On August 21, the Legal English Institute (LEI) at Fordham Law School welcomed 18 new
participants. The participants are practicing lawyers and law students who earned their law degrees from 10 countries around the world: Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Ukraine. This semester-long program will take place fully in person at the Law School’s campus in New York City.
“After an extremely successful return to in-person LEI last August, we were very happy to greet this impressive cohort in person again this fall,” said Bernard Daraz, director of international and non-J.D. programs and a program co-director. “We are excited to introduce them to the Fordham Family this semester.”
Many of the students already have a plan to continue directly into the LL.M. program starting in January 2024. LEI was created in 2017 to introduce participants to the U.S. legal system, the fundamentals of U.S. law, and practical lawyering skills while helping to enhance legal English proficiency, and to serve as a bridge to the LL.M. program for those interested in enrolling. It is also, however, a standalone program: other participants are here on a semester abroad as part of an undergraduate or graduate legal program at their home institution, are already working in the profession, or are undecided about their next steps and are exploring options.
“We are proud to continue to offer cutting-edge programming that attracts law students and legal professionals of all different skill levels,” said Cecilia Caldeira, the assistant dean of international and non-J.D. programs, and the other co-director. “LEI truly immerses the participants into the Law School community and demonstrates the benefits of a Fordham education.”
The following courses comprise the LEI curriculum:
- 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
Fordham Law School offers the program two times a year, running for a full semester (August to December and January to May, the latter of which is normally held online). Participants leave with a foundation in the U.S. legal system and practical lawyering skills, including ample opportunities to work on both their written and spoken English.
For additional information or to register, please click here.