Duration
30h AUTR
Number of credits
| Bachelor in law | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The bilingual pleading exercise consists in the participation into a mock-trial by bilingual teams of two or three students. The exercise is organised in collaboration with the KUL and the ULB.
Teams are randomly formed out of the pools of French and Flemish (Dutch) speaking students. The case involves general principles of contracts and obligations and special contracts law related issues, as well as fundamental principal of Belgian procedural law related issues.
Each team, depending one which sides it represents, must draft together a written submission in French or in Dutch and then plead the case in the other language. A hearing is organised before a mock-tribunal composed of members of the faculties of law of the ULiège, KUL and ULB. The tribunal may ask questions to the teams in both languages.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The exercise aims at familiarising students with legal practice. Its goal is to improve students' capacity of critical reasoning and their ability to argue a case. It permits students to improve their oral expression skills and to familiarise with the legal rhetoric. It finally offers students the possibility to practice, at least in a passive way, the Dutch language.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
A sufficient, at least passive, command of Dutch is expected from students. Students are encouraged to plead, even if not in their native language. A sufficient knowledge of Belgian principles of contracts and obligations and of Belgian special contracts laws is also required.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
An introductory session is organised in October. Instructions are given as to the drafting of the submission(s) and the form of the pleadings. A model of submission is provided to the students.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
NA.
Recommended or required readings
NA.
The written submission and the pleadings each count for 50% of the final mark. As regards the written submission, both form (presentation, spelling, style) and quality and structure of the legal reasoning are evaluated, as well as the quality of the argumentation as such. For the pleadings, marks are attributed depending on the legal and rhetorical quality of the pleadings, on the clarity of the presentation of the argumentation and on the capacity to address the tribunal's questions.
Written submissions sent after the date fixed are considered void and are sanctioned by a zero mark.
Students which would not obtain a minimum of 10/20 for the exercise, will be requested, as second examination session, to draft a legal note on a topic linked to the casus they worked on during the exercise. Here again, both form, content and legal quality of the work will be assessed. The precise topic will be communicated at the beginning of July. Expect if they can prevail form a duly motivated and proven event of force majeure, only students who have effectively participated in the exercise by filing written submissions and by attending the pleading session will be allowed to present the second examination.
Notes sent after the date fixed by the examiner are considered void and are sanctioned by a zero mark
Work placement(s)
NA.
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
NA.
Contacts
Alexandre.Rigolet@Uliege.be Benoit.Kohl@Uliege.be
Applications shall be sent to : nbleve@uliege.be