Legal English
Legal English
Activity 12
Collocations: match a word or phrase on the left with a noun or noun phrase on the right to form
expressions in the passages that describe activities or skills. Add them to your list from Activity 5.
A B
1. field a) recommendation, suggestion
2. agreement b) topic, subject, matter
3. litigation c) a document indicating the passage of property when a person
4. skill dies
5. rights d) to declare the right to have something
6. issue e) to hire, to rent for a temporary period
7. to claim f) legal privileges
8. advice g) sector
9. to lease h) accord, pact
10. a will i) ability, capacity
j) legal action, disaccord between two parties _
Activity 13
Choose the correct verb. Remember the correct collocations in activity 8 and the
correct grammar.
1. A Real Estate lawyer (avocat immobilier) makes/ doesn’t give/ gives advice
to his clients about his property.
2. In some specializations the lawyer negotiates / do negotiates / negotiate with
clients.
3. All lawyers settle / doesn’t settle/ do claims between parties. = regler une
revendication)
4. A lawyer often do/ has!does legal research in his job.
5. It is important for a lawyer to know how to make/ draft / drafts legal
documents well.
6. An IP lawyer makes / does/ gives commercial agreements for his clients.
Activity 14
WRITING__________________________________________________
Now write a paragraph about you.
What subjects do you study? How often do you come to the university? Which
subjects do you like in particular? What do you want to do in the future?
Are you interested in one of the specializations described above or a different one?
Which skills do you think you will need? Which can you do now, and which must
you learn how to do for the future?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
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Private Law
Private Law involves individuals. It involves one private entity who sues, or takes to court, another private
party in a civil lawsuit.
Areas of Private Law:
Private law includes Civil Law, Labour Law, Commercial Law, Corporations Law, and Competition Law.
prosecution, against the accused person. The state is responsible for preventing crime, for protecting the
public. It must bring criminals to justice, and deal with criminal offenders.
Civil Law where one or both parties want compensation. Civil law is all law that is not criminal law, for
example, property law, and contract law, which is the law of personal agreements.
Specific vocabulary
Activity 1
In which classification of law can we put the following?
1. A law case about a contract between a worker and a company.
2. A law case between a criminal and the state
3. The legal regulations when taking a person to court.
4. The legal system used in Britain, Australia and parts of North America.
5. An administrative law or regulatory law. _
6. The legal system used in Italy, France and other parts of Europe:
7. The laws to decide how parliament can make laws
Word building: complete the table below. Most of the words you need are in the text.
verb Adjective noun
classify
divide
substance
proceed proceedings : poursuites
judiciaires)
legalize legal
government
suit (law suit)
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administrate
verb Adjective noun
crime/ a criminal
to compensate
to punish
prevention
Justify Just
prosecute
application
Agree
Specific vocabulary
substantiate : justifier, fournir des sue : poursuivre en justice/intenter un
preuves à l’appui de procès à
proceed (against sb): intenter des suit (lawsuit): action en justice/process
poursuites contre qn prosecute : intenter une action/poursuivre
legal proceedings : poursuites judiciaires qn pour qlch)
indicted : inculpé/mis en accusation prosecution : poursuites judiciaires
compensatory : compensatoire prosecutable : passible de poursuites
litigious : litigieux
Activity 3
Do you need a verb, adjective or noun to fill the gaps in these sentences? Use the words in the completed
table above. Remember to put the verbs in their right form.
The laws which _______ our everyday lives and say what we can and cannot do are called ___ ___ laws,
while the laws which control the steps we take when we want to file a ________ are procedural laws.
In criminal law, the case is between the ________ and a criminal and the state decides on a just _______.
In fact, the state must try to ________ crime. In civil law the case is between two individuals who cannot
________
In civil or Roman law, the judge ______ the abstract rule to the case, while in common law the judge
makes decisions on cases which then become _______norms for other cases.
Read the brief descriptions of these four cases. Which classifications of law do they involve? Think of the
following:
Procedural Law – Private Law – Public Law – Criminal Law – Civil Law –
Constitutional Law – Administrative Law – Real Estate Law – Intellectual Property
Law – Family Law
Activity 4
Put the words in the boxes into the gaps and write which classifications of law they involve.
1.case – court - problems - remove – violence
Summary: The ______concerns Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson. They have two children but there are family
_________.The children often see scenes of domestic _______involving their parents. For this reason,
their aunt and uncle want to _______the children from the custody of their parents. Mr. and Mrs.
