Computers and Legal Education at the Nicolaus Copernicus

University in ToruńMethodology 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

1

2

3

HUMAN RIGHTS LAW

3

2

1

LEGAL THEORY

1

444

2

3

4

2

- lectures devoted to IT law issues

How to compose a course of the IT law for graduate students?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1Legal theory

2

3

4

5

6

Corresponding subjects at the computer classes, e.g. digital signature, click-wrap licenses. User level.

Civil law

Human Rights

Etc.

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 2000

- dealing with a role of law in the information society

- seminaries, conferences, meetings and discussions, cooperation with academics

- www.sknpk.uni.torun.pl

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.