Legal professions in Russia

The law and lawyers have not traditionally been accorded much power or status in Russia. During his travels to London in 1698 Peter the Great encounted some English barristers wearing wigs and gowns. “Who are those men?” Peter inquired of his escort. “Lawyers” was the reply. “Lawyers!” exclaimed Peter, “What is the use of so many? I have only two in my whole empire, and I mean to hang one of them as soon as I return”.

Yet, a current generation of Russian politicians wishes to reform and modernize the legal system of our country, and at the heart of these reforms is the need to create a society based on the rules of law. The Russian legal tradition like Russian society in general, is neither Western-oriented, nor wholly Eastern, thus Russian legal culture is assumed to be a mix of numerous traditions and influences.

Currently, justice in the Russian Federation is treated as a special type of independent state activity. The aim of justice in Russia is to safeguard the citizens’ rights and interests as well as those of the state and of individual institutions, enterprises and organizations.

Justice in the Russian Federation is administered by the courts of law only, whereas the court system depends on the legal profession to make it work. Russia is similar to many other European countries in having different kinds of lawyers, and consequently various types of state and privately-owned legal institutions that form the basis of the country’s legal system.

A diploma in law enables you to make a career of a judge, an attorney, a legal adviser, a procurator, a notary or an investigator. Citizens of the Russian Federation, who have reached the age of twenty five, have a higher legal education, and a record of work in the legal profession of no less than five years, may become judges and work in all levels of courts of the Russian Federation.

One more option of a law-school graduate is to work at the Procuracy, which, like all Russian courts, protects legality, law and order in the country. Its main function is to supervise the implementation of laws by local legislative and executive bodies, administrative control organs, legal entities, public organizations, and officials, as well as the lawfulness of their acts. The Procurator-General (The Prosecutor-General) of the Russian Federation is nominated by the President and serves a five-year term. Procurators of republics, regional and city prosecutors are appointed by the Russian Prosecutor-General.

Nowadays, numbers of Russian people are attracted by the glamour of legal practice, which is only strengthened by its financial rewards. A career of an attorney is usually started in advocatura or Russian Bar with its main function to provide representation to citizens in courts in both civil and criminal cases. Professional attorneys in Russia form the so-called colleges - professional unions of about 150 lawyers each. These colleges maintain consultation bureaus in virtually every town and city throughout the country. At the consultation bureaus citizens may seek legal advice on a vast array of questions: divorce, custody, inheritance, property rights, housing disputes, labor conflicts and so forth. The colleges also provide legal defense for people accused of criminal offences. The constitution provides that a defendant is guaranteed the right to legal counsel and the legal assistance will be provided free of charge if the defendant cannot afford a lawyer.

Currently, Russian attorneys are establishing their own law firms, independent of the colleges and consultation bureaus, and the rate at which this profession grows is really great. This is happening due to the fact that salaries of successful lawyers are substantially greater than those of many other professionals.

Lawyers are also widely employed by militia organs of the Russian Federation as investigators. Investigators are responsible for conducting criminal investigation, collecting the evidence, finding witnesses and providing for the documentative basis of any criminal case.

A notary is another important type of a legal profession. The most common function of a notary is to notarize documents. They are also authorized to witness and attest signatures, to take acknowledgements and certify or attest copies.

It is widely acknowledged that the profession of a lawyer is one of the most important and diversified professions in any law-governed state. The main purpose of this profession is to protect the rights and legal interests of citizens, institutions and organizations, as well as to educate people in the spirit of strict observance of all laws and the norms of behavior.

Ex.1. Pronounce the words:

status, politician, society, safeguard, enterprise, attorney, procurator, legislative, executive, legal entity, lawfulness, glamour, bureaus, substantially, due, militia organs, signature, acknowledgement, certify, diversified, law-governed, observance, behavior.

Ex.2. Find in the text

a) English equivalents for the following Russian words and word combinations:

парики и мантии, современное поколение, реформировать правовую систему общества, правосудие, быть на страже прав и интересов граждан, юридическая профессия, государственные и частные юридические структуры, диплом по праву, судья, адвокат, прокурор, следователь, стаж работы по профессии, высшее юридическое образование, суды, прокуратура, правопорядок, закон и порядок, осуществлять контроль за применением законов, правозаконность действий, материальное вознаграждение, карьера адвоката, адвокатура, представительство граждан в суде, коллегия адвокатов, юридическая консультация, вопросы наследования, споры по недвижимости, трудовые конфликты, юридическая защита, уголовное расследование, свидетели, заверять подлинность копий документов, гражданское общество, соблюдение законов и норм поведения.

b) Russian equivalents for the following English words and word combinations:

to reform and modernize the legal system, Russian legal tradition, a mix of traditions and influences, attorney, a record of work in the legal profession, a law-school graduate, to protect legality, legal entities, a five-year term, glamour of legal practice, consultation bureaus, colleges, vast array of questions, custody, free of charge, militia organs, criminal investigation, to notarize documents, law-governed state, strict observance of laws.