Stevenson do not accept this and want to take the case to ________
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Below is a text about the differences between Criminal, or Penal law and Civil law. Before you read,
discuss the questions below with another student and write answers. You can use the expressions in the
box.
award/ pay damages - file a lawsuit - find a person guilty - put in prison - pay a fine - prove a person
guilty/innocent - win / lose a case - sue a person
1. In your country, if you want to complain and claim your legal rights, what do you do?
________
2. In your country, what are the names of the two parties in a civil lawsuit?
________________
3. Are the names different in criminal law? _____________
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In civil cases, the defendant is found liable or not liable. This means he is considered responsible or not
responsible. If he is found liable, he must pay damages or follow orders.
The judge can give the defendant an order for specific performance, in other words, the judge tells the
defendant what he must do to rectify.
In civil law a guilty person is never put in prison. A guilty party is usually called the losing party and they
must reimburse the plaintiff with the quantity of money decided by the judge. This is called punitive
damages.
In law, criminal litigation is considered a very serious process and so criminal defendants have more rights
and protections than civil defendants.
In criminal law the state must prove that the criminal, or defendant, is guilty. The prosecution must prove
that the defendant is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. That means the court must not have doubts that the
person is guilty. This is a very high level of proof and it is necessary because the criminal can have a long
prison sentence.
In civil law the proof is based on the balance of probabilities. The defendant must show that the plaintiff’s
evidence is false or incorrect. The judge must decide who is probably right. If the judge believes there was
more than a 50% probability that the defendant was negligent then the plaintiff wins. In criminal law the
court needs 99% proof to condemn the accused person.
Criminal law and civil law are very different but each is a system used to correct a wrong action through a
fair judgement.
Activity 3
Complete the table below.
CIVIL CASES CRIMINAL CASES
reason for the law to maintain the rights of to maintain law and
individuals order
person who starts the a private person or entity
case
legal name plaintiff or ___________ prosecutor
level of proof needed beyond __________
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Specific vocabulary
plaintiff : plaignant balance of probalities : prépondérance
claimant : requérant des probabilités
punitive damages/specific performance: beyond reasonable doubt : au-delà de
ordonance en nature/ execution integrale tout doute raisonnable
liable or not liable : responsable ou non guilty or not guilty : coupable ou non
responsable coupable
level of proof : niveau de preuve
Activity 4
Read these statements. Are they true or false?
1. In civil law the person who complains about another and starts a lawsuit is called the defendant.
1. In criminal law there are two parties.
2. In civil law the person who loses is guilty.
3. In criminal law the person is acquitted or convicted (déclarée coupable ou non coupable).
4. In civil law, one person pays damages to the court.
5. In common law, in criminal cases the court must have no doubts that the person is guilty.
Activity 5
GRAMMAR FOCUS_____________________________________________________
Expressions for comparing: look at these sentences comparing the two types of cases.
o In a criminal case the person who starts the case is called the prosecutor, • but in a
civil case he is called the claimant or plaintiff.
o In a criminal case, the defendant must be proved guilty ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ •
while/whereas in a civil case the proof is ‘on the balance of probabilities.’
o The standard of proof for criminal cases is • different from the level of proof for
civil cases.
Now write two more sentences using the expressions in bold above and with the information in the
table:
In a civil case the reason for the law is________
Example: In a civil case, the reason for the law is to maintain the rights of individuals while in a
criminal case, the reason for the law is to maintain law and order
In a civil case, the reason for the law is to maintain the rights of individuals whereas in a criminal
case, the reason for the law is to maintain law and order.
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
Activity 6
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Read the brief descriptions of the cases in unit 2 again and answer the questions about them:
1. In the first case, are Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson defendants or plaintiffs?
2. Is there a prosecutor involved?
3. In the second case, is there a prosecutor?
4. What is Mr. Defoe’s legal position? _
5. Must Mr. Defoe be proved guilty or liable?
6. In the third case, who is the defendant?
7. Is Mr. Collins guilty, liable or not liable?
8. In the fourth case, who are the claimants or plaintiffs?
9. What standard of proof is necessary in this case?
10. In the fifth case, who is the defendant and who is the claimant?
was / were
wanted
had
Activity 3
Answer the questions with complete sentences, e.g.
How old was Katrina when the case started? Answer: Katrina was twelve.
1. Where did Katrina go to have her ears pierced?
2. What happened as a consequence of the piercing?
3. What did her parents do?.
4. Where did the case take place?
5. How long did the case last?
6. What was the final verdict?
Activity 4
SPEAKING _______________________________________________________________
Do you agree with this verdict, why or why not___________________________?
