Unit 28 Lawyers in the usa

Before you read

Discuss these questions.

1 How do lay people describe a lawyer’s duties?

2 Why is a lawyer’s job so important?

3 Why are lawyers’ fees high?

Text a The Job of the Lawyers

A lawyer in the United States is often called an “attorney”. Attorney at law is a person admitted to practise law in their respective state and authorized to perform both civil and criminal legal functions for clients, including drafting of legal documents, giving of legal advice, and representing such before courts, administrative agencies, boards, etc.

The main administrators of federal law enforcement are the ninety-four US attorneys, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

US attorneys are political appointees who often harbour political ambitions. Their position commands media attention and can serve political goals. This kind of public exposure can help a US attorney launch a successful career in elected office.

Today, the number of lawyers in the United States exceeds 675,000. This translates to one lawyer for every 364 people. Twenty-five years ago, there was one lawyer for every 700 people. The rate at which the legal profession is growing will probably continue to outpace rate of population growth.

Why is a career in law so popular? Market forces account for some of the allure. We know that in 1984 the average salary of experienced lawyers was 88,000 dollars. The glamour of legal practice strengthens the attraction of its financial rewards. For some people, the image of a lawyer is someone who leads a very wealthy and comfortable life. However, it should not be forgotten that there are also lawyers whose lives are not so secure. The Wall Street attorney probably earns a high salary, but the small firm giving advice to members of the public on welfare rights or immigration procedures may have to restrict salaries in order to stay in business.

There are other reasons for the popularity of the legal profession and the unquenchable demand for legal services. Federalism gives separate legal systems for each state plus the national government. Advertising can now create demand for legal services, too. Finally, the principles of separation of powers and of checks and balances make governing difficult and sometimes impossible. When political institutions act, they often are forced to compromise, deferring critical issues to the courts. Pluralist democracy operates when groups are able to press their interests on, and even challenge, the government. Is it any wonder that America needs all the lawyers it can train?

Vocabulary

admit v допускать

allure n привлекательность

appointee n получивший назначение

challenge v бросать вызов

defer v уступать; оставить

draft v составлять (документы)

exposure n выставление; показ; public exposure публичность

glamour n чары; волшебство

harbour v питать (чувства); утаивать, скрывать

issue n предмет спора; спорный вопрос

judicial district n судебный округ

outpace v обгонять

reward n вознаграждение; награда

unquenchable adj неутомимый, неугасимый

welfare n благосостояние

Reading tasks

Answer these questions.

1 What is an attorney in the US? How is he appointed?

2 What does the number of assistant attorneys in federal judicial districts depend

on?

3 Why is the number of lawyers in the US increasing?

4 What factors create demand for legal services?

5 What makes attorneys so important in American communities?

6 How do attorneys in the US realize their political ambitions?

7 What example in the text proves that US attorneys harbour political

ambitions?

8 Why is the job of the lawyer dangerous sometimes?