British Law Centre - BLC
Diploma in English Law and Practical Legal Skills
The British Law Centre’s Diploma in English Law and Practical Legal Skills is organised by a charity based at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Law. It’s members include Lord Carnwath of the UK’s Supreme Court. Its Academic Committee is presided over by Professor Richard Fentiman, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Cambridge University.
Participants of the Diploma course study core issues of English law (including contract law, tort, trusts and others) and build a portfolio of practical legal skills (including case management, legal writing, contract drafting, oral advocacy, debating, mooting, interview skills and others).
The Diploma is taught exclusively by native-speaking English lawyers via pre-recorded online lectures and 8 small-group seminars, at least 4 of which take place at Comenius University Bratislava, with the others happening online. The seminars take place approximately once a month starting from October/November of the relevant academic year – i.e. ending in May/June. Each seminar lasts for approximately 4 hours. There are also extra, voluntary events which participants can join if they wish (e.g. mock trials, mock negotiations, contract drafting workshops).
The course materials are prepared by experts in their respective fields, including academic staff from Cambridge University and other leading UK Universities. The materials and course teachers are available via a dedicated course website. All teaching is conducted in English in a practical and interactive manner.
The Diploma is aimed both at law students, practising lawyers and anyone who wishes to improve their English language and legal terminology. Whether you wish to practise as a lawyer or simply improve your written and spoken English whilst developing a range of other skills, the Diploma helps to make your career goals a reality.
The Diploma is taught at multiple Universities throughout Central & Eastern Europe and is well-recognised amongst legal employers and educational institutions. BLC graduates have already gone on to excel in a wide variety of professional ways, inter alia by working in most of the major international law firms and a variety of legal institutions, including the European Court of Justice. Equally, BLC graduates have gone on to study/teach at variety of illustrious Universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard or Yale.
The Faculty of Law of Comenius University Bratislava is the only faculty of law in Slovakia which can provide its students with this kind of a study programme. The BLC has been based at Comenius University since 2004.
The Diploma is a fee-paying course, but a reduced “earlybird” fee applies until 30th June. To find out more about the Diploma or to apply, please visit our website here and to apply for the course at Comenius University, click here. To speak directly to the organisers, click here.
Fees
Two separate fees are payable – one to the British Law Centre and one to Comenius University. The fee payable depends upon the participant’s status (student/non-student) and the time of payment.
| Fees payable to British Law Centre | Fees payable to Comenius University | |
Student/Non-student status | Early-Bird fee (applies if first payment of 200 € is paid by 30 June) | Standard fee (applies if fees paid after 30 June) | * The same payment date does affect the size of the fee payable. |
Full-time student* | 625 € | 725 € | Students pay a local fee of €150 |
Non-student | 850 € | 950 € | Non-students pay a local fee of €150 |
*Anyone registered as a full-time student at any Higher Education institution within the EU (inc. Ph.D students)
Fee instalments:
It is possible to split fee payments into two equal instalments:
· First Payment – €200 to be paid within 14 days of being accepted onto the course
· Second Payment – to be paid by 31st October
· Third Payment – to be paid by no later than 28th February
NB. Anyone wishing to benefit from the reduced “early-bird fee” must pay the First Payment by 30th June.
Teaching Schedule
The draft teaching schedule for 2024-2025 can be accessed on Google Calendar by clicking here.
Teaching sessions will take place on Saturday (in order to make it easier for participants to attend). However, if (once recruitment has finished) it seems that the participants wish to organise the teaching schedule differently (i.e. different dates, different times), it may be possible to rearrange the draft schedule below accordingly.
Application and Other Documents
Further information about the programme: http://www.britishlawcentre.co.uk/
Feedback from Successful Participants in BLC
"Kurz Introduction to English and European Law bol skvelou príležitosťou ako si precvičiť anglickú právnu teminológiu a pre mňa bola osobitne užitočná časť kurzu zaoberajúca sa medzinárodným obchodným právom a právom duševného vlastníctva. Absolvovanie tohto kurzu takisto prispelo k môjmu rozhodnutiu ísť študovať na Univerzitu v Cambridge."
Pavel, absolvent University of Cambridge
„BLC je skutočne úžasný zážitok, ktorý nielen rozširuje vaše vedomosti, ale rovnako vám pomáha rozumieť iným právnym systémom (VB, EU). Táto skúsenosť vám následne napomôže porozumieť i vlastnému právnemu systému. Z toho dôvodu odporúčam BLC nielen študentom, ale i právnikom vykonávajúcich prax.“
Alexandra, absolventka CEU
„BLC Diploma je prehľadný, vecný a dobre navrhnutý exkurz do anglického práva a práva EÚ, ktorý v prijateľnej miere detailu pomôže slovenskému právnikovi zorientovať sa v tejto veľmi užitočnej problematike. Vrelo odporúčam.“
Andrej, absolvent Harvard University
"British Law Centre je veľmi profesionálny a výborne zorganizovaný kurz. Jeho absolvent má komplexnú predstavu o podobe a vývoji práva v „common law“ systéme a vie ho porovnať s našim kontinentálnym. Kurz neostáva na povrchu informácii a vedomostí ale vyžaduje dôsledné pochopenie tém a neskôr aj aplikáciu poznatkov prostredníctvom „assignmentov“ (v prvom roku) a skúšok (v druhom roku). Nezanedbateľnou výhodou British Law Centre je rozšírenie slovnej zásoby v anglickom jazyku o inštitúty anglického práva a celkové preverenie jazykových schopností.
Je to naozaj výborný kurz, jednoznačne ho odporúčam každému, kto na sebe chce trochu pracovať. Je vedený vynikajúcimi lektormi. Kurz je vhodný pre študentov práva, ale rozhodne aj pre absolventov."
Mgr. Zuzana Illýová, PhD. riaditeľka Ústavu klinického právneho vzdelávania a telesnej kultúry PraF UK