Activity 5
READING _______________________________________________________________
Read the text below and put the verbs in the simple past.
Activity 6
SPEAKING ____________________________________________________________
Do you agree with this verdict, why or why not___________________________?
Activity 7
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Activity 8
SPEAKING ______________________________________________________________
Do you agree with this verdict? __________________________________
Activity 9
Read the text below and put the verbs in the simple past.
ANOTHER CASE: Gallagher v. Hake
Raymond Hake ________ (live) in Somerset and _________ (work) as a demolition contractor, that is, he
__________ (demolish) buildings and material. The chief executive of the Environment Agency, Ed
Gallagher, _________ (decide) to prosecute against him because he was disposing large amounts of
pesticides into the local river and polluting it. Mr. Gallagher ______ (say) he had destroyed the river and
had cost the county £500,000 for cleaning. The prosecutor ______ (take) Hake to Yeovil Magistrates
Court where he was found guilty and ordered to do 200 hours’ community service. The court also ______
(tell) him to pay a fine of £1,500. Mr. Gallagher was disappointed with the sentence. The maximum
sentence for the offence was a fine of up to £20,000 and six months in jail.
Activity 10
Answer the following questions
1. Does this case refer to Criminal Law or Civil Law?
2. What type or types of law are involved?
Activity 11
SPEAKING _____________________________________________________________
Do you agree with this sentence? Why or why not?
Activity 12
Write the questions to obtain the following information. e.g.,
Where did Raymond Hake live? He lived in Somerset
1. He was a demolition contractor.
2. He was taken to court because he was polluting the local river.
3. Ed Gallagher, the chief executive of the Environment Agency took him to court.
4. The case took place in Yeovil Magistrates Court.
5. The final sentence was a fine of £1,500 and 200 hours community service.
Activity 13
Read the text below and put the verbs in the simple past.
CASE FOUR Crown Court v. Whalley and son
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John Whalley_________ (want) to steal from the post office a parcel in a depot, so he _______ (ask) his
son to mail him in a wooden box. Unfortunately for him, they ______ (put) the box in the wrong
warehouse and a guard ________ (catch) him when he got out, so he __________ (not steal) anything. At
the trial, he ________ (claim) that he had done this for a bet. The trial ________(take) place at
Birmingham Crown Court where the judge________ (find) father and son guilty of conspiracy to steal
from the City Link warehouse. The sentence _____ (be) a year for John Whalley and 18 months’
probation for his son.
Activity 14
Answer the following questions
1. Does this case refer to criminal law or civil law?
2. Who is the defendant?
3. Was there sufficient evidence against him?
4. Who was the main witness?
(cases taken and adapted from ‘AQA Law’ – Jacqueline Martin)
Activity 15
WRITING ______________________________________________________________
Imagine you are questioning the guard about this event.
Write some questions you can ask him; e.g. what time did this happen?
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UNIT 5. PROGRESS CHECK
Activity 1
Choose the correct collocation:
1. Do you ... a) draft a document or b) make a document?
2. Do you .... a) do a claim or b) settle a claim?
3. Do you.... a) make advice or b) give advice?
4. Do you.... a) do research or b) have research?
Activity 2
Put these words from unit 1 into the sentences:
advice - agreement - field - leasing - litigation - rights - skills - will
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Activity 4
Chosse the correct answers.
1. In a criminal case, who is against the defendant?
. a) The claimant; b) the prosecutor c) the judge
2. In a civil case, what is the right expression if the defendant wins?
a) guilty b) not liable c) liable
3. In which type of case is proof beyond reasonable doubt necessary?
a) civil and criminal b) civil c) criminal
4. If, in a civil case, a defendant is liable, it means...
a) He can go to prison b) The claimant is guilty c) He must do what the judge
orders
Activity 5
The verbs below are from unit 3. Do you know their past tense form? Use them to complete the sentences.
acquit - admit - arrest - complain - deny - lose - win – convict
1. The claimant ____________ the case and the judge awarded him damages
2. They caught the man and the police _________him and took him to prison.
3. The claimant wasn’t very happy because he ______ the case.
4. He said he didn’t take the money but the police said he did. He ______taking the money.
5. He said he was guilty. He __________ he was guilty.
6. They found him not guilty and __________ him.
7. They found him guilty and _______him.
8. The hotel ________that the children were very noisy
Activity 6
Put these words in the correct order to form questions. Ask another student the questions.
