Unidad 8: English for Legal Purposes

Fines y objetivos

En esta unidad aprenderá el vocabulario específico de los diferentes contextos jurídicos.

Practicará las siguientes habilidades y funciones:

Expresarse con tacto y prudencia

El enfoque gramatical de esta unidad es:

Voz Pasiva y Voz Activa

Vocabulario

	declaración jurada
	apelación
	sumario
	ladrón
	caso
	corporativo
	tribunal
	daños
	escritura
	acusado/demandado
	divorcio
	pruebas
	culpable
	encarcelación
	inocente
	juez
	judicial
	jurado
	ley
	abogado
	legal
	legislativo
	homicidio involuntario
	hipoteca
	asesino
	notario
	delito
	precedente
	proceso
	trámites
	fiscal
	derechos
	sentencia
	abogado
	citación
	testimonio
	robo
	ladrón
	arrestar
	acusar
	alegar
	codificar
	perpetrar
	interrogar
	decretar
	demandar
	tribunal
	veredicto
	testamento
	testigo

Práctica del vocabulario

Ejercicio 1: Práctica del vocabulario

Complete cada expresión con su traducción correcta.

interrogar [?]
sentencia [?]
encarcelación [?]
arrestar [?]
ladrón [?]
pruebas [?]
abogado [?]
notario [?]
asesino [?]
escritura [?]
testigo [?]
perpetrar [?]
legislativo [?]
ladrón [?]
hipoteca [?]
divorcio [?]
sumario [?]
legal [?]
daños [?]
inocente [?]
codificar [?]
apelación [?]
acusado/demandado [?]
acusar [?]
jurado [?]
delito [?]
abogado [?]
citación [?]
demandar [?]
robo [?]
juez [?]
tribunal [?]
ley [?]
trámites [?]
caso [?]
tribunal [?]
derechos [?]
decretar [?]
judicial [?]
culpable [?]
declaración jurada [?]
testamento [?]
proceso [?]
veredicto [?]
fiscal [?]
testimonio [?]
alegar [?]
corporativo [?]
precedente [?]
homicidio involuntario [?]

Comprensión auditiva

Ejercicio 1: Selección múltiple

Elija la respuesta correcta.

Grabación:

Transcripción:

Legal secretaries can work in many different areas of the law, including litigation, corporate law, criminal law, property, labour law, bankruptcy, immigration, and family law.

A	Hi, Michelle. I haven't seen you since we finished the secretarial course. I hear you got a job.
M	Yes, I started work as a legal secretary for a law firm in November.
A	That sounds important. How were you able to get a job like that?
M	I did another course and specialised in legal terminology and procedures, and got myself a certificate. I applied for jobs in law firms, corporate legal departments and government offices. Then I got this job.

A	So what sort of work do you do? Isn't it boring?
M	Not at all. Mostly I have the same duties as other secretaries. I prepare correspondence and legal papers such as summonses, appeals, deeds, wills, affidavits and briefs. I'm responsible for reviewing and proof-reading outgoing documents. I attend court, meetings and conferences to take notes, minutes and dictation as well. So you see, it's not at all boring.

A	Isn't that a lot of responsibility?

M	Yes, I suppose it is, but I work under the supervision of a lawyer.

Este ejercicio está también disponible en forma auditiva/oral:

How does Michelle's friend know that she has a new job?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
How did Michelle get a job as a legal secretary?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What did Michelle have to do to get the job ?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What sort of work does she do?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Who supervises her work?
a.
b.
c.

[?]

Ejercicio 2: Selección múltiple

Elija la respuesta correcta.

Grabación:

Transcripción:

Alex	Hello Jack. Where are you off to?
Jack	I'm going to court and I don't want to be late.
Alex	Court! What have you done wrong, then?
Jack	Nothing! I'm going to work. I'm a court recorder.
Alex	Where did you get that idea from?
Jack	Well, I was told about court recording work by a friend. I applied for a training programme to learn about stenography and was admitted. It was quite hard but I was certified last June.
Alex	Isn't it a drawback to be blind?
Jack	Not really, you see blind stenographers use a special stenography machine for the blind. Everything is stored in computer memory and can be recalled with voice output.
Alex	Which courthouse do you work at?
Jack	I'm freelance. My speed is over 200 words per minute so I'm contracted by courts of law, legislative assemblies and committees. I prepare dictated reports, correspondence and statistics which require knowledge of legal terminology.

Este ejercicio está también disponible en forma auditiva/oral:

Where is Jack going?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What has Jack done wrong?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What do blind stenographers use?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Who does Jack work for?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What sort of documents does he prepare.?
a.
b.
c.

[?]

Ejercicio 3: Selección múltiple

Elija la respuesta correcta.

Grabación:

Transcripción:

A man with a record for burglary was arrested by the police and taken to court on a charge of theft. The lawyer said: My client merely inserted his arm into the window and removed a few small items. There is no evidence it was he himself. His arm is not himself, and I cannot see how you can punish the whole individual for an offence committed by his arm.

The judge said: Well, using your logic, I sentence the defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he chooses.

The defendant smiled. With his lawyer's assistance he detached his artificial arm, laid it on the bench, and walked out.

Este ejercicio está también disponible en forma auditiva/oral:

Why was the man in court?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What did the thief steal?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What was the magistrate's verdict?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
How did the defendant remove his arm?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Did the defendant go to prison for the crime?
a.
b.
c.

