Complete the sentences, and make up a summary of the text.

1. An __________________ lawyer is the one who will see results.

2. A lawyer ______________ will see the best possible outcome from a case.

3. A lawyer may not be the best bet if _________________.

4. You can not be a good lawyer without good ________________.

5. ______ and _______ are two additional positive traits which all lawyers should possess.

6. A lawyer who __________________ will see many victories.

 

3. Miscommunication between people can happen when one of the parties uses a second language. English speakers often use metaphors (figures of speech). Three of them you’ve met in the text. Write them out and explain their meanings.

1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

 

Match some more metaphors with their explanations and illustrate their usage in the situations of your professional communication.

1. You reap what you sow.           a. You created a big problem.

2. Don’t beat about the bush.        b. I am miserable now but I know I will             

                                                           be happy.

3. Never let your guard down.      c. I really need to get rid of my anger.

4. A little bird told me.                 d. You get what you deserve.

5. You really opened a can of worms. e. Always pay attention, don’t lose the

                                                           focus.

6. Steam when you heat water.     f. Stop wasting my time. You are trying

                                                          to avoid answering my queries.

7. That is not my cup of tea.         g. I don’t want to reveal the source

                                                          of information.

8. There is a light at the end of the  h. It is not my style.

tunnel.                                         

UNIT 6. WRITING A RESUME. JOB INTERVIEW

Read the cover letter sent to the employment agency for the in-house

Lawyer vacancy.

COVER LETTER No 2

June 8, 2014

From: Susan Banks                                              To: Hannah Jones

House No12B                                                              Manager-HR

Main Street                                                                 XYZ Company

Queens                                                                    Manhattan

New Jersey                                                                  New York

Dear Ms. Jones,

I wish to be considered for the post of In-house Lawyer in your company, the advertisement of which appeared in the “Law News Journal”, dated 7th June.

I am a qualifi ed lawyer from the International School of Law and have specialized in Civil Law. I am currently working with ABC Law Firm. My hard-

work, sincerity and dedication have earned me a letter of appreciation from my seniors.

I am currently looking for an opening in a company which specializes in Civil Cases, as that is not only my area of specialization but also my passion.

I am sure my qualifi cations, experience and enthusiasm would be an asset and prove to be mutually benefi cial.

I look forward to hearing from you at the earliest to discuss more in person.

My telephone number is [phone] or email susan@ somedomain.com.

I am herewith enclosing my Resume for your kind consideration.

Thanking you,

Sincerely, Susan Banks

Susan Banks

Enclosure: Resume

 

2. Work in pairs. Act as an employer and discuss with the partner the question: “Which of the above letters will interest the employer more? Why?”
Give your reasons. Analyze strengths and weaknesses of both applicants.
Put them into the table, evaluate their chances and decide on the candi-
date for the vacancy.

APPLICANT A                                                  APPLICANT B
Strengths Weaknesses                                 Strengths Weaknesses
1. _______ 1. _______                                1. ______  1._______
2. _______ 2. _______                                2. ______  2._______
3. _______ 3. _______                                3. ______  3._______
4. _______ 4. _______                                4. ______  4. _______

 

3. Basing on your mutual decision fi ll in the Resume form with his or her personal data taken from Cover letters No 1 or 2 according to the tips given below.

Tips for Lawyer’s Resume

The resume should show the applicant’s strong communication and in-
terpersonal skills and abilities so that he or she can create good relationship
with the clients. The lawyer’s resume should be very specifi c and based on
facts concerning your achievements. The lawyer’s resume should also portray
that you can take valuable decisions while working under pressure.

Information about Name and Contact
It includes the basic information like name, mailing address, telephone number and E-mail address.

Resume Objective
It is a specifi c statement that includes your career goals and aims.

Education
This section contains information in reverse chronological order such as
major degree, date of graduation, universities you have attended, location of
universities and any certifi cates achieved concerning the job you have applied
for.

Skills
In this section you can mention your legal strengths and positive points to make your resume excellent.

Experience
This section contains your previous work experience. You should mention the full legal name of your previous company, your job title and job description. Always use action verbs and law related terms while constructing the lawyer’s resume.

RESUME
Contact Information:
• Name: __________________________________
• Permanent Address: ________________________
Telephone No: ____________________________
• Email address: ____________________________
Objective:
To be able to secure a position as an In-house Lawyer and work towards
reaching the organization’s goal
Education: _______________________________________________________
A ffi liations: _______________________________________________________
Experience: ______________________________________________________
Key Areas of Expertise (Skills): ________________________________________
References:
Will provide them on request

4. There is a huge competition in the legal market. The employers receive countless resumes and hardly spend two minutes to look into each of them. Therefore a lawyer’s resume should be so good that it leaves a positive impression on employer’s mind at fi rst glance. That is why many applicants put “summary” into the resume. Read two sample summaries and write down a summary for your resume.

1) Career Summary (Sample 1):
• A dynamic & competent professional with over 9 years of experience as a lawyer.
• Proven ability to represent the clients in complex and challenging environment.

• An accomplished professional who has successfully managed case preparation and court proceedings.
• Solid interpersonal and communication skills in building key alliances and partnerships, having dealt with a diversity of clients and individuals.
• Highly organized & dedicated with a positive attitude, able to set effective priorities and handle multiple assignments under high pressure within tight deadlines.
      2) Summary (Sample 2):
• Worked for fi ve years at senior level and gained corporate legal expertise.
• Specializing in litigations for corporate fi rms and human resource laws that include labor laws, termination and retrenchment.
• Completed major legal projects.
• Great communication and team-building skills.
• Experience in all kinds of legal domains.
      3) Your summary to the resume.
SUMMARY
1.
2.
3.
4.

Skim the text and title it.

 

The employment interview is the most important event in the entire job search process. Your resume sets forth the facts about you; the interview presents you with the opportunity to bring your resume to life and to demonstrate your intelligence, competence, ambition and personality. Despite the fact that everyone is familiar with the traditional interviewing experience:
(1) you apply for a job; (2) the employer reviews your paper credentials and
chooses you to come to an interview; (3) at the interview, the employer asks
you questions about your background and experience, and you discuss them;
and (4) after the interview, the employer makes a decision about whether to
hire you. Interviewing is stressful! But the more you learn about the process, the easier it will become, and the more eff ective you will be in your inter-
views. Always remember that a job interview is a dialogue: an opportunity to
ask as well as answer questions. To be sure you should practice your inter-
viewing techniques before you go to the real interview.

6. Read possible job interview questions and some recommendations how to
answer them. Give your answers to these questions bearing in mind the
recommendations given.