The teaching staff of the subject will provide students with the necessary materials as the course progresses.