Unit 8 Civil Law

Ex.1. Answer the questions:

1 What are some reasons why someone takes legal action against someone else?

2 What are some reasons why courts award money to plaintiffs who win their cases?

Ex.2.(a) Read the text. What kind of text is this?

A job advertisement for an attorney

B a business letter to an attorney

C an advertisement of a law firm

This medium-sized city law firm is seeking an attorney with civil law experience. Primary responsibility is handing tort law cases. Most cases involve clients suing for monetary damages because of personal injuries. The attorney assists clients in filing for instructions when needed. They will also be required to prove liability and establish the negligence of the defendants. Our clients generally require compensation for medical costs, loss of earnings and punitive damages.

The attorney may also be involved in other cases, including probate and divorce cases.

Please send your resume to address below:

Benson and Cutler Law Firm

1324 Brook Street, Suite 201

Reno, Nevada 89501

Ex.2. (b) What will the successful applicant deal with?

Ex.3. Read this text again. Choose the correct answer.

1 What is the attorney's primary responsibility?

A divorce cases

B probate cases

C torts cases

D medical cases

2 Which of the following is NOT part of the job?

A claiming damages

B suing defendants

C proving negligence

D compensating witnesses

3 What can be inferred about most of the clients at Benson and Cutler?

A They were found to be negligent.

B They need a last will to be written.

C They are being sued for medical bills.

D They have been injured in an accident.

Ex.4. Match the words (1-5) with the definitions (A-E).

1 ___ civil law

2 ___ monetary damages

3 ___ negligence

4 ___ tort law

5 ___ probate

A the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations

B a sum paid to compensate for loss or injury

C law dealing with compensation for injury

D the legal act of dealing with dead people's property

E the legal concept of not using a level of care that prevents injuries

Ex.5. Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part

1 The travel company forgot to book Gayle's hotel, so she got $500 to make up for the wrongdoing.

c _ _ _ _ _ s _ _ _ _ _

2 Harry decided to make a legal claim for money against his workplace because the machinery was faulty.

_ _ e

3 The company had to pay $3,000 in compensation and $10,000 in fees meant as a punishment.

_ u _ _ _ _ _ _ d _ _ _ _ _ _

4 The chemical company was given an official order to stop against dumping chemicals.

i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ n

5 The attorney was able to prove that the company had responsibility for an incident.

_ i _ _ _ _ _ _ y

Ex.6. Listen to an interviewer talking to a job candidate. Mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F).

1 The candidate filed injunctions in his previous position.

2 Nearly three quarters of the candidate's clients have been awarded damages.

3 The candidate has experience in probate cases.

Ex.7. Listen again and complete the conversation.

Interviewer: Good morning, Mr. Raymond, please sit down.

Candidate: Thank you.

Interviewer: Let's get started, shall we? Do you have any experience with (1) _____________ _______________?

Candidate: Yes. At my last job, I filed (2) ____________ against companies and initiated lawsuits.

Interviewer: Were you often able to prove (3) ____________ and establish negligence?

Candidate: Yes, my clients were awarded (4)_________________ ________________ in about 75 percent of my cases.

Interviewer: And do you have any experience with (5) _____________?

Candidate: I'm (6) _____________ I don't. Sorry.

Unit 9 Administrative law

Ex.1. Answer the questions:

1 Why do government agencies make rules for businesses?

2 How can an attorney help business owners follow laws?

Ex.2. Read the text. What kind of text is this?

A job advertisement for an attorney

B brochure from a lawyer in administrative law

C an advertisement of a law firm

Specialist in Administrative Law Pamela Webster

Are you a business owner confused by all the government regulations out there? Licenses, accreditation, and compliance with the laws... it's enough to make any owner crazy. Luckily, I'm here to help you get past all the bureaucracy.

I help business owners resolve their administrative law issues. I have an excellent record for defending businesses facing disciplinary actions. In addition, I know how to negotiate with government agencies to achieve positive results.

Don't jeopardize your business by missing out on the assistance you need! I have the skills to fix many administrative problems that business owners deal with. To learn more, please contact

Pamela Webster at 555-9528.

