Computers and Legal Education at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Methodology and Experiences Karol Dobrzeniecki, LLM
Summary: - Introduction: desirable substance and form of the legal education (questions for discussion). - Educational offer at the NCU in Torun - Plans and possibilities for the future - Students’ activity in the field of IT law and legal informatics
Contracts in cyberspace Is „cyberlaw” a new kind of the law of the horse ? Crime in cyberspace Property in cyberspace Human Rights in cyberspace
Reforming legal education - How should we teach law in the cyberage? - to modernize legal studies - to keep their humanistic character - to avoid technicalization and depersonalization of social relations at the law faculty
The case of Torun, NCU: Current offer for graduate students: - legal curricula have generally remained unchallenged but particular issues of IT law are present in teaching programs - obligatory computer classes for law students - specialist IT law course - comparative course - student working groups’ activity
How to compose a course of the IT law for graduate students? CRIMINAL LAW 1 3 CIVIL LAW HUMAN RIGHTS LAW LEGAL THEORY lectures devoted to IT law issues
How to compose a course of the IT law for graduate students? Legal theory Corresponding subjects at the computer classes, e.g. digital signature, click- wrap licenses. User level. Civil law Human Rights Etc. Criminal law
LLM Seminars - Criminal Procedure - Criminal Law and Computer Law - Civil Law - Human Rights Law
Specialist Course IT Law for Criminal Lawyers - 15 hours - content: privacy issues, data protection, electronic signature, electronic document, cyber crime, intellectual property in the network environment
Course of Comparative Law - all subjects offered in English - target group: Socrates students - Comparative Criminal Procedure - electronic evidence, child pornography in the European Perspective
Plans for the future: - new topics at the course of comparative law: 1. Consumer protection in cyberspace - formation of contracts 2. Protection of consumers in contracts negotiated at a distance. 3. Protection against misleading and unfair advertising on Internet 4. Protection of collective consumers interests - unfair e- commerce
Students activity Student Working Group of the Computer Law - registered in dealing with a role of law in the information society - seminaries, conferences, meetings and discussions, cooperation with academics -
Conclusion A need for balanced and responsible IT implementations: - into the curricula - into the educational process Rather to form a good lawyer with some IT competence than an IT expert with a superficial legal knowledge.