Ex.3. Find in the text

synonyms to the following words:

lawyer –	to protect –
attorney –	to reform –
procurator –	to ensure –
advocatura –	to control –
help –	the accused–
protection –	experience –
variety –	benefits –

antonyms to the following words and word combinations:

privately-owned –

to differ –

to dismiss –

to weaken –

civil offence –

to fire –

Ex. 4. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences:

Traveling around Britain, Peter the Great encounted some English …….., wearing ….. and ……..

The purpose of democratic reforms is to ……… a society based on the rules of ……..

The Russian ……… tradition combines the features of numerous traditions and influences.

The …………. system depends on the legal profession to make it function.

A career of a ……… requires from a person to be older than 25, to have a higher legal education and a ………. of work in the legal profession of no less than 5 years.

Procuracy of the RF protects ………, law and ……. in the country.

The main function of the Russian Bar is to provide …….. to citizens in courts in both civil and criminal cases.

The …….. maintain consultation bureaus in almost every town or city throughout the country.

……….. are involved in conducting criminal investigation, collecting the evidence etc.

The most common function of a notary is to ……..documents, to witness and ………signatures, to ………. or attest copies.

Ex.5. Whose duty is to perform the following actions?

to conduct criminal investigation

to certify and attest copies

to provide representation to citizens in courts in both civil and criminal cases

to supervise implementation of laws

to notarize documents

to conduct the trial and pass the sentence

to provide for the documentative basis of any criminal case

to provide legal counsel free of charge if the defendant cannot afford a lawyer

to collect the evidence.

Ex.6. Find if the following statements are True or False. Comment on them.

The law and lawyers have not traditionally been given much power in Russia.

During his travels to London in 1698 Peter the Great saw the first lawyers in Europe.

The Russian legal tradition is unique combining the features of Western and Eastern legal cultures.

Justice in the RF is treated as a special type of activity independent of the state.

The courts of law are the only instruments to administer justice in the Russian Federation.

Russia is the only country in the world to have different kinds of lawyers.

A judge in the RF must be no younger than 35 years old.

The main function of a Procuracy is to supervise the implementation of laws.

The President of the RF appoints the procurators of all levels.

Colleges, professional unions of attorneys, usually number about 150 members.

The salaries of successful lawyers are greater than those of many other professionals.

Only male lawyers are employed by militia organs of the Russian Federation as investigators.

The main purpose of lawyers is to defend people in courts of all levels.

Ex.7. Answer the questions on the text:

When did the first lawyers appear in Russia?

What is characteristic for the Russian legal tradition?

What is the way to administer justice in any law-governed state?

What are the types of legal profession existing in Russia?

What is required to start a career of a judge?

What are the main functions of the Procuracy?

What is the procedure to appoint the Procurator-General?

What makes legal practice so attractive to numbers of Russian people?

What are the main functions of an attorney?

What professional units do the Russian attorneys form?

What legal issues can the citizens seek legal advice on in consultation bureaus?

What are the provisions of the RF Constitution in case if the accused of a criminal offence cannot afford a lawyer?

What structures are the investigators employed by?

What are the most common functions of a notary?

What make the profession of a lawyer so important in any law-governed state?

Ex.7. Explain the following terms to your group mates. You may use a good English-English dictionary to help you.

model: law- a rule that is supported by the power of government and

controls the behavior of members of a society

lawyer, justice, law-governed state, citizens, executive bodies, legislative bodies, judge, attorney, procurator, advocatura, court, investigator, militia organs, colleges, consultation bureaus, notary, criminal offence, investigation, evidence, witness.

Ex.9. Fill in the blanks in the diagram using the information from the text or your general background knowledge:

The profession of a lawyer (………, interesting, …………., necessary)

attorney

judge

procurator

………

legal adviser

state arbitrator

investigator

………

……….

…………

at the notary office

……….

at the state arbitration

in the militia organs

…..…… ………… ………… …………

administers justice, conducts the trial, sums up evidence, passes the sentence

supervises the correct application and observance of law, prosecutes the accused

………. ………………. ………. ………. ………. ………. ……….

gives legal help and legal advice

settles questions between enterprises

………… ………… ……….. ………… ………..

Ex.10. Dwell on the following:

a) historical background of the legal profession in Russia

b) the definition of justice and the instruments for its administration

c) possible specializations within the legal profession in the RF

d) a career of an attorney and its possible advantages attracting numbers of people

e) the role of legal profession within the political and social structure of any democratic society

Ex.11. Make a summary of the text. You may use the provisions of Ex.10. to help you.

Ex.12. Report on the following:

a) the career in the legal sphere of any relative of yours

b) the career you would like to choose after graduation within the legal profession

Text 2

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