1. when /decide /you /did /to study / law?
2. the information / you / find /did /on the Internet?
3. last night /you / where / go /did /? Key:
4. do / what / did /on Saturday evening/ you?
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Activity 2
Match the crimes to these definitions:
1. if you make false money or copy another person’s signature, it is _______
2. If you kill someone and you had planned to do it, it is ______
3. If you go into another person’s house at night and take property, it is ____
4. If you deliberately don’t pay all your taxes, it is __________.
5. If you go into a shop and take things and leave without paying, it is _____
6. If you drink too much alcohol and then drive home, it is ________
7. If you steal someone’s property, for example their car, it is _______.
8. If you illegal sell drugs, it is __________.
9. If you bring things, such as drugs or exotic animals, into the country illegally, it is
________.
10. If you talk maliciously about another person to the general public and harm them, it is
________
11. If you take someone away and then ask for ‘ransom’ money, it is _______
12. If you deliberately set a building or a forest on fire, it is _________
13. If you write on public walls or break public property, it is ________
14. If you attack someone violently, it is ______________
15. If you pay someone to do something for you illegally, it is _______
16. If you cheat someone and make them give you money under false pretenses, it is ______
17. If you kill someone but did not intend to do it, it is _______.
18. If you sexually abuse a person against their will, it is _______
19. If you go into a place, for example, a bank, and force people to give you money by threat
or violence, it is. ________
20. If you steal someone’s things, such as a bag, when they are in a public place, it is _______
Activity 3
These are crimes. What are the names of the criminals and what are the verbs?
Can you complete the table below?
CRIME PERSON VERB
Bribery a briber to bribe
bag-snatching to snatch
burglary to burgle/to break into
slander diffamation
a drunken driver
to forge contrefaire
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Activity 4
Match each person on the left with the correct definition on the right. Put the verbs
in parentheses in the correct forms of the simple present.
a.an arsonist 1. (to attack) and robs people often in the street (aggresseur)
b. a shoplifter 2.(to set) fire to a property illegally
c. a mugger 3. (to be) anyone who breaks the law
d. an offender 4. (to break) into houses or other buildings to steal
e. a vandal 5. to steal) from shops while acting as an ordinary customer.
f. a burglar 6. (to kill) someone
g. a murderer 7. deliberately (to cause) damage (to) property
h. A kidnapper 8. (to steal) things from people’s pocket in crowded places
i. a pickpocket 9. (get) secret information from another country
j. an accomplice 10. (buy) and sells drugs illegally
k. a drug 11. (to take) away people by force and demands money for their return
dealer
l. a spy 12. (help) a criminal in a criminal act -
m. a terrorist 13.. (use) violence for political reasons
Activity 5
Same instruction as above
a. an assassin 1. (cause) damage or disturbance in places
b. a hooligan 2. (hide) in a ship or plane to get a free journey
c. a 3. (take) control of a plane and makes the pilot change course
stowaway
d. a thief 4. (murder) for political reasons or a reward
e. a hijacker 5. (be) someone who steals
f. a forger 6. (make) counterfeit (false) money or signature
g. a robber 7. (be) a member of a criminal group
(bandit)
h. a smuggler 8. (steal) money etc. by force from people or places
i. a traitor 9. (to marry) illegally, being married already
j. a gangster 10. (be) a soldier who runs away from the army
k. a deserter 11. (bring) goods illegally into a country without paying tax
(Fr.trafiquant(e))
L a bigamist 12. (to betray) his or her country to another
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Activity 2
Put these expressions in the possible chronological order of an assassination.
-1_ make a plot -7_escape from the police – 9_be hanged - 3_fire a gun -2_hide in a place -6_the event
takes place -8_be tried in court – 4_shoot a person – 5_the person dies
Activity 3
WREADING_____________________________________________________________
Group A.
Read this article and give the information to a student from group B
John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838 and was famous because he assassinated Abraham Lincoln,
the 16th President of the United States. The crime took place at Ford’s Theater in Washington DC. on
April 14, 1865. Booth shot Lincoln in the head and he died the next day. He was the first American
president to be assassinated. Booth was an American actor and came from a family of famous actors from
Maryland… He was against Lincoln because he won the American Civil War. Booth and a group of co-
conspirators planned to kill Abraham Lincoln and other members of the government. After the shooting,
Booth escaped to Maryland and then hid in a farm in rural Virginia. Soldiers found and killed him two
weeks later. Other conspirators were also tried and hanged.
