Legal English
Who should take this course?
Law students and professional attorneys seeking to develop their English written and oral communication skills will benefit from taking the Legal English program. Through interactive lectures, guided practice, and simulated activities, students build confidence, accuracy, and fluency in such areas as:
- Writing selected legal documents such as case briefs, emails, and memorandums
- Reading, annotating, and analyzing legal documents and cases
- Giving presentations and public speaking
Placement Test
Students with a pre-advanced or advanced level of English proficiency are welcome to take this program. All new students must take an online placement test to determine their English level before starting the Legal English. The placement test is part of the required online pre-arrival orientation. Students who do not obtain the required English level for this program will take Conversation and Fluency (high-beginner, pre-intermediate, intermediate, and high-intermediate levels).
Additional Admission Requirements
- Application must include personal statement explaining law-related coursework or work experience, and purpose of taking this program.
Dates
2023
- January 9 - February 3 - CLOSED
- February 6 - March 3 - CLOSED
- July 3 - 28 (July 4 is a holiday)
- August 7 - September 1 - CLOSED
- October 16 - November 9
- November 13 - December 8
2024
- January 8 - February 2
- February 5 - March 1
- July 1 - 26
- August 5 - 30
- October 14 - November 8
- November 12 - December 6
View a complete list of all program dates.
Application Deadline
All programs close when they are full. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis until all seats available are taken. Acceptance deadline is 3 weeks before the program start-date.
All enrolled students are required to complete an online pre-arrival orientation before starting the Legal English program.
Program Schedule
- Monday-Friday
- 15* or 20 hours per week
- Schedule varies depending on level and courses chosen
Program Topics Include
- Origins of U.S. Legal System
- U.S. Constitution and Constitutional Law
- The Court Systems
- Criminal Law
- Civil Law
Legal English is taught in two modules and students may take the program two times.
This program includes a visit to a courthouse to observe a public proceedings and a talk by an expert guest speaker on selected areas of law.
In the 15-hour* per week part-time Legal English schedule, not all listed topics will be covered and some projects will be omitted.
Cost (in U.S. dollars)
2023 & 2024
- Application Fee: $175 (nonrefundable)
- Part-time Tuition: $2,050 (15 hours per week / 60 hours total)*, OR
- Full-time Tuition: $2,300 (20 hours per week / 80 hours total)
- International Student Service Fee: $200
- UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies medical insurance: $220
- Books/Materials: Approximately $200 (Payment CANNOT be made in advance. Books and materials must be purchased upon arrival at UC San Diego.)
* The part-time program is not eligible for the Form I-20.
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For a complete list of all programs, please visit our Courses and Programs page.
Advisory About Variable Enrollments
Enrollment numbers in our 4-week English language programs vary from month-to-month. Therefore, if we have low enrollments in the original 4-week program, we will notify you within 30-days of your program start date, so that you may cancel your enrollment or enroll into another 4-week program.
If our online pre-arrival placement tests indicate that your English proficiency level does not permit placement in the original 4-week program class, we will place you in 4 weeks of study in a corresponding 4-week or 8-week program or provide a combination of classes and individual tutoring to ensure a program of 15 or 20 hours per week for 4 weeks. Alternatively, we may decide to place all 4-week program students in level-appropriate classes in a corresponding 4-week or 8-week program in order to provide a program of 15 or 20 hours per week for 4 weeks. When this happens, the students’ 4-week program will have the features described for the new 4- or 8-week program, not the features described for the original program. The tuition and fees for the students’ 4-week program enrollment will remain the same.