This coming August, Fordham Law will welcome its first group of students to study at the School’s Legal English Institute.
The Legal English Institute, which is open to international law students and graduates, will offer both credit and non-credit courses of study. LEI classes will include Introduction to the U.S. Legal System and Law Study, Foundations of Private Law, Lawyering Skills, Working with Contracts, Communication Pragmatics for Lawyers, and Legal Professional Identity,
Over the course of a single semester, LEI students will develop their legal English and lawyering skills, and learn about the foundations of the U.S. legal system. Institute co-directors John Terry Dundon and Toni Jaeger-Fine designed the institute’s offerings to reflect what they have learned throughout their experience in the fields of law, linguistics, and international education.
“We are extremely excited about this project,” said Jaeger-Fine, who serves as the School’s assistant dean of international and non-J.D. programs. “The Legal English Institute is a great foundation for students pursuing a Master of Laws degree and is also a unique stand-alone program for law students and graduates who want a one-semester course of study.”
Students seeking a degree from Fordham’s Master of Laws program can use the Legal English Institute as a cornerstone of their LL.M. studies. By completing two semesters of graduate-level coursework after the LEI, students can earn an LL.M. degree in U.S. Law and one of the other seven specializations of their choosing.
The Legal English Institute welcomes participants who have studied law outside the United States. Participants in the program are eligible for an F-1 student visa.
Students who wish to study at the Legal English Institute can begin the program in either August or January. Registration is due June 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester.
Those interested in studying in the Legal English Institute are encouraged to email [email protected] or call 212-636-7702. Learn more about the Legal English Institute.