Say whether the following sentences are true (T) or false (F).
1For the students whose goal is to attend law school there is no need to complete a bachelor’s degree.
2To qualify for the bar examination, an applicant is not required to graduate from a law school.
3Preparation for a career as a lawyer begins in college.
4The law school education usually takes five years.
5Students can’t choose the subjects they study.
6Lawyers must keep informed about legal developments that affect their practice.
Vocabulary tasks
BMatch the following words and phrases with their definitions.
1Bachelor of Laws (LL.B)
2bar examination
3law school
4licence
5Master of Laws (LL.M)
6moot court
7training
8Juris Doctor (J.D.)
apermission to do something which would otherwise be illegal
ba law degree conferred on those completing graduate- level legal study
cthe process of learning the skills that you need to do a job
da first degree in law
efictitious court where law students argue hypothetical cases
fgraduate school offering courses in law leading to a law degree
gthe law degree most commonly conferred by American law schools
hwritten examination taken by prospective lawyers in order to qualify to practise law
DMatch the names of legal subjects with their definitions.
1 Torts
a Survey and evaluation of the stages of a civil lawsuit.
2 Legal Profession
b The course which studies the system of laws that deals with crimes and the punishment of criminals.
3 Contracts
c The course which introduces students to the traditions, principles, policies, concepts, sources of law.
4 Civil Procedure
d This course investigates the professional environment of a lawyer. The student studies the efficacy of professional rules and customs from a historical, economic and sociological viewpoint.
5 Criminal Law
e Analysis of the agreement process.
6 Property
f The course which studies the IRC 1986 and emphasizes the fundamental rules dealing with the federal income tax action of individuals.
7 Evidence
g An introduction to basic principles of liability for harm to persons and property.
8 Constitutional Law
h The course which examines regulations of interest in land and land use.
9 Legal Research
i The course dealing with the problem of interpretation of the U.S. constitution.
10 Personal Income Tax
j This course teaches students to think and write persuasively.
Chapter X THE LAW IN PRACTICE
Unit 33 Law Firms
Before you read
Discuss these questions.
1 Is there a system of legal assistance and legal aid in your country?
2 Is there a need for such a system? How great is that need?
3 How is it funded and when is it available?
Part 2: Text A
Law Firms
Most towns in the United States have small firms of attorneys who are in daily contact with ordinary people, giving advice and acting on matters such as consumer affairs, traffic accident disputes and contracts for the sale of land. Some may also prepare defences for clients accused of crimes. However, in both the United States and other industrialized countries, lawyers are becoming more and more specialized. Working in small firms, lawyers now tend to restrict themselves to certain kinds of work, and lawyers working in large law firms or employed in the law department of a large commercial enterprise work on highly specific areas of law. One lawyer may be employed by a mining company just to prepare contracts for the supply of coal. Another may work for a newspaper advising the editors on libel matters. Another may be part of a Wall Street firm of over a hundred lawyers who specialize in advising stockbrokers on share transactions.