Legal English

What makes legal English special and why it’s so important to learn it

English, which is used by lawyers, notaries and other legal professionals, is a specialized language with many peculiarities:

• Specific vocabulary

Law terminology requires an extremely precise understanding of the meaning of each term and concept. It is not enough for a specialist to understand the meaning of the words "tort", "jurisdiction", "plaintiff", "defendant", "liability", the one must be able to explain their meaning.

• Specific grammar

Legal English has its own specific grammar, which often includes complex sentences, the use of passive voice, and the use of modal verbs to express powers, duties, and other legal aspects. It is the same language in which laws and the constitution are written.

• Formal style of writing

Official documents often require the use of boilerplate phrases that are appropriate in a given situation, for example: "please note", "statement of the plaintiff", "appointment of a deputy". And a specialist should know all these phrases in English.

• Use of abbreviations

When drafting various acts, contracts and other official documents, professionals may come across little-known abbreviations that are common in legal English language. To learn and memorize them, you need to either graduate from a foreign law school or take language courses.

• Structuredness

The documents and contracts prepared by lawyers should have a clear structure and format required by specific conventions and rules. You can get acquainted with them during your English courses for lawyers.

• Large number of legal systems

Each legal system, depending on the object of regulation or the country in which it is applied, may have its own explanation of the same terms. English language courses can help you get to know these peculiarities better.

How to learn legal English courses at Booyya

Booyya courses allow you to study independently with professionally prepared materials and assignments. You can study at any time convenient for you, choosing your own pace. Legal English online course is aimed at giving everyone the opportunity to learn the basic components of a professional language:

• basic terms – students receive not only a wordlist with new words, but also a detailed explanation of their meanings, comparison with similar terms;
• specific adjectives – the words that allow describing various legal situations as accurately as possible and without double meanings, and are not colloquial or slang;
• correct verb forms, which are a mandatory part of English for lawyers, which must comply with the law;
• unique idioms – they will be useful for those specialists who work not only with papers, but also with people, and often prepare speeches or presentations.

The English for Lawyers course also contains a lot of audio and video materials that allow students to get acquainted with the original language pronunciation and learn to perceive and understand it by ear. But most importantly, all the materials are interesting and relevant, which makes them more motivated to learn. Some of the course lessons contain texts on legal topics, which help you to consolidate new words and expressions in your memory. And the tasks for the texts are not only a test of knowledge, but also an opportunity to develop analytical thinking, which is crucial for a successful career as a lawyer.

At the end of each lesson, the student will take a test to assess how well they have mastered the new knowledge. The test also makes it very easy to understand which parts of the lesson were the most difficult and to revise them.