GROUP A
Activity 4
WRITING ________________________________________________________________
Write the questions you need to complete the information.
Activity 5
SPEAKING _______________________________________________________________
Then ask a student from group B
Lee Harvey Oswald was born on 1) ________. Three United States government investigations accused
him of 2) _______? This took place in 3) _______? Oswald was a 4) _______? _who went to the Soviet
Union and then returned. They first arrested Oswald because the police suspected him of 5) _______?
Later they suspected him of the assassination of President Kennedy. Guns hit John F. Kennedy and other
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people at 12:30 pm. on 6) _______? As a result, Kennedy died. Investigations on the case concluded that
Oswald shot the gun from 7) _______? of a building while the President’s car passed through 8)
________? Oswald denied 9) _______? But he did not have a trial. Before they took him to court, while
the police took him from the police station to jail, 10) _________? shot Oswald and killed him while on
live television on November 24, 1963.
Questions: e.g.
1) Where was Oswald born?
2) What ____the government ______Oswald of?
3) Where _____ this assassination ____ place?
4) Who _____ Lee Oswald?
5) What _____the police ______accuse him of?
6) When ______guns _____ John Kennedy and other people?
7) Where _____ Oswald ______ the gun from?
8) Where _____ the president’s _____pass through?
9) What ______ Oswald__________?
10) Who ___________?
GROUP B
Activity 6
WREADING_______________________________________________________________
Read this article and give the information to a student from group A
Lee Harvey Oswald was born on October 18, 1939. Three government investigations accused him of the
assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. This took place in Dallas, Texas. Oswald was an
American marine who went to the Soviet Union and then returned. They first arrested Oswald because the
police suspected him of killing a police officer. Later they suspected him of the assassination of President
Kennedy. Guns hit John F. Kennedy and other people at 12:30 pm. on November 22, 1963. As a result,
Kennedy died. Investigations on the case concluded that Oswald fired the gun from a window on the sixth
floor of a building while the President’s car passed through Dallas. Oswald denied any responsibility for
the murders. But he did not have a trial. Before they took him to court and while the police took him from
the police station to jail, Jack Ruby shot Oswald and killed him while on live television on November 24,
1963.
GROUP B
Activity 7
WRITING_______________________________________________________________
Activity 8
SPEAKING________________________________________________________________
Ask a student from group A.
John Wilkes Booth was born on 1) ___________________was famous because he 2) ______________?
The crime took place at 3) _________________? on 4) _________________? Booth shot Lincoln in the
head and he died the next day. He was the first American president to be assassinated. Booth was a 5)
_______________? and came from a family of famous actors from 6) _______________? He was against
Lincoln because 7) ___________________? Booth and a group of co-conspirators planned 8)
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_________________? After the shooting, Booth escaped to 9) ____________________? and then hid in a
farm in rural northern Virginia.10) ________________? found and killed him two weeks later. Other
conspirators were also tried and hanged.
What are your ambitions? What would you like to become? A lawyer? A lawyer specialized in family law
or criminal law’ A legal expert in a company? A judge?
Activity 2
Read below about the law profession in different countries
The responsibilities and roles of the different types of legal professions are different from one country to
another. They depend on the history and the legal system of each individual country.
In some countries the role of a lawyer is divided into two types – lawyers who represent their clients in the
high courts, and lawyers who deal with clients but do not discuss cases in the higher courts. This
distinction is called a split (divided) profession.
In the United Kingdom, for example, there is a difference between the profession of a solicitor and a
barrister or advocate. In Italy and France, too, there is a difference between the role of an advocate
(avvocato) and a civil law notary (notaio). In other countries there is no distinction. A system with no
distinction is called a system with a united or fused profession.
It is important to remember that often the same word for a profession can be used differently depending on
the country. Let’s look, for example, at the word: LAWYER.
In the United States, the word generally refers to attorneys, that is, a lawyer who is legally qualified to
prosecute and defend actions in a court of law. It is never used to refer to patent agents, (agents de
brevet) or paralegals (auxiliaire juridique/technicien juridique). A patent agent is a person who is a
specialist in ‘patents’ or licenses for new inventions. A paralegal is someone who has legal qualifications
but who is not a lawyer.
The U.S. legal system has a united legal profession, which means that it does not make a distinction
between lawyers who plead in court, that is defend a client in a trial, and those who do not.
