- •4. Decide in which sentence the underlined parts are used correctly.
- •5. Listen to a conversation between two attorneys. Choose the correct answers.
- •4. Fill in the blanks with the correct words and phrases from the
- •5. Listen and read the brochure again. What services does the
- •6. Listen to a phone call between a client and an attorney at a law
- •7. Listen again and complete the conversation.
- •8. With a partner, act out the roles below based on Task 7.
- •I suggest you…...
- •9. Use the conversation from Task 8 to fill out the attorney’s
- •2. Listen, read and say if the following statements are true or
- •3. Choose the response that answers the questions.
- •4. Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined
- •5. Listen to a conversation between two lawyers. Choose the
- •6. Listen again and complete the conversation.
- •7. With a partner, act out the roles below based on Task 6. Then,
- •8. Use the conversation from Task 7 to complete a lawyer’s
- •1. Before you read the passage, talk about these questions.
- •3. Match the words (1-4) with the definitions (a-d).
- •4. Read the sentence pair. Choose where the words best fit in
- •5. Listen to a conversation between a lawyer and
- •6. Listen again and complete the conversation.
- •7. With a partner, act out the roles below based on
- •I’ve signed the……
- •8. Use the conversation from Task 7 to complete the paralegal’s
- •1. Before you read the passage, talk about these questions.
- •2. Read the text about court structure.
- •3. Read the sentence and choose the correct word.
- •4. Use the words from the bank to fill in the blanks.
- •5. Listen and read the text again. What types of courts are there
- •In the usa?
- •6. Listen to a conversation between a client and his attorney. Then
- •7. Listen again and complete the conversation.
- •8. With a partner, act out the roles below based on Task 7.
- •Is my case going to the ….. Courts?
- •9. Use the conversation from Task 8 to complete a lawyer’s
- •1. Before you read the passage, talk about these questions.
- •2. Read the text and complete the table using information from it.
- •3. Choose the sentence that uses the underlined parts correctly.
- •4. Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined
- •5. Listen and read the text again. How many types of jurisdiction
- •6. Listen to a conversation between two attorneys discussing a case.
- •7. Listen again and complete the conversation.
- •Supplementary reading The Aims of Law
- •The legal system
- •Civil law, Common law, Criminal law.
- •Enforcing the Law
- •Courts.
- •Lawyers’ work
- •Professional Titles
- •Entering the Profession
- •Differences in criminal and civil procedure
- •Vocabulary
The legal system
In England there are three main types of law: statute law, common law and European Union law.
Statute law
In theory the Legislature (Parliament) makes laws which are administered by the Executive (Her Majesty’s Government) and when there are disputes they are decided by the Judiciary (the judges and the courts).
Most new laws are initiated by the Government, although a few come from individual members of Parliament. A Bill is drafted and placed before Parliament. It receives three ‘readings’ in the House of Commons. The Bill is examined and amended, before passing on to the House of Lords which may reject it all or in part. The Lords cannot prevent the Commons from passing a Bill, but they can delay the process. Once a Bill has passed through all its stages in Parliament it goes to the Queen for the Royal Assent and becomes an Act of Parliament and the law of the land.
Common law
Common law originated in England. It is a system of laws that have been developed from customs and from decisions made by judges, not created by Parliament. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents and make a similar decision.
European Union Law
In 1972 the United Kingdom entered the European Community (now the European Union).
There are four E.U. institutions: the Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, the European Court of Justice.
European Union law is superior to the law of individual member states. In other words, if there is a conflict between the law of a state and that of the E.U., then the E.U. has to be obeyed.
Civil law, Common law, Criminal law.
The term ‘civil law’ contrasts with both ‘common law’ and ‘criminal law’.
Civil law is 1) the legal system developed from Roman codified law; 2) the area of the law concerned with non-criminal matters.
Common law is the legal system which is the foundation of the legal systems of most of the English-speaking countries, based on customs and court decisions.
Criminal law is the area of the law which deals with crimes and punishments.
Civil law is opposed to common law as a legal system.
Civil law was inspired by old Roman law, the main feature of which was that laws were written into a collection and codified. The principle of civil law is to provide all citizens with a written collection of laws which apply to them and which judges must follow. In contrast, common law was originally developed through customs, at a time before laws were written down.
Common law is based on precedents created by judicial decisions. It means that past judgments are taken into consideration when cases are decided.
Civil law is opposed to criminal law as the body of law.
Civil law deals with rights of private citizens. Violation of these rights is a private wrong, or tort. Criminal law is the body of law setting limits of social conduct and forbidding unlawful actions. Violation of these laws is a public wrong, or wrong against society.