Diploma in Legal Writing & Terminologies

SEMESTER-1

    1. Legal Language:

Contents:

• Advance grammar blended with Legal terms.
• Advance level legal vocabulary/word power.
• Advance level legal texts reading & writing skills.
• Advance level aural & oral skills in legal contexts.
• Knowledge of celebrity cases/current legal cases/legal issues/legal vocabulary.
• Advance level presentations in legal topics.

Objectives:

• To gain proficiency in advance grammar structures.
• To expand and enlarge advance level Legal English vocabulary.
• To develop ability to read, comprehend and analyze legal texts in different formats, efficiently and accurately.
• To create and maintain interest of students in expressing & communicating in Legal English through various ‘Legal Language’ assignments.
• To develop positive attitude, confidence and competence in legal language.
• To create and maintain interest of student in current legal issues and cases.
• To develop creative thinking, analytical skills and legal research skills.
• To develop error free advance writing skills i.e. Paragraph writing, connectors and linkers, common errors, report writing, precis writing, summary writing, letter writing and basic email writing.

2. Legal Skills (Proofreading and Editing):

• Proofreading techniques and methodology including in detail rectifying irrelevant& redundant terms, wrong words and phrases, grammar and sentence structure errors, numbering systems, titles/subtitles, spellings/punctuation errors, factual discrepancies in drafts, citation errors etc.
• Editing of legal documents.
• Checking of style, structure, graphics and flow of information.
• Checking of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.
• Checking of URL links, captions, footnotes, references, images, table, quotes, citations, bibliography etc.
• Checking of word choice to fine tune the overall tone of the document.
• Examination of the document for inconsistencies in theme, style and factual information.
  Examination of the document to check copyright permissions to ensure zero possibility of legal conflict.

Objectives:

• To develop and refine required skills and in depth intellect to comprehend and correct the mistakes in various texts, drafts and documents as per their respective context.
• To attain expert knowledge in proofreading techniques matching international standards not only legal documents but also academic documents such as dissertations, theses, letters, various kinds of civil, criminal & corporate drafts.
• To develop expert skill in students to cater not only national but also global market in proofreading all kinds of documents.
• To empower students in critical reading, polishing, refining and enhancement of manuscript
• To enable students in doing authentic modifications, alterations and decisions from dual side view i.e. the point of view of both writer and audience.
• To develop improvising skills in students regarding additional research suggestions create better flow & clarity.

3. Legal Terms & Terminologies

Contents:

• Loan words and phrases from other languages.
• Legal Terms/ Legal Phrases/ Terms of art.
• Legal Terms/words often confused and misused.
• Use of Unfamiliar pro-forms in Legal Language.
• Synonyms and Antonyms in legal writing.
• Specialized words, phrases and idiomatic expressions.
• Words and titles used in Legal Language.
• Legal drafting/ Preparing case brief/summary.
• Famous foreign proverbs in English Legal Language.
• Quotidian words having different/special meanings in law.
• Doublets/Triplets in English Legal Language.
• One word substitutions in Legal Language.
• Propositional phrases.
• Use of Pronominal Adverbs.
• Argumentative writing on current legal issues.
• Study of national and international landmark cases that changed the legal landscape and played a decisive role in development of various laws.
• Reading, comprehending and making notes of all the legal terms and tough words/phrases/idioms etc.

Objectives:

• To gain expert level proficiency in comprehending, reading, writing and making accurate usage of legal terms and terminologies.
• To create and maintain in-depth knowledge and interest in current legal issues, amendment in laws, judicial reviews, court judgments, various national & international laws  and cases.
• To develop expertise in comprehending and analyzing various legal texts in different formats, efficiently and accurately.
• To develop extensive legal writing skills with respective citations, legal terminologies and precedents. 

4. Legal Writing & Paraphrasing:

Analytical, logical and investigative articles, reviews and dissertations on current legal issues and amendments, to express legal analysis, legal rights and legal duties, properly backed up with relevant precedents, assertions and statements with citations to authority, using extensive legal terminologies i.e. Specialized words and phrases unique to law, ordinary words having different meanings in law, legal maxims, foreign legal words, pronominal adverbs, doublets and triplets, idioms, legal phrases etc.

• Paraphrasing and rewriting.

Objectives:

• To equip students in expressing important legal amendments, updations and issues in own words, to increase the general understanding of complex legal documents.
• To empower students to think in different ways and to express different interpretations of legal text, so as to increase the understanding of legal topics from different perspective

Basic knowledge of English Language is required