3 minute read
Legal English Course for Ukrainian Lawyers
Legal English Course for Ukrainian Lawyers
In January and February this year, WHLS International Committee members Aleksandra Kowalska and Julia Splavska organised a Legal English course for Ukrainian lawyers living in London. The course was a pro bono project aimed at helping Ukrainian lawyers to gain new skills and improve their chances of finding a job in the legal sector.
Legal English and its specific terminology is not easy to translate and some expressions can be tricky for foreign lawyers who did not study law in English. Lots of words have a different meaning in everyday English and in legal English, and we also need to remember that there are differences between American and British spellings and pronunciation. Alex, who is a dual-qualified lawyer in Poland and the UK, understands that learning about all these nuances can be really challenging for foreign lawyers. She knows from her own experience what it is like to move to another country and work in a different legal system in a foreign language.
The pro bono project generated a lot of interest, with over 100 lawyers signing up for the Legal English classes. The course consisted of five sessions and covered the legal profession, civil procedure, client care and legal correspondence. The participants compared the legal professions in England, Ukraine and Poland and learnt about different types of legal practice. The participants also worked on specific vocabulary and expressions, such as “bundle” and “client care letter”.
Julia, who works as an Employment lawyer at Peninsula, shared her experience of dealing with Employment Tribunal cases. Alex shared her personal experience of cross-qualifying, learning about the differences between legal systems and trying to decipher legal jargon used by English lawyers. The participants grasped that the disparity between the law and the legal procedure in Ukraine and England and Wales is not that significant, as most terms have Ukrainian equivalents.
Alex received feedback from participants that the emphasis in the course on correct pronunciation and tailored content for foreign lawyers was particularly appreciated. The participants also appreciated the wealth of knowledge presented; one individual noted their surprise at the amount of new information that they gained, despite prior exposure to English legal terminology. The participants appreciated the initiative and commitment to supporting Ukrainian lawyers in their journey of professional development.
This pro bono project was the third Legal English course for Ukrainian Lawyers run by Alex, and she previously organised courses with the Cracow Bar Association, for Ukrainian lawyers based in Poland. Alex and Julia are already planning the next project.
Aleksandra Kowalska
Legal Counsel for a London charity & Founder of Alex Legal English
Julia Splavska,
Employment lawyer working for Peninsula
