Universidad Pública de Navarra - Nafarroako Univertsitate Publikoa

Module/Subject matter

PRIVATE LAW/COMMON LAW BASICS

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Contents

Main focus on (North) American legal system: general description, structure, legal sources, case law and Private International Law.

• The nature, classification and sources of law.
• Public Law: The Law of the Constitution.
• The administration of the Law: the role of the Judge in the Common Law. The role of Lawyers in the Common Law.
• Procedure and evidence.
• Private Law: The Law of Contract, the Law of Torts, the Law of Property, Trusts and Family Law.

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General proficiencies

• English language skills (C.G.4)
• Critical analysing skills (C.G.14)
• Ability to recognize diversity and multiculturism (C.G.13)

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Specific proficiencies

• Ability to express in English using specific terminology [C.E.b.2]
• Ability to describe the main concepts covered in the course [C.E.b.9]

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Learning outcomes

• Organize coherently the contents of the course
• Write legal documents related to the contents of the course in a clear way, using precise terminology in English
• Be aware of the diversity of the society and be able to adapt to new situations
• Critically review the different Common Law institutions covered along the course
• The student must be able to identify and describe specific Common Law issues
• The student must be able to differentiate and compare Common Law and Spanish (civil law) institutions

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Methodology

Activity	On-site class time	Non-class time
A-1 ¿ Expositive/participatory lectures	22
A-2 ¿ Practical cases	8	18
A-3 ¿ Debates and group assignments
A-4 ¿ Work on the assignments
A-5 ¿ Individual reading
A-6 ¿ Individual study		25
A-7 ¿ Exams or other evaluation tests	2
A-8 ¿ Individual tutorship
Total	32	43	75

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Languages

The course is given in English and most of the materials in class will be in English.

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Evaluation

 

Learning outcome	Assessment activity	Weight (%)	It allows test resit	Minimum required grade
R10,R186,R204,R213	Attendance and active participation	15%	No
R10,R151,R186,R204,R213	Case resolution and presentation: two group works and one individual case work.	35%	Yes. Written proof
R10,R151,R186,R204,R213	Final exam	50%	Yes	5/10*

*To overcome the subject a score equal to or greater than 5 out of 10 is required in the final exam (or proportional to its valuation). If a note of less than 5 out of 10 is obtained in the final examination, the rating of the continuous assessment shall be taken into account, without the final rating of the subject, plus the continuous rating and the final rating, exceeding 4,9 out of 10.

 

 

 

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Agenda

I: Precedents: history and originality of American Law

1.1 Colonisation.

1.2 Independence and Confederation.

1.3 1787 Constitution and Federalism.

1.4. Comparative constitutional law 

 

II. The Constitution of the US:

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 Structure.

2.3 Articles: government structure and shared powers.

2.4 Amendments: fundamental rights and freedoms.

 

III. American judicial system.:

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 Federal courts.

3.3 Choice of court: jurisdictional issues.

3.4 State judicial system: some remarks.

 

IV. Sources of law:

4.1 Sources in US legal system vs. Sources in Spanish legal system

4.2 The role of the case law: introduction.

V. Development of common law and the case law as reference:

5.1 Common Law: introduction.

5.2 Study and analysis of the case law.

5.3 Stare Decisis rules.

 

VI. Corporate Law in the US:

6.1 Introductory remarks.

6.2 Typology.

6.3 Comparative law.

 

VII. Dispute resolution in the US:

7.1 Introductory remarks.

7.2 Alternative dispute resolution:

    a) Arbitration.

    b) Mediation. 

7.3 US procedural law:

    a) Civil procedures.

    b) Criminal procedures.

    c) Appeals.

 

VIII. European PIL and American PIL ¿ a comparative analysis:

8.1 Introductory remarks.

8.2 Role of the US in the main international rules and instruments:

   a) Commercial law.

   b) Maritime law.

   c) Judicial cooperation.

   d) Family law.

8.3 International commercial arbitration and the US.

a) The US Code and the Federal Arbitration Act

b) 1958 New York convention.

c) 1965 Washington convention.

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Bibliography

Access the bibliography that your professor has requested from the Library.

• DOMINO, J.C., Civil Rights and Liberties in the 21st Century. Routledge, 2018.
• BRADLEY. C., International Law in the US. Legal System, Oup, USA, ,2013.
• FINE,Toni M., An introduction to the Anglo-American legal system, Global Law Collection, Pamplona,Thomsom Aranzadi,2011.
• TARDIF, Eric, Sistemas jurídicos contemporáneos. Derecho comparado.Limusa 2012.
• SEROUSSI, Roland, Introduction aux droits anglais et américain, Paris, Dunod,2008.
• ALCARAZ, Enrique, CAMPOS, Miguel Angel y MIGUELEZ, Cynthia. El inglés jurídico norteamericano, Ariel, 2007. 

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Location

Public University of Navarre. Campus Arrosadia. Aulario.

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