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The aim of the course is to familiarize students with the foundations for a strong level of written expression in legal areas (various types of letters, memos, case briefs).
Students can thus realize how the content and form of written expression are mutually conditioned and what linguistic and formal means can be used to clearly and comprehensibly convey the intended content to both (legally) informed and uninformed recipients of information (lawyer-lawyer and lawyer-client). Poslední úprava: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (14.09.2026)
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1. The assessment consists of completing a series of written assignments throughout the course. 2. Assignments must be submitted by the specified deadline; otherwise, a penalty will be imposed, and the grade will be reduced by one grade point for each day of delay. To successfully complete the course (and obtain the credits), all assignments must be duly completed and submitted within five days of the submission deadline. 3. In addition, students must meet the compulsory attendance requirement in order to satisfy the course requirements. Each student must attend at least 5 of the 9 classes. 4. The final grade is based on the average grade for all five assignments. Poslední úprava: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (14.09.2026)
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As part of the Essentials of Legal Writing course, students will become familiar with the following types of documents: - Letter of advice - Letter informing about the legal services offered; - Letter recommending the resolution of a legal dispute; - Letter to the opposing party in a legal dispute; - Case brief (summary of the judgment) - Summary of important points of a court decision - Memorandum - Research and analysis of a legal problem - Contract - Lease agreement - explanation of contractual provisions Individual seminars will follow the below program:
Week 1 - Writing a letter to a potential client outlining the legal services offered (in a corporate context) - Style and structure: letter structure, paragraphs - Language: present perfect tense, vocabulary - Task 1: Write a formal letter to a potential client according to the instructions in the handout, incorporating any comments from your senior lawyer (max. 350 words). Week 2 - Writing a letter with a recommended resolution of a legal dispute (in a civil law context) - Style and structure: description of steps to be taken; polite request - Language: assessment of legal liability - Task 2: Write a letter to the client with a recommended resolution of the legal dispute, following the instructions in the handout (max. 400 words). Week 3 - Understanding and explaining basic vocabulary and phrases from the field of contract law (in the context of property rights) - Style and structure: clear and understandable written expression - Language: terminology from the field of contracts - Written exercise in the seminar: summary of contractual provisions from a lease agreement Week 4 - Case brief (summary of the judgment) (in the context of criminal law) - Style and structure: brevity and conciseness in writing the summary, precise language - Language: vocabulary related to judgments - Task No. 3 – Summarize the decision of the Supreme Court according to the material distributed in the seminar: (1) identify the parties to the dispute; (2) briefly and clearly summarize the facts on which the lawsuit is based; (3) precisely identify the legal problem arising from the described facts; (4) summarize the court's reasoning that led the court to the given decision (this is the longest part); and (5) state the legal principle underlying the case. Your reader is a colleague (a lawyer) who needs a concise, accurate, and complete summary of the decision because he or she is working on something similar. (max. 600 words) Week 5 - Explaining legal requirements to a client (in the context of administrative law) - Style and structure: organizing lists/conditions - Language: polite refusal - Seminar writing exercise: letter to a client regarding a conflict of interest Week 6 - Writing a memorandum (in the context of employment law) - Style and structure: structuring long documents, references and citations - Language: formulating legal questions - Task 4: Write a memo for your supervisor regarding the legal questions described in the handout given at the seminar. (max. 1000 words) Week 7 - Formal writing – description of complex legal institutions (in the context of family law) - (Letter to the opposing party’s lawyer – Part 1) - Stylistics and structure: how to structure complex ideas - Language: word order - Written exercise in the seminar: description of a problem in the field of family law Week 8 - Letter to the opposing party’s lawyer - Stylistics and structure: how to write to the opposing party? - Language: what “tone” to use? - Task No. 5: Write a letter to the opposing party’s lawyer based on the instructions from the seminar. Week 9 - Guest lecture on drafting written submissions for international courts.
Poslední úprava: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (14.09.2026)
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Required literature: Handouts will be distributed at each seminar. Recommended literature: 1. Bryan A. Garner, Legal Writing in Plain English, Second Edition: A Text with Exercises (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing), University Of Chicago Press; Second Edition (August 26, 2013) 2. Richard C. Wydick, Plain English for Lawyers, Carolina Academic Press; 5th edition (July 30, 2005) 3. Richard K. Neumann Jr., Kris Tiscione, Legal Reasoning and Legal Writing: Structure, Strategy, and Style, Seventh Edition (Aspen Coursebook), Aspen Publishers; 7 edition (March 6, 2013) Poslední úprava: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (14.09.2026)
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By completing this course, students will acquire the following knowledge and competencies:
Poslední úprava: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (14.09.2026)
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The course is intended for third-, fourth- and fifth-year students with a GOOD command of English who wish to improve their written legal English skills.
Poslední úprava: Šicnerová Barbora, Mgr. (14.09.2026)
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