Study of the rhetoric and argumentative techniques of jurists and lawyers, with a comparison between ancient and modern.

Rhetoric: origins and development.

The organization of speech. Logos, pathos and ethos.

The parts of persuasive discourse.

Argumentation. Enthymemes.

The research of the arguments. The technique of loci or commonplaces.

The organization of the arguments.

The linguistic and expressive form.

Ciceronian forensic rhetoric.

The rhetorical skills of the ancient and modern forensic orator.

Applied figures and rhetorical schemes. Rhetorical artifices, amplification techniques and involvement techniques.

Non-verbal and paraverbal communication.

Argumentative fallacies.

Rhetoric and argumentative fallacies in advertising.

Rhetoric and argumentative fallacies in contemporary communication. The role of journalism.

The jurists and the media.

Visual argumentation and its role in contemporary forensic rhetoric. Visual rhetorical tools in the American and Italian criminal process.

A) knowledge and understanding (knowledge and understanding):

The student must demonstrate that he possesses knowledge and skills understanding of the subject, such as to elaborate and apply original ideas, too

in a research context.

B) knowledge and understanding skills applied (applying knowledge and understanding):

The student must demonstrate that he is capable of applying his own knowledge, ability to understand and skills in solving related problems

to the subject even within broader or interdisciplinary contexts.

C) autonomy of judgment (making judgments):

The student will have to demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and manage the complexity and to make judgments based on information

limited or incomplete, including reflection on social responsibilities and ethics related to the application of his knowledge and judgments.

D) communication skills:

The student will have to demonstrate that he / she is able to communicate clearly and without ambiguity their conclusions during group work, seminars,

laboratories, interloquendo correctly with the teacher and his colleagues in working class context.

E) ability to learn (learning skills):

The student must demonstrate that he has developed those skills learning that will allow him to continue to study in a mostly way

self-directed or self-employed.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

The course will include the interventions of other sholars.

Teaching

Frontal lessons and seminars. Forms of supplementary teaching will allow in-depth study of the program, with the assignment of additional credits.

Innovative teaching methods

The face-to-face teaching method will be enriched with individual and group exercises and in-depth studies, which students will carry out using the University's Moodle platform. Some topics of the course will be dealt with following the practice of the ‘flipped lesson’.

Course books

G. Sposito, Manuale di retorica forense, Intra, seconda edizione 2023, pp. 1-238 or G. Sposito, The Keys of Legal Rhetoric. A Handbook for Lawyers, Intra, 2020

Assessment

Oral test, to assess the student's communicative and language skills.

Expected learning outcomes will be assessed by formulating three or more questions. The assessment criteria and scores are determined according to the following scale:

- less than 18/30 - insufficient level: the candidate does not achieve any of the expected learning outcomes under 'knowledge and understanding';

- 18-20/30 - sufficient level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the expected learning outcomes under 'knowledge and understanding';

- 21-23/30 - fully sufficient level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen under 'knowledge and understanding' and 'applied knowledge and understanding';

- 24-26/30 - good level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the expected learning outcomes under "knowledge and understanding", "applied knowledge and understanding" and "autonomy of judgement";

- 27-29/30 - very good level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding skills"; "applied knowledge and understanding skills"; "autonomy of judgement" and "communication skills";

- 30-30 cum laude - excellent level: the candidate fully achieves the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding skills"; "applied knowledge and understanding skills"; "autonomy of judgement"; "communicative skills" and "ability to learn".

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

G. Sposito, Manuale di retorica forense, Intra, seconda edizione 2023, pp. 1-238 or G. Sposito, The Keys of Legal Rhetoric. A Handbook for Lawyers, Intra, 2020

G. Sposito, Dizionario di retorica, Intra, 2024

Assessment

Oral test, to assess the student's communicative and language skills.

Expected learning outcomes will be assessed by formulating three or more questions. The assessment criteria and scores are determined according to the following scale:

- less than 18/30 - insufficient level: the candidate does not achieve any of the expected learning outcomes under 'knowledge and understanding';

- 18-20/30 - sufficient level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the expected learning outcomes under 'knowledge and understanding';

- 21-23/30 - fully sufficient level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen under 'knowledge and understanding' and 'applied knowledge and understanding';

- 24-26/30 - good level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the expected learning outcomes under "knowledge and understanding", "applied knowledge and understanding" and "autonomy of judgement";

- 27-29/30 - very good level: the candidate achieves, in particular, the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding skills"; "applied knowledge and understanding skills"; "autonomy of judgement" and "communication skills";

- 30-30 cum laude - excellent level: the candidate fully achieves the learning outcomes foreseen in the points "knowledge and understanding skills"; "applied knowledge and understanding skills"; "autonomy of judgement"; "communicative skills" and "ability to learn".

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.