U.S. Legal English

English for Lawyers
July 15 – July 24, 2010; Washington, D.C.

The Institute’s U.S. Legal English program is an intensive 10-day seminar at the George Washington University Law School that prepares international legal professionals to communicate effectively in English. The program focuses on oral presentations, writing, listening, and legal vocabulary, and it addresses special aspects of the U.S. common law system that affect the way lawyers communicate in the United States. Class sizes are limited so that each participant is able to receive personalized attention from the instructors and to develop those aspects of U.S. Legal English of most interest to the participant’s area of legal specialization. In addition to the daily academic component, the program includes a number of extra-curricular activities in Washington, D.C. which allow participants to practice their English skills with U.S. lawyers as well as enjoy the many cultural and social attractions of the nation’s capital.

Faculty & Lecturers

This annual program has for years been directed by Professor Mark Hoch (Louisiana State University), a specialist in teaching Legal English to foreign lawyers and coordinating introductory programs in American law. The Institute is very pleased to announce that for the July 2010 program, Professor Debra Lee from Vanderbuilt University Law School will again be instructing IUSLAW participants. Professor Lee, perhaps the most experienced and innovative Legal English teacher in the country, is the author of American Legal English: Using Language in Legal Contexts (2nd Edition, 2007), published by the University of Michigan Press (with translations funded by the U.S. Department of State). She has taught Legal English in several U.S. Government sponsored programs around the world and is the author of numerous articles on the subject. In addition to her Juris Doctor degree, Professor Lee also holds a Master's degree in English. Professor Lee will be the primary instructor for the U.S. Legal English program.

Professor Christy H. DeSanctis, the Director of the Legal Writing program at the George Washington University Law School, will also be instructing IUSLAW participants in the U.S. Legal English program. Prior to joining the GW Law School faculty, Professor DeSanctis practiced law at two major law firms in Washington, D.C., Steptoe & Johnson LLP and Collier Shannon Scott, PLLC. There, she focused on trial and appellate litigation at both the state and federal level, including in the U.S. Supreme Court, and worked on a variety of regulatory and legislative matters before federal agencies and Congress. She published numerous practice-oriented articles relating to major legislative efforts with which she was directly involved. Prior to that, she clerked for John W. Bissell, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Professor DeSanctis has also taught several undergraduate English courses. In addition to her Juris Doctor degree, Professor DeSanctis holds a Master’s degree in English language and literature, with an additional focus in rhetoric and composition. She recently published the second edition of a four-volume legal research and writing textbook with Foundation Press.

The program will also include one or more guest presentations by practicing Washington lawyers.

Tuition & Housing

Tuition for the "U.S. Legal English" program is $1,695. Persons also participating in the "U.S. Legal Methods: Introduction to U.S. Law" program (July 26 - August 20, 2010) will receive a $250 discount on the tuition for "U.S. Legal English."

The cost for housing accommodations in nearby corporate apartments is $60 per person per night for a shared two-room apartment or $96 per night for a (single) studio/efficiency apartment. Other housing options may be available, including substantially less expensive (and less convenient) accommodations found on the internet. Costs will vary depending on location and amenities.