The objective of this course is to create a better understanding of jurisprudential concepts central for the legal discourse and legal scholarship in particular, as well as providing doctoral candidates with a theoretical and practical background as to fundamental issues in modern legal systems.

This course will consider the continuing impact that new technologies have on the practice of law in general and jurisprudence in particular.  There are four modules: (1) law, philosophy and technology; (2) law and technology; (3) legal scholars and technology (4) the GRiM Winter School.  A series of lectures and one-on-one supervision will help the students through the challenges presented in each module. 

The purpose of the first module is to equip students with informed general perspectives about the way computerization has impacted the law.  This first section of the course will query the complex relationship between law and Information Communications Technologies (ICT). The following questions will be explored: What is the relationship between law and ICT? Does the law lag behind ICT? Can the law regulate technology?  Should technology adapt to the law or vice versa? The seminars will be conceptual in nature, with the intention of providing students with tools to address ICT law issues connected to their individual works.

In the second module, the age of advanced robotics and automation will be explored. Through a discussion of robotics and automation, questions of legal ontology and epistemology, including what it means to know or enforce the law, the nature of rules and rule-following, what makes laws and their interpretation legitimate, etc. will be explored.  A central goal is to contemplate the interrelationship between ethics, law and technology by thinking about topics like the general goals of artificial intelligence and how automated systems ought to resolve conflicting rules and norms.

In the third module, the topic of legal scholars and technology will be explored.  Here, the focus is on the practical use of information communication technologies to support doctoral students. Throughout this section of the course, the students will be guided through ways that information communication technologies can assist the development of legal scholarship.  Students will also explore how wider access to legal information available in online databases, such as through free-text searching, have affected legal knowledge itself.

In the fourth module, students will participate in the GRiM Winter School.  The Winter School course covers a selection of topics in the field of Information Communications Technology (ICT) and the law.  During this week, students will reflect further upon how emerging information technologies create new opportunities and challenges from a legal perspective.  They will also strengthen their legal information management and eLearning skills.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students should be able to:

• Understand the theoretical and practical underpinnings of current technologies and how they impact the practice of the law
• Analyze and evaluate the relevance of the jurisprudential concepts investigated during the course, and identify whether or how they manifest themselves in the student’s research
• Demonstrate deeper insight into, and be able to assess and evaluate, the interaction between law and technology
• Identify, analyze and evaluate complex queries and problems with regard to legal dilemmas that arise because of emergent technologies
• To produce and formulate independent, systematic and critical legal analysis (both in writing and orally).

Mandatories

The course consists of seminars conducted in English. Students are expected to actively participate in the seminar discussions. Each student will submit a paper (max. 1250 words) every week, in which he or she examines the relevance of the concepts under discussion for his or her dissertation. The student will also present this paper orally as an object for a group discussion.

• Students will be encouraged to experiment with information communication technologies in order to bolster their knowledge about the topic
• The course will pay particular attention to critical and strategic thinking and analysis, complex legal and practical problem solving, and clear and persuasive writing.

Forms of examination

The course concludes with the submission of a paper (max. 5000 words in English) by the doctoral candidate on a question chosen by the examiner.

Grading (pass or fail) is based on the following:
- 20% for class preparation and participation,
- 40% for the four writing assignments as well as their oral presentations,
- 40% for the final examination.

Examiner

Liane Colonna

Schedule & Reading list VT21 (161 Kb)