In England and Wales, “lawyer” is a general term for different types of law-trained persons. It includes
practitioners, or people in the profession, such as barristers (lawyers who work in the high courts),
solicitors (who deal with all legal matters outside the courts and in lower courts), legal executives and
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licensed conveyancers (specialists in property law). The word ‘lawyer’ can also refer to people who work
in the legal system but do not represent individual clients, such as judges or court clerks.
In Australia, the word “lawyer” is used to refer to both barristers and solicitors but not to people who do
not practice the law.
In Canada, the word “lawyer” differs depending on the province. In the common law provinces, it only
refers to individuals who have been called to the bar, that is, a legal professional who is qualified to
represent a client in a high court.
In India, the term “lawyer” is often commonly used, but the official term is ‘advocate’.
Activity 3
Can you match the a) to present a case orally at a trial, to defend a client in
words or expressions to court
their definitions?1. b) a person who is a legal expert in the field of property
solicitor _ c) a legal specialist in patents giving sole rights to
2. barrister _ inventors
3. advocate _ d) a legal person who deals with clients and all legal
4. patent agent _ work outside the law courts
5. plead in court _ e) qualified to represent a defendant in a high court
6. practitioner _ f) a legal professional who presents cases in the higher
courts
7. conveyancer _ g) a person who practices the profession
8. called to the bar _ h) a legal professional in Scotland who has a similar role
to a barrister
Specific vocabulary
barrister : avocat(e) licensed conveyancer : agent agréé
advocate : avocat(e) immobilier
attorney : avocat(e) call to the bar: admission au barreau
plead in court : plaider devant les paralegals: auxiliaire juridique/technicien
tribunaux/une cour juridique
(legal) practitioner: practicien (du droit) civil law notary : notaire de droit civil
patent agents: agents de brevet
Activity 4
GRAMMAR FOCUS_____________________________________________________
Activity 5
Finish these sentences.
1. A barrister is a lawyer ______works in the high courts.
2. An attorney is the American term for a lawyer who is qualified to ______________
3. A patent is a license ______ gives legal rights to inventors.
4. A solicitor is a lawyer __________ works outside the courts or in the lower courts.
5. A conveyancer is a specialist lawyer ___________ deals with _________
6. A paralegal is someone who has legal __________but is not a lawyer.
7. The ‘bar’ in the legal term is a place ______ barristers have their offices and work.
8. A civil notary is a lawyer ______ works for the government.
Activity 6
Finish these sentences about your personal ambitions.
1. I would like to be a person who ______________________________________
2. My ambition is to do a job which_____________________________________
3. I would like to work in an office or a company where _____________________
Activity 7
Read the passage below
More differences between Solicitors and Barristers
Solicitors
Solicitors are lawyers who generally work in civil cases and all legal business outside the law courts. They
advise clients and prepare cases. Sometimes solicitors can present their own cases in the courts. In fact,
nowadays, this is more common and the division between the work of a barrister and a solicitor is not so
precise, but traditionally the solicitor gives information about the client’s case to a barrister who defends
the client in court.
A lot of a solicitor’s work is administrative. His work includes commercial law, conveyancing, family
matters, making wills, tax problems and other legal problems. Solicitors can work alone, in a partnership,
or in a company. They also work in local governments, law centers, the civil service, and in commerce
and industry.
Barristers
Barristers are legal advocates in the higher courts. A barrister doesn’t usually have direct contact with the
client. He receives all the information about the case from the solicitor. This information is called the
‘brief’(dossier/cause). Representing a client in court means that barristers must know how to speak and
think quickly. The responsibility of a barrister is to make sure that the court sees and considers all the
relevant points of law and all the facts in his client’s favor and that justice is done.
The top barristers are called the ‘Queen’s Council’, or QCs, and deal with the complex and serious cases
in the very high courts. Barristers usually work alone but sometimes share an office called a chamber
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(cabinet). Traditionally a barrister wears a white wig (perruque) on his head and a black gown (toge) when
he is representing his client at court.
Activity 8
Finish the table with the information in the text. Use the table to talk about the differences between
solicitors and barristers. Use ‘while’ or ‘whereas’ (see unit 3) to connect the information, e.g. A solicitor
deals directly with clients while a barrister doesn’t.
SOLICITORS BARRISTERS
They generally work in __________ They work in _________
They deal with ___________ They deal with ____________
They deal with cases such as ______ They deal with cases such as ________
Their responsibility is _________ Their responsibility is ______________
They work alone or __________ They work alone or ____________
They don’t usually wear a wig and gown They often wear a ____________