Match the words (1-5) with appropriate definitions (a-e).

	acquittal	a	a second or new trial of a case that has already been heard in court
	double jeopardy	b	the act of prosecuting a defendant a second time for an offence for which he has already been tried
	manslaughter	c	a person that suffers injury or death from another
	retrial	d	the unlawful killing of one human being by another without malicious intent (злой умысел)
	victim	e	the act of finding a criminal defendant not guilty

Module 3

 

 

 

Job description and work activities

Solicitors give legal advice to clients and also act on behalf of their clients in legal matters. Clients can include individuals, businesses, charities and government departments.

The main responsibilities of a solicitor are: interpreting and explaining the law to clients, and giving advice; representing clients in the lower courts; preparing and drawing up documents, contracts and wills; researching and analysing statements, reports, legal documents, changes in the law and past legal cases; meeting with barristers and opposing solicitors.

Organisation and environment

Solicitors normally form partnerships with other solicitors and work in offices with support staff. Firms vary in size from one or two partners to large organisations with thousands of employees. Very few solicitors choose to set up as a sole practitioner. The qualification and practice of solicitors are regulated by the Law Society.

The number of solicitors has grown in recent years and there are now about 125,000 solicitors practising in England and Wales. Around 80 per cent of solicitors work in private practice. Other employers include: central and local government, 'in house' legal departments of commercial and industrial organizations, Law Centres, Her Majesty's Courts Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and the armed forces.

Solicitors normally work in comfortable offices with good computer systems and a legal library. Solicitors are expected to wear formal dress when they meet clients or attend court.

Hours and salary

Most solicitors in private practice work 45 to 50 hours per week. The usual working day is nine to six-thirty, but sometimes it may be necessary to work extra hours in order to complete a contract or prepare for a court case.

Salaries for trainee solicitors vary considerably. A trainee working for a sole practitioner outside London could expect to earn around £15,000 a year while someone starting in a large London firm may earn £30,000.

Qualified solicitors typically earn between £25,000 and £60,000 a year. A partner in a large firm or a head of an in-house legal department may earn more than £150,000 a year.

Training

This career is open to graduates from all disciplines. Those who do not have a first degree in law must complete a one-year full-time conversion course known as the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examination (CPE).

All graduates then have to undertake the Legal Practice Course (LPC). This course is usually taken full-time over one year (although part-time options are possible) and it teaches the practical application of law.

Prospective solicitors then compete to obtain a two-year training contract with a firm of solicitors or an 'in-house' legal department. Typically, the training contract includes between four and six placements ('seats') in different departments of a firm and a short Professional Skills Course (PSC).

Currently, the Law Society's rules require all solicitors to undertake 16 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) per year.

Career development

Solicitors can become a partner in a firm of solicitors. They can also become heads of legal departments, chief executives in companies or local government chief officers. They can start their own legal firm or become a judge in certain courts.

 

Read the text to mark the statements below as true (T), false (F) or doesn’t say (DS).

 

1 Around 100,000 solicitors work in private firms.

2 About 50 per cent of solicitors are women.

3 A solicitor’s main work is advising clients on legal issues, representing them in court and drafting contracts and wills.

4 Solicitors may work for the central and local government.

5 To become a solicitor a person must have a law degree.

6 Some firms offering training contracts sponsor trainees to undertake the LPC course.

7 On completion of the Legal Practice Course (LPC), trainees normally undertake a one-year training contract.

8 During the period of the training contract, trainees have the opportunity to work in different specialist areas of law.

 

Translate the text into Russian using the LEGAL VOCABULARY.

 

LEGAL VOCABULARY (1)
charity	благотворительная организация
chief executive	исполнительный директор, глава фирмы
chief officer	главное должностное лицо; начальник
Common Professional Examination	общий профессиональный экзамен
Continuing Professional Development	непрерывное профессиональное развитие
conversion course	курс переподготовки
Crown Prosecution Service	служба уголовного преследования
degree first degree	учёная степень; диплом степень бакалавра
draw up (v)	составлять (текст документа)
employee	сотрудник; служащий
employer	наниматель, работодатель
graduate	выпускник университета
Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)	последипломный курс права
Her Majesty's Courts Service	служба судов Ее Величества
in-house 'in house' legal department	внутренний, собственный собственный юридический отдел
Law Centre	центр правовой помощи (бесплатной)
Law Society	Общество юристов (профессиональный союз солиситоров)
Legal Practice Course (LPC)	курс адвокатской (юридической) практики
on behalf of smb	от имени кого-л., в интересах кого-л.
opposing solicitor	солиситор (адвокат) противной стороны
partner	партнер, член товарищества
partnership	товарищество, партнерство
placement	назначение на должность
Professional Skills Course (PSC)	курс обучения профессиональным навыкам
sole practitioner	индивидуальный/частный предприниматель
support staff	вспомогательный персонал
trainee	стажер, практикант
training contract	стажировка
will	завещание

