Legal English research

1. English for Legal Purposes
Since 2001, the English Language Center (ELC) has been providing
Legal-English support to students at the Vanderbilt University Law
School. The Summer English for Legal Purposes Program was
established for LL.M. students in 2005.
Summer English for Legal Purposes
Summer 2010 LL.M. Students with
Tennessee Governor Bredesen.
This intensive 80-hour program is designed to provide incoming LL.M.
students with the language and academic skills needed to succeed in
the demanding LL.M. program at the Vanderbilt University Law School.
 Twenty hours per week, for four weeks, of intensive in-class
instruction and additional hours for individual assistance as
needed by participants
 The fundamentals of an LL.M.: learn what to expect from
Vanderbilt’s LL.M. program
 Oral and written communication development, including
presentations, small-group and large-group discussion and
responses
 Visits to Tennessee courts and local venues to examine the United
States legal system and discuss real-world application of legal
practice with judges and law practitioners
 Certificate of Completion from the Vanderbilt English Language
Center
Program Objectives:

2.  Adapt more quickly to the US law school curriculum
 Increase ability to listen to short lectures and take effective notes
 Gain higher level of self confidence in public speaking and
interacting in the classroom
 Augment legal/academic vocabulary in writing and speaking
 Increase ability to brief cases
 Increase ability to summarize and paraphrase case elements
 Improve clarity, correctness, and conciseness in legal exercises
and exam writing
 Gain higher degree of grammatical accuracy
 Improve use of articles, prepositions, verb tenses in written and
spoken language
 Understand how to read like a legal professional
 Become acquainted with American culture and American legal
culture
Summer 2011 LL.M. Students at the
Chancery Court in Downtown Nashville.
Important Dates:
 Dates: July 20–August 14, 2015, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday
Enrollment:
 Enrollment is restricted to Vanderbilt LL.M. Students
 All Vanderbilt LL.M. students should contact Cynthia Coleman,
Associate Director of Law School Admissions and International
Services regarding enrollment in the Summer LL.M. program
 Tuition: $2,000. Tuition will be withdrawn from your Vanderbilt
student account
Legal Academic Writing and Speaking
Academic English for LL.M. students is a series of courses for students
admitted into the Vanderbilt University Law School LL.M. Program.

3. Courses are designed to assist students who have a first language
other than English in their careers by increasing proficiency and
confidence in various types of written legal discourse. Among other
activities, students summarize articles, discuss current legal events,
and practice the generally accepted conventions of written legal
analysis in the United States.
Legal Academic Writing:
 Fall semester only: Academic Writing for LL.M. students is
offered exclusively to Vanderbilt University Law School students
enrolled in the Master of Laws program. The course focuses on
the structures and conventions of academic writing in general and
legal writing in particular. Course activities support LL.M. students’
work in their required Legal Research and Writing course and
emphasize correct, concise, complete and clear written discourse.
Legal Academic Speaking:
 Spring semester only: Academic Speaking for LL.M. students is
offered to Vanderbilt Master of Laws students who wish to improve
their public speaking and pronunciation skills in English and
broaden their American-culture knowledge base as well. Students
give both prepared and impromptu presentations, read and
discuss topics in US news, and work on the sounds and intonation
of American English.
Enrollment:
 All interested Vanderbilt LL.M. students should contact Cynthia
Coleman, Associate Director of Law School Admissions and
International Services regarding enrollment in semester LL.M.
courses.
Questions?
For more information regarding course content, please contact:
Debra Lee, Language Teaching Specialist
Tel: +1 615-322-2277
Email: debra.s.lee@vanderbilt.edu
For more information regarding eligibility content, please contact:

4. Susan M. Barone, Director
Tel: +1 615-322-2277
Email: susan.m.barone@vanderbilt.edu