Center for Legal English
The Center for Legal English offers a rich portfolio of workshops and experiences designed for all LL.M. students. For multilingual, international LL.M. students, we also provide specialized language support.
The Center for Legal English at Georgetown Law has been a pioneer in Legal English since 2003. Our faculty draw on their advanced knowledge of both law and linguistics to develop innovative approaches to the teaching of law and language.
What We Offer
Georgetown LL.M. students access the following offerings through our Canvas page.Â
- Writing Workshops: We provide students support tailored to their writing needs, including skills for memo writing, scholarly legal research and writing, writing samples, and publishing. Many of our alumni have had their papers published in top U.S. law journals.
- Academic & Professional Workshops: Our workshops are designed to help students navigate law school successfully, covering academic success and career development.
- One-on-One & Group Consultations: Our faculty are available for individual and small-group consultations to provide personalized feedback and guidance.
- Community Events: We believe community is central to success. We host co-curricular outings, coffee hours, and other events to build connections among our students and faculty.
- Virtual Offerings: Many of our offerings, including our speaker series, are also available virtually, so students can participate on their own schedule and from wherever they are.
- Self-Study Online Courses: Self-paced online Legal English courses are available. These courses are:
- Online Legal English: Orientation to the US Legal System(This link opens in a new tab)
- Online Legal English: Reading Cases(This link opens in a new tab)
- Online Legal English: Exam Writing (Intro to IRAC)(This link opens in a new tab)
- Online Legal English: Fluency & Vocabulary Building(This link opens in a new tab)
The Center for Legal English was founded in 2003 by Professor Craig Hoffman, who recognized something about multilingual, international students that was not yet widely understood: these students bring unique strengths and expertise to U.S. law schools, and with support, they could thrive in — and enrich — the Georgetown Law community. He recognized, too, that these students are not only acquiring a new language but a new form of legal discourse — the ways lawyers think, argue, and communicate — and that pairing linguists and lawyers was the key to unlocking the strengths this population brings to the study and practice of law.
As a leading scholar of law and linguistics, Professor Hoffman brought intellectual rigor and curiosity to the field of legal English pedagogy, helping to shape it into the discipline it is today. As a leader, he built a team grounded in trust and purpose, investing in each person and wanting everyone around him to excel at work they love. The current faculty of lawyers and linguists are committed to continuing his vision and the global community he made possible.
What began as a response to the needs of a specialized LL.M. program grew into something much larger. Since its inception, our faculty have worked with hundreds of students from around the world, guided by an approach rooted in linguistics, legal scholarship, and genuine care. Over two decades later, the Center for Legal English, one of the longest-running programs of its kind in the United States, continues to evolve. It stands as a pioneering center dedicated to innovative, research-informed approaches to law and language for all LL.M. students, both foreign- and domestic-trained.