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EU lawyers  drilled on legal English requirements

A group of lawyers from several European countries successfully completed a course in the Law Society and were presented with certificates in Legal English and Legal Skills at the society on 20 July last. 

Although all were not native English speakers, all had an impressive knowledge of the language, and all were practising lawyers in their home countries. The group represented eleven nationalities.

Most of them were from Italy, but other countries represented were Spain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Poland and France. There was also a lawyer from Iraq who practises in Spain.

The week-long course covered several topics, including professional presentation, interviewing skills, client interviewing, civil law v common law, negotiation skills, and legal ethics. 

This course has been running for several years. The first one was given in Sardinia in 2014, and a second one took place in Dublin in the same year. It has now been taking place annually in Dublin for the past five years. 

The course was run by the Law Society’s Education Executive Katherine Kane, and by the society’s Course Managers Eva Massa and Colette Reid.  A total of 36 signed up for the course. 

Speech

At the presentation, Attracta O’Regan of the Law Society made a welcoming speech and introduced the lawyers, who were presented with their certificates by the President of the Law Society, Michael Quinlan. 

In a witty speech, the president reflected on the importance of this course in the context of Brexit and the direction legal business is going in the wider European context. “In the context of Brexit, this course is important,” he said. 

Judiciary

The Paris judiciary has already agreed to hold some courts in English, and the president emphasised the importance of ‘plain English’ when dealing with clients. Attracta O’Regan pointed out that English is becoming more and more important in legal dealings across Europe. 

The group also visited the west of Ireland, and Mr Quinlan joked that he couldn’t think what aspect of jurisprudence could have brought them there, until someone pointed out that maybe they were studying Brehon Law. He hoped that they had learnt lots about Ireland on their visit, including “Guinness and all that”. 

One of those on the course, Lucia Fabbri, from Siena in Italy, told the Gazette that she first did the Law Society’s annual course four years ago and has been coming back each year. She said the course is fantastic and unique.

She studied in Dublin for two years, from 1995 to 1997. “I left my heart in Dublin,” she said, and loves coming here every year. The first thing she does to banish the post-Christmas blues is to book her place on the course in January. 

“There’s nothing like this course in Italy,” she said. She said it was a very professional course, and she always gets a lot out of it. 

And you can’t speak to an Italian without talking food and wine. She likes Irish food, but finds some of it a little heavy, or “pesante” as she put it. But she admits to a particular fondness for our soda bread.  And she likes our cider, but complains that she can’t get cider in Italy. 

After the formalities and the speeches were over, many of the lawyers got great amusement in donning Attracta O’Regan’s barrister’s wig and gown and having their photograph taken.