VOCABULARY

 

	Match the sentence halves and translate the sentences into Russian.
	Lawyers in England and Wales	a	who have a first degree in another subject.
	Solicitors advise clients on the law	b	can qualify as solicitors or barristers.
	Solicitors generally work in comfortable offices	c	the Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL).
	Non-law graduates must take a one-year conversion course called	d	with good IT provision, libraries and secretarial support.
	Some law firms welcome candidates	e	and act on behalf of clients in legal matters.
	All graduates intending to be solicitors must take	f	the one-year Legal Practice Course (LPC) before starting a two-year training contract with a law firm.

 

Complete the definitions with the appropriate terms from the box. There are more terms than you need!

 

Crown Prosecution Service Law Society partnership trainee graduate employer employee PSC LPC GDL seat degree training contract

 

1. The ________ is the professional body of solicitors, established in 1825 and responsible for the registration of solicitors (requiring the passing of certain examinations) and the regulation of professional conduct.

2. A(n) ________ is a person who has been awarded a first degree from a university or college.

3. A(n) ________ is a contractual relationship between two or more persons carrying on a joint business venture.

4. A(n) ________ a person undergoing training.

5. A(n) ________ a person, business, firm, etc., that employs workers.

6. A(n) ________ is a training course which teaches skills required in practice, such as client care and finance and business skills.

7. A(n) ________ is a period of approximately six months spent by trainee solicitors in each of four or five different areas of practice.

8. A(n) ________ is a compulsory period of practical training in a law firm for graduates before they can qualify as a solicitor.

9. The ________ is an independent prosecuting body in England and Wales, established in 1986, that decides whether cases brought by the police should go to the courts.

TEST YOURSELF

 

 

Answer the questions.

1 Who can be a solicitor’s client?

2 What are a solicitor’s main responsibilities?

3 How do solicitors organize their work?

4 Where can solicitors work outside private practice?

5 What is their work environment like?

6 What hours do solicitors usually work?

7 What salaries may solicitors earn at the partner/senior level?

8 What are the requirements for entering the career?

9 Is the LPS a compulsory training course? What does it teach?

10 What does Continuing Professional Development mean?

11 Describe some possible career opportunities for solicitors.

 

Translate into English.

1. Солиситоры консультируют клиентов по юридическим вопросам, представляют их в суде, а также составляют юридические документы, контракты и завещания. 2. Значительная часть работы солиситора включает (involve) изучение и анализ документов, отчетов, прецедентов и изменений в законодательстве. 3. Некоторые солиситоры проводят много времени в суде или на встречах с адвокатами противной стороны. 4. Общество юристов – профессиональный орган солиситоров, который регламентирует их работу и устанавливает стандарты профессиональной подготовки. 5. Джон закончил университет с дипломом финансиста. Затем он прошел одногодичный курс переподготовки и сдал общий профессиональный экзамен. Крупная лондонская компания оплатила его курс адвокатской практики, после которого он получил двухгодичную стажировку в собственном юридическом отделе этой компании. После стажировки ему предложили работу в отделе корпоративных финансов и инвестиций. Джон проработал в компании пятнадцать лет и стал начальником юридического отдела. Когда ему исполнилось пятьдесят, он решил открыть свою юридическую фирму. Сейчас его старший сын – стажер в его фирме. Он хочет специализироваться в международном торговом (коммерческом) праве.

GRAMMAR

 

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form. Translate into Russian.

 

The LPC (1 can/take) in many different formats including full-time and part-time, on week days, evenings, and weekends. 7,076 students (2 enroll) on the full-time LPC in September 2008, and 1,728 on the part-time course. The full-time course (3 last) a year, and fees (4 range) from £6,000-£12,500. A small proportion of students may have their fees and some living expenses paid for by future employers under a training contract. The course usually (5 take) after a law degree, but many graduates (6 take) the course after studying a different subject at university and taking a conversion course (7 call) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL/CPE). The LPC (8 regulate) through the Law Society of England and Wales.