[?]

Ejercicio 4: Selección múltiple

Elija la respuesta correcta.

Grabación:

Transcripción:

A man named Smith was injured when he and his horse were struck by a car at an intersection. Smith sued the driver and claimed damages. In court, he was cross-examined by the driver's lawyer. The lawyer said: Mr Smith, you've told us all about your injuries. But according to the accident report, you told the investigating officer at the scene that you were not injured at all?

Mr Smith said: Well, let me explain. When the officer arrived at the scene, he first looked at my horse. He said “Looks like he has a broken leg,” and then he took out his gun and shot the horse. Then he came up to me and asked me how I was doing. Of course I immediately said “I'm fine!”

Este ejercicio está también disponible en forma auditiva/oral:

Who sued whom?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What happened?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
What did the accident report say?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
When the officer arrived at the scene what did he do?
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Why did the officer shoot the horse?
a.
b.
c.

[?]

Comprensión general

Ejercicio 1: Verdadero/Falso

Para cada afirmación abajo elija Verdadero o Falso.

Ejercicio 2: Completar las frases

Practique hablando. Complete las frases que oiga según el ejemplo.

Práctica de la gramática

Ejercicio 1: Transformación

In this exercise, change the sentences from Active to Passive. All the sentences are in the Present.

Ejercicio 2: Transformación

In this exercise, change the sentences from Active to Passive. All the sentences are in the Past.

Ejercicio 3: Transformación

In this exercise, change the sentences from Active to Passive, using the Indirect Object as subject of the passive. All the sentences are in the Past.

Ejercicio 4: Selección

Elija la respuesta correcta.

Consolidación

Ejercicio 1: Verdadero/Falso

Para cada afirmación abajo elija Verdadero o Falso.

Grabación:

Transcripción:

European Union law comes from multiple sources and borrows from both common and civil law systems.

Common law developed in Britain. Whatever the Monarch or other legislative body decreed became law. This was interpreted in the light of particular situations and new opinions and decisions became law.

The essence of civil law, which is used in many more countries than common law, is that every law of the country is written into the law by the legislative body. The judge is limited to applying the law to the facts of a given case. Because the facts of each case may vary an unwritten system of judicial precedent has developed. Now there seems to be a convergence of the common law and the civil law systems. Common law systems are increasingly codifying their laws, while civil law systems are beginning to admit the existence of judicial precedent. Perhaps in the future, the distinctions between the two will have dissipated to the point that they appear the same.

Este ejercicio está también disponible en forma auditiva/oral:

Common law developed in Britain and then spread to continental Europe.

[?]
European Union law comes from both common and civil law systems.

[?]
The civil law system is used in many more countries than common law.

[?]
Codification is the essence of civil law.

[?]
Common law systems are codifying their laws.

[?]
Civil law systems never admit the existence of judicial precedent.

[?]
Civil law relies on laws made by judges.

[?]
In the future, common law and civil law will appear the same.

[?]
In civil law an unwritten system of judicial precedent has developed.

[?]
In a civil law system, codification is the responsibility of the legislative body.

[?]

Ejercicio 2: Dictado

Primero escuche la grabación completa. Después pase al campo de texto de entrada y use la tecla ‘>’ para oír el dictado por partes y apúntelo. Para más información lea la ayuda con los ejercicios.

Ejercicio 3: Ejercicio de huecos

Escuche atentamente la grabación y luego rellene los huecos en el texto de abajo usando las mismas palabras.

Grabación:

Transcripción:

European Union law comes from multiple sources and borrows from both common and civil law systems.

European Union law comes from multiple [?] and borrows from [?] common and civil law systems.

[?] law developed in Britain. Whatever the Monarch [?] other legislative body decreed became law. This was interpreted in [?] light of particular situations and new opinions and decisions became law.

The essence of [?] law, which is used in many more countries than common law, is that every law of the country is written [?] the law [?] the legislative body. The judge is limited [?] applying the law to the facts of a given case. Because the facts of each case may vary [?] unwritten system of judicial precedent has developed.

Ejercicio 4: Rellenar huecos

Elija la opción correcta para completar las frases siguientes.

Este ejercicio está también disponible en forma auditiva/oral:

Secretaries may ____ in many different areas of the law.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Lawyers delegate some of their ____ to their secretary.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Lawyers ____ divorce agreements.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Some employers train ____ secretaries on the job
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Because secretaries frequently ____ with the public, they should be courteous.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Lawyers are responsible for legal work, but they ____ their tasks to legal secretaries.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Legal secretaries understand legal terminology and have organisational ____ .
a.
b.
c.

[?]
The civil law system is used in ____ more countries than common law.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
The judge's role is ____ to the application of the law.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
The jury could not ____ on a verdict.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
The murder case went ____ the Court.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
He was____ he had the right to remain silent.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
The ____ of a Notary is to authenticate documents.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
The Notary has the responsibility to protect ____ fraud.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
A ____ in England is a kind of lawyer.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Civil law is ____ codified.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
In civil law, every law of the country is written ____ the law.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
His solicitor is seeking compensation ____ the Defendant.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
A stenographer gets a professional ____.
a.
b.
c.

[?]
Crime doesn't ____ .
a.
b.
c.

[?]

Lista de comprobación

Cuando acabe esta unidad, debería ser capaz de:

Usar términos jurídicos frecuentes en situaciones de la vida diaria.