Vocabulary tasks

A Choose the correct answer: a), b) or c).

1 The job of a ... is to listen to evidence and to decide what really happened.

a) solicitor

b) juror

c) notary

2 A ... deals with causes and sudden deaths.

a) coroner

b) advocate

c) barrister

3 One who lives in the USA and acts for clients in a lawcourt is called an ....

a) judge

b) prosecutor

c) attorney

4 Mr. Brown was recommended as a ... who was a great expert in the law.

a) agent

b) jurist

c) lawyer

5 The men were arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to seven year imprisonment by the ... .

a) solicitor

b) judge

c) advocate

6 Don't sign anything until you've consulted a ... .

a) coroner

b) juror

c) lawyer

7 The chief ...told the court that Johnson was guilty of a horrible crime.

a) agent

b) notary

c) prosecutor

8 A ... has the legal power to make a signed document official.

a) advocate

b) judge

c) notary

9 If you want legal advice in Britain you go to a ... .

a) solicitor

b) investigator

c) arbitrator

10 As ... 007 he appears in a series of novels written by I.Fleming.

a) clerk

b) jurist

c) agent

B Match the legal terms on the left with their definitions on the right.

1 investigator a a police officer whose job is to investigate a crime

2 advocate b a lawyer who practises law, especially in the USA

3 barrister c a person who conducts an official inquiry

4 attorney d a group of people who listen to the facts of a case in

court and decide whether the accused person is guilty

or not

5 jury e a person who pleads the cause of his client before a

court

6 bailiff f a person who has the right to speak in higher

lawcourts

7 detective g court officer in the USA who keeps order in court of

law

C Match the parts of the sentences.

1 The jury finds the defendant a with the Police Department.

2 The judge decided that the evidence b to deal with that case.

3 We have agents dealing c before making investments.

4 An advocate is a lawyer d to the scene of the

explosion.

5 The jury decided that he was e an arbitrator in an argument.

6 She was asked to be f guilty of murder.

7 A team of special investigators have gone g not guilty.

8 She hired a private detective h with our legal matters .

9 He is a detective i that Johnson was guilty of a

horrible crime.

10 Consult an independent legal adviser j was not relevant to the trial. 11 A special prosecutor was appointed k to find her husband.

12 The chief prosecutor told the court l who presents a client's case

in a lawcourt.

D Match questions in column A with answers in column B.

A

B

1 Who conducts an official inquiry? 2 Whose duty is to present a case in a court? 3 Who can argue cases in the higher courts in England? 4 What kind of problems does a solicitor deal with? 5 Who acts for or in place of other people? 6 What is an advocate? 7 What power does a notary have? 8 What is a sheriff in the USA? 9 Who conducts criminal proceeding? 10 What other terms for a lawyer do you know?

a A notary makes a signed document official. b A prosecutor. c An advocate, attorney, barrister, solicitor. d An elected officer responsible for keeping law and order in a county. e A lawyer who presents a client’s case in a court. f An investigator. g It’s an advocate’s duty. h An agent. i A barrister can. j A solicitor prepares legal documents, advises clients, and sometimes speaks for them in the courts.

E Write down what are:

1 the advocate’s duties

2 the investigator’s duties

3 the acts, performed by the investigator

4 the categories of people summoned and questioned by the investigator

5 the prosecutor’s duties

6 the acts, performed by the agent

7 the attorney’s powers / authority

8 the bailiff’s duties

9 the qualities of a good juror

10 the sheriff’s duties in the USA

F Read the following words and try to guess the meaning of their derivatives. Then distribute them into three columns – nouns, verbs, adjectives.

advocate lawful adviser(-or) arbitrary

arbitrate investigator investigate lawless

advise prosecution prosecutor investigation

lawyer advisable law prosecute

I nouns	II verbs	III adjectives

G Complete the following sentences with an appropriate word.

1 Our (judges, agents, prosecutors) work in the Middle East.

2 Last year all his furniture was seized by (bailiffs, lawyers, clerks).

3 If a person in Britain has a legal problem he will go and see (a barrister, an

arbitrator, a solicitor). In the USA he will go and see (a barrister, an attorney,

an advocate).

4 (Jury, A judge, A barrister) is an expert in the interpretation of law.

5 Don’t sign anything until you’ve consulted (a coroner, a lawyer, a juror).

6 The job of (a judge, a sheriff, a juror) is to listen to evidence and to decide

what really happened.

7 The chief (lawyer, notary, prosecutor) told the court that Johnson was guilty of

a horrible crime and asked for the maximum sentence.

8 The (solicitor, advocate, judge) sentences him to seven years imprisonment

for armed robbery.

H Distribute the legal professions under proper headings.

Out-of-court	In court	Investigation

I Compare the professions.

- solicitor and barrister

- judge and arbitrator

- attorney and prosecutor

- detective and coroner

- clerk and notary

- bailiff and sheriff

J Collocations.

Match the verbs and nouns. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.

1 instigate a) a client

2 bring b) a prosecution

3 prefer c) a copyright

4 prepare d) a suspect

5 reach e) a fee

6 settle f) out of court

7 charge g) a verdict

8 arrest h) a case

9 defend i) a brief

10 infringe j) an accusation

K Use an appropriate phrase from Exercise J to complete each sentence.

1 A prosecution can prefer an accusation or ………. a ………. against

someone suspected of committing a crime.

2 In the UK, only the Crown Prosecution Service can ………. a ………. against

someone on a criminal charge.

3 By copying my novel and selling it as your own, you have not only ……….

my ………. but also betrayed my trust as a friend.

4 The two sets of lawyers agreed not to go to trial but to ………. out of ……….

5 Some lawyers do not ………. a ………. if the client asks for very simple

advice.

6 The jury took three days to ………. a ………. .

7 All lawyers must ………. their ……….even if they doubt their innocence.

8 As a solicitor in a large company, I spend a lot of time ………. for barristers.

9 The police had sufficient evidence of his guilt to ………. the ………. .

Over to you

Being a lawyer is regarded as one of the best professions in many countries. Think about what the different areas of specialization are, and which you would choose, or have chosen, and why. Make notes under the headings: choice of specialization; number of years of training; income expectations; responsibilities; kinds of clients; need for foreign languages; likely challenges and opportunities. Add any other points that occur to you.