Ex.3. Read this text again and mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F).

1 The attorney works for a government agency.

2 The attorney represents businesses that did not comply with regulations.

3 The attorney is unable to negotiate with government agencies.

Ex.4. Read the sentence and choose the correct word.

1 Tony needs to get a (regulation / license) in order to open his own business.

2 Having a large (bureaucracy / disciplinary action) makes completing even simple tasks take a long time.

3 Since Graham is being charged with negligence, it may (negotiate / jeopardize) his business.

4 City (regulations / accreditations) state that all dogs must be on a leash in the park.

5 The business owners were able to (resolve / negotiate) a contract that was fair for both of them.

Ex.5. Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underlined part.

1 Tom wants to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible.

A negotiate

B jeopardize

C resolve

2 The agency forced the business owner into agreeing to follow the rules by threatening a lawsuit

A license

B disciplinary action

C compliance

3 Before Karen is able to open the children's nursery, she has to get official certification to act.

A bureaucracy

B accreditation

C compliance

4 John has a new job with a federal department.

A government agency

B disciplinary action

A government agency

B disciplinary action

C compliance issue

5 The agency took steps to correct and punish wrongdoing against the business.

A bureaucracy

B license

C disciplinary action

Ex.6. Listen to a conversation between an administrative law attorney and a client. Choose the correct answers.

1 Why is the client seeking legal assistance?

A He wants to open a restaurant.

B He didn't follow an agency's rules.

C He needs to get an accreditation.

D He doesn't know the health regulations.

2 What does the attorney say she is going to do?

A review the health inspector's report

B negotiate with the Health Department

C assist the client in getting a license

D ensure all regulations are being followed

Ex.7. Listen again and complete the conversation.

Attorney: Mr. McIntyre, please (1) _____________ ____________and tell me what I can do for you.

Client: Thank you. The (2) ____________ ____________ wants to shut my restaurant down.

Attorney: Why do they want to do that?

Client: The health inspector said I'm not in (3) _______________ with regulations.

Attorney: Did the inspector say which regulations you aren't following?

Client: Well, the problem is that I don't have a (4) _______________ ______________ license.

Attorney: All restaurant owners are (5) _______________ to have one. I can help you with that.

Client: That's great. I need it as soon as possible to keep my (6) _________________ open.

Unit 10 Initial client interview

Ex.1. Answer the questions:

1 What are some questions an attorney might ask a new client?

2 What are some reasons why an attorney might not take a case?

Ex.2. (a) Read the notes below and decide who wrote them.

notes

Date: June18

Client Name: Thomas Jameson

Interviewing Attorney: Sarah Green

Mr. Jameson is a former employee of SystemTech Inc. He hopes to sue the company for wrongful termination.

It is Mr. Jameson's assertion that SystemTech Inc. released him because he was due for a raise. He believes the company decided it would be cheaper to fire him and hire a less experienced employee.

It is difficult to tell if Mr. Jameson has a valid case. Eliciting factual information proved difficult. Mr. Jameson frequently cites beliefs about why he was fired. Yet he has not obtained any documentation to support these claims. I recommend that we decline to represent Mr. Jameson.

(b) Will the attorney take this case? Why?

Ex.3. Read the notes from an initial client interview. Mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F).

1 Mr. Jameson wants to sue his former employer.

2 Mr. James has evidence that he was fired illegally.

3 The attorney agreed to take Mr. Jameson's case.

Ex.4. Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

1 While things that people think are true mean a lot to people, lawyers are mainly concerned with facts.

_ _ I _ _ _ s

2 The client made a statement claiming that he had been injured in the accident.

a _ _ _ r _ _ o _

3 Does the client have paper evidence to support his claim?

d _ _ _ m _ _ _ a _ _ _ _

4 What did the lawyer suggest that her client do?

_ _ c _ m _ e _ _

5 The man was angry because he felt that his loss employment was unfair.

t _ _ _ _ n _ t _ _ _

6 The jury must decide if the defendant's actions were illegal or incorrect.

w _ _ _ _ f _ _

7 Lawyers use interviews to get valuable information from potential clients.

_ b _ _ _ n