MODULES

Module 1: GENERAL LEGAL CULTURE

1.Module Title: General Legal Culture

2.Credits: 10

3.Brief description of aims and content

This module aims at enabling the trainees to get general knowledge and basic skills in the functioning of common law and civil law legal systems, in international proceedings, and in advanced legal research methods.

Module 2: INTERVIEWING

1. Module title: Interviewing

2. Credits: 10

3. Brief description of aims and content

This module aims at enabling students to conduct interviews as advocates, police officers & prosecutions and as judges with clients, suspects, witnesses and victims effectively and efficiently.

Module 3: THE COURSE OF CIVIL SUIT

1.Module Title: The course of civil suit

2.Module Credits: 25

3.Brief description of aims and content

This practical module intends to equip DLP students with hands-on practical skills in dealing with the daily practice of courts, mostly with regards to the litigation management of civil matters from the first step of filing a claim up to the post-trial procedures. The subjects to be taught are carefully selected and for the purpose, dwell on the ethics and values of judicial professions in Rwanda. Coverage of core concepts is emphasized as it underlines a better understanding of civil proceedings as well as a deep clarity from common law perspectives. In this regard, highlights on key concepts go hand in hand with a review of principles of a fair trial. The main part of the module’s content includes topics on the pre-trial phase in civil cases, trial management, judgment writing, and post-trial procedures.

Module 4: CRIMINAL PROCESS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

1.Module 4: Criminal Process and Criminal Justice

2.Credit: 22.5

3.Brief description of aims and content

This module aims at enabling the trainees to understand the pre-trial process, criminal dossier preparation, to master the process of selective charge according to the present facts, to be able to link those facts to the laws in force, to evaluate the evidence, and to prepare a criminal defence case. The entire process of a criminal dossier will be discussed, from the stage of preliminary investigations to the stage of execution of penalties decided by the court.

Module 5:ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

1.Module Title: Alternative Dispute Resolution

2.Credits: 10

3.Brief description of aims and content

This module aims to ensure that students are aware, and understand the potential advantages and disadvantages, of the processes – negotiation, mediation, and arbitration - which are available, as an alternative to adjudication from a court, to settle a dispute. It will, therefore, equip them with the ability to decide on which process to adopt in any particular case; and with the skills which they will require, in order to use these processes in helping their clients.

Module 6: CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS

1.Module Title : Civil and Commercial Transactions

2.Credits: 13

3.Brief description of aims and content

This practical module aims at giving a hands-on experience in the everyday practice of the work as a transactional lawyer. Subjects to be dealt with are land registration, land allocation, lease and land management, land transfer, commercial leases and distribution of household property, incorporation of companies, mergers, and acquisitions, insolvency practices, procedural aspects of intellectual property, financial market, and the use of negotiable instruments.

Module7:CONTRACT DRAFTING AND PRINCIPLES OF LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING

1.Module Title: Contract Drafting and Principles of Legislative Drafting

2.Credits: 10

3.Brief description of aims and content

This module aims to enable students to understand principles and purposes which govern the drafting of any legal document, with a specific emphasis on contracts and legislations, and equips them with skills to draft for themselves and others legal documents fulfilling the required drafting standards.

Module 8: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

1.Module Title: Practice Management

2.Credits: 5

3.Brief description of Aims and Content

This module on Practice Management aims at introducing DLP students to the practice of Law Firms. It will focus on Admission and Ethics for Advocates; Advocates’ forms of associations; Setting up and managing a law firm; Dealing with clients’ money; Marketing; Client care, and EAC freedom of establishment.