International Legal Communication, full-time, second cycle

1. Number of semesters: 4

2. Number of ECTS points necessary to complete studies at a given level: 120

3. The professional title awarded to graduates: master

4. Classes are held in a modern building at ul. Dobra 55, the seat of the Faculty of Applied Linguistics.

5. Area: humanities and social sciences

6. Disciplines

1. in the field of humanities: linguistics (51%)
2. in the field of social sciences: law (49%)

7. Language of the study: English

8. Unique features of the program:

The goals and concept of education in the 2nd degree course of studies "International Legal Communication" meet the requirements of the modern world, in particular the requirements accompanying the development of legal sciences and linguistics. One of the extremely current, global challenges is the need to provide recipients of the law with adequate legal information. International legal communication deals with these issues.

International Legal Communication focuses on international, supranational and transnational legal regimes in conjunction with linguistic elements of objective legal and legal reality, such as facts, events, phenomena, processes etc .; physical, mental or emotional actions and behavior; human creations, both physical and spiritual; human states, thoughts and feelings, images, mental constructs, etc., and linguistic statements expressing those thoughts, images, or mental constructs that relate to the formulation, expression and reconstruction of legal information carried by and communicated by legal regimes.

International legal communication takes place on three levels:

• creation and shaping of law and related communication between entities that create and shape this law;
• making the law public, i.e. informing recipients of the law about the content of the law and the rights and obligations arising therefrom;
• advocacy, to the extent that lawyers process legally relevant information and communicate it to their clients (laymen) and other lawyers, including judges, respectively.

Consequently, teaching and research on international legal communication will be conducted in three specialties, in the following system:

• 1st year students follow a joint program during the first two semesters of studies.
• in the middle of the second semester, students submit a written declaration regarding the choice of specialty from the second year of studies:

1) "Design Thinking in Law" – a specialty focusing on the education of personnel dealing with research on the creation and shaping of law in the linguistic context, its conceptualization, terminology, textemics and logic;

2) "Transference of Legal Knowledge" - a specialty focusing on the training of staff involved in research on the social perception of legal information, in particular the simplification of this information and its anthropological and ethnographic aspects;

3) "Epistemology of Lawyering" – a specialty focusing on the education of personnel dealing with research on communication effectiveness in the field of advocacy.

An integral element of the studies are research workshops conducted with the participation of stakeholders and together with foreign research centers. Outstanding students will have the opportunity to study trips and participate in international scientific conferences. Graduates of this field of study will have unique, interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills predisposing them to continue their education at doctoral schools, and in the future - to research.

Detailed study program: here

9. Profile of the graduate

The studies educate specialists in international legal communication who - apart from conducting interdisciplinary scientific research individually or in research teams - can work as:

• after completing the "Design Thinking in Law" specialty: specialist in law harmonization and global governance in state institutions and international organizations; manager or contractor in translation and terminology projects in the field of law; lawyer-linguist;
• after completing the "Transference of Legal Knowledge" specialty: specialist in corporations and state institutions dealing with the preparation of legal information for the specific communication needs of its addressees; specialist in corporate social responsibility in corporations and social organizations; translator, proofreader, reviser and post-editor of legal texts;
• after completing the "Epistemology of Lawyering" specialty: office customer service specialist; translator in a law firm; an interpreter in an alternative dispute resolution environment.

Admission rules for candidates with Polish diplomas

Candidates with a master's, bachelor's, engineer's degree, or equivalent, obtained in any field of study, may apply for admission.

Admission to the studies will be based on a qualifying interview, aiming to assess the candidate's predispositions, including the evaluation of academic, scientific and professional achievements, as well as communication skills and motivation for pursuing studies.

During the qualifying interview, the overall knowledge about the significance of communication in the field of law will be assessed (one general question about the candidate's interests and another about the importance and critical evaluation of communication in the realm of law creation, application of law or relationships between lawyers and laypersons). The following will be evaluated: argumentation skills, understanding of the problem and communication competencies - 0-50 points for each element of the interview.

The minimum number of points required to pass the interview is 60 points. Failure to attend the qualifying interview results in disqualification of the candidate and assigning 0 points in the qualification process.

The maximum number of points to be obtained in the recruitment process is 100, with a minimum of 60 points required for admission to the studies.

Based on the results of the qualification process, the recruitment committee creates a ranking list, determining the order of admission to the studiesin within the limit of available spots.

General Question on Candidate's Interests:

• What aspect of the legal field interests you most, and why is communication essential in that area? How would you research this topic?
• What legal issue do you find most intriguing, and how do you think legal communication influences its resolution?
• In your opinion, how does effective communication shape the public perception of the legal profession?
• How do you see the role of multilingualism in international legal practice? Why is it important?
• What legal topic would you like to explore further in your studies, and how would you approach researching it?

Importance and Critical Assessment of Communication in the Legal Sphere:

• How does communication impact law-making, law application, or lawyer-non-lawyer relations? Provide examples and suggest research methods to study this impact.
• How does the use of plain language in legal documents impact access to justice? Provide examples.
• What role does media play in shaping legal discourse and public understanding of the law?
• In what ways does courtroom communication influence trial outcomes? Discuss the role of rhetoric and persuasion.
• How do differences in legal terminology between jurisdictions affect international legal cooperation?

Admission rules for candidates with foreign diplomas

The same rules apply as for candidates with a degree obtained in Poland.

Checking the candidates' competence to undertake studies conducted in the English language

In the qualification process for second-degree studies conducted in English, candidates are required to present a document recognized by the University of Warsaw certyfying proficiency in the English language at least at the B2 level.

In case of a lack of documents confirming proficiency in English at the B2 level (in accordance with the requirements specified in the general recruitment resolution), the candidate's language skills will be assessed during the qualifying interview for the studies.

A positive result in the qualification procedure confirms the candidate's competence for studying in English in the mentioned field.

Confirmation by the recruitment committee of sufficient proficiency in the English language is a condition for allowing the candidate to proceed with further recruitment proceedings. Failure to achieve the minimum number of points required to pass the interview results in disqualification of the candidate.

Information on documents certifying knowledge of the English language. >> Check! <<

 

Deadlines

Date of an interview: 16th-17th of July, 2025

Announcement of results: 22nd of July, 2025

Reception of documents: 

• I round: 23rd-25th of July, 2025
• II round (in case of not fulfilling the limit during I round): 28th-29th of July, 2025
• III round (in case of not fulfilling the limit during II round): 30th-31st of July, 2025
• additional rounds will be announced in case of not fulfilling the limits

Payments

Application fee

Student's ID payment (ELS)

The studies are payable - tuition fees

Required documents

List of required documents submitted by candidates qualified for studies

Additional information

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