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Intensive Legal English Program

The Intensive Legal English Program (ILEP) is a four-week intensive summer course that provides incoming LLM students with a valuable framework before they begin the degree program.

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Program Overview

Legal English can be difficult, even for native English speakers. During ILEP students will learn and practice spoken and written communication skills necessary for success in their law school courses and in their legal careers. Students will improve their skills through numerous opportunities for practice and continuous instructor and peer feedback throughout the program.

ILEP includes five hours of live classroom instruction, five days per week. Coursework focuses on English communication skills while also providing foundational knowledge of the U.S. legal system.

Courses also focus on the basic knowledge of the U.S. legal system. Students are introduced to case law, culminating in a moot court competition where they will apply what they have learned to a realistic, hypothetical court case.

Coursework

Students will take two courses that each meet for 2.5 hours per day: Intensive Legal English Listening & Speaking (3 credits) in the mornings and Intensive Legal English Reading & Writing (3 credits) in the afternoons.

Activities and assignments include (but are not limited to):

  • Collaborating on group projects
  • Conducting legal role plays such as negotiations and debates
  • Giving presentations
  • Participating in class discussions on legal topics
  • Attending engaging guest lectures on different areas of law presented by accomplished law professors
  • Reading and analyzing court cases and other legal texts
  • Writing case briefs and office memos
  • Presenting an oral argument based on a hypothetical case
  • Composing a written legal brief based on a hypothetical case
  • Competing in a moot court competition in the last week of the program
FAQs

Your questions answered.

Though ILEP courses are tailored to prepare students to pursue a law degree program, the credits do not apply towards credit requirements of a degree program. However, successful completion of the program will earn a Certificate of Legal English from WashU Law.

ILEP takes place in summer, before orientation and the fall semester begin. This provides an early opportunity for LLM students to settle in and become familiar with campus and allows students to focus exclusively on ILEP course material before facing the demands of their regular law school courses.

Being in class and participating in other ILEP activities during the four-week session also gives students a chance to become familiar with their classmates and build community before classes begin in the fall.

For questions about ILEP, contact Mark Bass, Coordinator of Legal English Programs, mark.bass@wustl.edu.