On August 26, the Legal English Institute (LEI) at Fordham Law School welcomed 14 new participants—including both practicing lawyers and law students—from seven countries around the world: Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Singapore, Switzerland, and Turkey. This semester-long program was created by Fordham Law Assistant Dean Toni Jaeger-Fine in 2017 to introduce participants to the U.S. legal system, the fundamentals of U.S. law, and practical lawyering skills, while also helping to enhance their legal English proficiency.
“We found that many international students and lawyers who wanted to take a U.S. LL.M. program needed a course like this to bridge the gap in their knowledge and English language skills. We have also found that international lawyers seek out this program to gain very practical lawyering skills applicable to practice not just in the U.S. but everywhere,” said Dean Jaeger-Fine. “We are proud of the many lawyers and students who have come through the program and who have gone on to take the LL.M. program at Fordham Law or another school,” she added, “and we are happy to be able to provide this platform to support both educational and professional goals.”
The LEI curriculum is comprised of the following courses:
- Introduction to the U.S. Legal System and Law Study
- Foundations of Private Law
- Contract Drafting and Negotiation
- Fundamental Lawyering Skills
- Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona
- Communication Pragmatics for Lawyers
- Legal English Tutorial
The program is offered twice per year, running for a full semester (August to December and January to May). Participants leave with a foundation in the U.S. legal system and practical lawyering skills, including ample opportunity to work on both their written and spoken English.
LEI is offered online this semester for the third time, demonstrating Fordham Law School’s commitment to providing robust international education, even during a pandemic. “The online platform has worked well for this program, offering international students and lawyers the chance to participate and build their networks without leaving their home countries,” said Dean Jaeger-Fine.
One of the participants from the Spring 2021 semester stated: “Overall, the program covered important topics down to the finest details, such as what kind of difficulties foreign lawyers might face in the U.S. But I think the best part of this journey was that in such a short time, it gave me an idea of the legal and education system in the U.S. and taught me how I should prepare myself for my next academic step while also improving my professional persona. I had classmates who came from all over the world and they enriched my worldview with their diversity which was an amazing experience that I could never have gained anywhere else.”
For additional information or to register, please click here.