Essentials of Teaching Legal English with Kirk Beahm (The Legal Professional)IC:

This workshop focuses on aspects central to courses or lessons which include “Legal English” as a topic. The workshop provides educators with foundational knowledge of what legal language is and how it is used (as opposed to “normal” office communications), as well as how to use this knowledge in lessons. The lesson also includes hand-out activities and supplementary materials which teachers may put to use in their own lessons. For this session, we are dividing the workshop into 2 parts:

Part 1:
Comprehending Complex (Legal) Documents

Here, we take a look at foundational language knowledge which can be used to help students understand complex legal documents like contracts, court decisions, and laws. We also consider approaches to how such knowledge can be used in the classroom and offer tips on what works well (and what does not). We also look at how these approaches can be used in the wider legal English context, i.e. in areas other than contract drafting.

Part 2:
Differences between Office Communications & Legal Communications: Common Pitfalls

Accuracy and consistency are paramount in good contract drafting, but accomplishing these can prove difficult, especially when students are unaware of how language is used differently in office communications such as emails and letters compared to legal documents like contracts. Here, we take a look at some of the most common language aspects which cause difficulties for students at work and for teachers in lessons, and provide a knowledge foundation, tips, and in-class activities designed to help educators gain confidence and a clear starting point when it is time to jump into legal English.

Both parts will feature some practice and in-class implementation of the topics covered.