News Archive

Professor M. Catherine Beck, who is the Legal English instructor for IU McKinney’s LL.M. program, won a Global Legal Skills award in Monterrey, Mexico. The award was presented at the 12^th Global Legal Skills Conference.

Professor Beck, who is a senior lecturer in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, was recognized for creating the Legal English Program at IU McKinney and for her support of global legal skills education. She created the program at IU McKinney in 2003 when the LL.M. program was new to the law school.

As the Legal English coordinator, Professor Beck begins working with new LL.M. students for when English is not their first language during the pre-semester Legal Skills seminars in August and January. After these seminars, most LL.M. students take the English for Academic Purposes placement test, and those who place into Legal English classes continue working with Professor Beck while pursuing their Master of Laws studies.

As a non-lawyer language specialist working in Legal English for more than 15 years, Professor Beck has enhanced legal skills pedagogy for lawyers and law students who speak English as a second language, according to the award announcement.

In the photo from left are Miki Pike Hamstra, Director of Graduate Programs at the law school; and Professor Beck.