Preface
This book is aimed at legal professionals, law students and other persons who
regularly deal with legal documents written in English. It constitutes a practical
reference and self-study resource, which will help you both understand English
legal language as it appears in contemporary written and oral contexts, and to
use clear, accurate English in everyday legal and business situations.
The book falls into three parts. The first part focuses on the key aspects of legal
English writing, and provides detailed coverage of the following areas:

Introduction to legal English

Elements of legal writing

Punctuation for legal writing

Basic standards of legal writing

Elements of good style

What to avoid

British and American English
The second part deals with the drafting of contracts and other legal documents,
as well as letters, emails and memoranda. There is also a chapter on applying for
legal positions, which contains advice on the composition of CVs and application
letters.
The following areas are covered:

Contracts: performance, termination and remedies

Contracts: structure and interpretation

Contract clauses: types and specimen clauses

Drafting legal documents: language and structure

Correspondence and memoranda

Applying for legal positions
The third part looks at the key areas in which English is used orally in legal practice
and how English usage can be tailored to achieve maximum effectiveness in
different situations. Specific suggestions as to phrases that may be used in
commonly encountered situations are given throughout this part of the book.
The following areas are covered:

Aspects of spoken English

Meeting, greeting and getting down to business

Interviewing and advising

Dealing with difficult people: ten-point guide

Court advocacy

Negotiation

Chairing a formal meeting

Making presentations

Telephoning
Throughout the book, clear and concise explanations of different issues are
supported by practical examples. These range from specimen clauses, contracts
and letters to transcripts of court hearings and client interviews. The book also
contains no fewer than 35 separate self-study exercises, ranging from short
gap-filling exercises to more involved comprehension exercises. Answers are
contained in a key at the back of the book. In addition to these self-study
exercises, further resources, and study tools can be accessed in the Companion
Website at www.routledgelaw.com/books/companionwebsites and on the
author’s materials website at www.legalenglishstore.com.
In addition, the book includes extensive glossaries explaining the meaning of key
legal terminology.