This course is designed to train students in methodological tools for conducting specialized legal research and develop essential skills of legal writing. The course is organized in two stages, whereby students are first introduced to general methods of legal research and writing before they are offered specific research training in their respective subject specialization. Doctrinal research, comparative law method, socio-legal research, empirical and qualitative research, persuasive legal writing, referencing and citation styles are introduced. Methods of objective research in specializing in the respective area of the respective programme, their specific bibliographical sources and electronic references, and discipline specific writing styles are covered.

CILO-1: Students will be able to determine the avenues for identifying specific topics of legal research and the need for choosing specific research methods in achieving the research objectives. CILO-2: Students will be able to appraise general legal research methods and inter-disciplinary research tools for developing a research design, and to identify essential legal writing styles and samples, specific legal citation as well as referencing styles. CILO-3: Students will be able to construct specific research approaches to achieve objective research in European Union, International and Comparative Laws, with recognition of specific sources of research and legal writing styles in the respective specialities. CILO-4: Students will be able to assess emerging approaches and technology tools in conducting speciality legal research, and to create plans for conducting original research contributing to the disciplinary knowledge.