ENGLISH FOR LAWYERS

Legal English is the use of specific legal terminology for non-native speakers working in a law-related profession. It is primarily used, though not limited to, commercial and international legal services. Many areas of law typically operate in a transnational, global setting where general English is often the preferred lingua franca for conducting commerce.

Due to the prevalence of the English language in international business relations, as well as its role as a legal language globally, the international legal training community has developed legal English to address these commercial demands and requirements. This is primarily because generalised training often ignores the ways in which English usage may be modified by the particular demands of legal practice – and by the conventions of legal English as a separate branch of English in itself.   

English for Lawyer's courses prepares its students for work as lawyers in commercial law offices where English is used. Our residential course, held in Dublin, involves 5 hours of course preparation plus 25 hours of lessons and a further 20 hours of tasks involving international legal English study to consolidate the participant’s ability to practice International law. We focus on general legal vocabulary related to the EU and common law legal systems, legal profession, and the skills lawyers need in their daily working lives.

 Courses are offered at intermediate and advanced levels and are designed for students who want to learn or improve their legal English skills. Legal English courses are suitable for lawyers, paralegals, legal secretaries, students of law or professionals working in legal departments.  Our  TOLES intensive course can also help you prepare for the Test of Legal English Skills (TOLES).  

Topics include key terminology and concepts covering contract law, real and intellectual property, employment law, civil and criminal procedure, family law, evidence, lawyers’ responsibilities as advocates in and out of the courtroom, as well as current legal issues. Students work with authentic texts, real interactive materials used by lawyers in the course of their practice.