Text e future of law firm

Now there is a clear understanding that whatever your career is, it will involve the use of computational devices. More and more people are coming to law schools – programmers, system analysts, consultants – all deciding law is interesting to them.

Law students are now comfortable with tech*. One can’t be an active member of this profession without these technologies. Either you are doing it, or someone has got to be doing it for you. At the IBM* Centre for Law and Computers in Vancouver the scientists are working on expert systems. In a system called Whiplash you can feed in the details of a particular case. The program then asks questions. Then it will look at a history of other cases and say, “I think your case is worth this many dollars”. Also under development is Trade Ref, a system that gives consultation about trade law. Scientists in Ann Arbor have developed a program that will ask you the facts about your case and apply law to it. And still computers can have a limited impact on lawyers. Computers can support lawyers but they can’t make them better orators.

Tech. = technology

IBM = International Business Machines Corporation, Американська корпорація, розробник та виробник ЕОМ, зовнішніх пристроїв та програмного забезпечення

Grammar revision

Exercise 1 Look through the text once again and point out all the verbs in Active Voice.

Exercise 2 Fill in the following table:

The computers can.	The computers can’t.
1
2
3
etc.

Final speaking task: say what you have learned about the role of computers in legal profession. How are you comfortable with tech?

Final writing task: complete the text with the modal verbs from the box. Some verbs are used several times. Translate the text in writing. For references see the grammar supplement.

must can should may are to

Personal attributes of lawyer

Lawyers 1) be able to write and speak clearly and with precision. Trial lawyers in particular 2) be persuasive speakers. Lawyers 3) be able to think logically and analyze complicated legal documents. Because of the complexity of the law, lawyers 4) be thorough in their research of the law. Because of the role lawyers play in law enforcement, they 5)  live up to a high standard of ethical conduct.

Lawyers 6) be willing to work hard and put in long days. They 7) continue to study and learn since the law changes all the time.

Lawyers 8) be able to understand all types of people. They 9) have to defend people they dislike or positions they disagree with. Lawyers 10) also be objective, putting aside their personal feelings so that they 11)  serve their clients well.