Second Language Legal English

The meaning of legal English is explained, and we look at a draft deed to see how lawyers write in ways that are very different from general English.

Legal English is different, and difficult, because lawyers use words differently, they use Latin expressions and they use complicated sentence structure.

Why is important to learn legal English?

We look at a legal document to see how lawyers use words differently, how they use prepositions, look at some phrasal verbs and learn some technical terms.

I have included a law report that was written by a judge who used language even a 10-year-old can understand. Good legal writing does not need to be complicated or require a huge vocabulary.

We look at a badly drafted deed to learn how to write with more clarity and skill

Part 2: don’t capitalise, be consistent, don’t use too many words, punctuate properly.

English can be very confusing, and turning words into their negative forms is no exception: lawful and unlawful, legal and illegal, possible and impossible. Let’s look at some more that you will see in legal writing.

Learn how not to use words that are in the male form when you could use a word that applies to male and female equall.

The first in a series of lessons on how lawyers use some words differently from most English speakers

One good way, one bad way and one better way

We look in detail at the Musk vs Zuckerberg litigation opening letter

I have included a law report that was written by a judge who used language even a 10-year-old can understand. Good legal writing does not need to be complicated or require a huge vocabulary.

Part 1 of a six-part examination of a basic employment contract. This lesson is about verbs: what the parties will do, may do, must do and are permitted to do.

Part 2 of a six-part examination of a basic employment contract. This lesson is about expressions of time, reserving the right and being reasonable.

Part 3 of a six-part examination of a basic employment contract. This lesson is about words to avoid to remove the risk of litigation

Part 4 of a six-part examination of a basic employment contract. This lesson is about punctuation - full stop, colon, semi-colon and brackets.

Part 5 of a six-part examination of a basic employment contract. This lesson is about prepositions.

The last of a six-part examination of a basic employment contract. This lesson is about expressions of time.