The Lawyer in Our Society

No society can function without rules. There are frictions and difficulties between neighbors, between businessmen and their com ­ petitors, between husbands and wives and employers and employees. It is the lawyer's job to help people apply the rules in these situations: to avoid trouble where they can, and to resolve conflicts fairly where they cannot.

Because the society is complex and gives rise to many problems, the lawyer with his special training is essential to its operation and to the well-being of the people. Most lawyers spend most of their time counseling people on business or personal matters, drawing documents like contracts, wills, adoption papers, deeds and leases. In contributing to the orderly conduct of our affairs and the orderly solution of our problems, they are in a real sense the glue that holds the society together.

In addition, lawyers have another important role in the control of crime. Even in an organized, "civilized" society people lie and cheat, steal and fight and all too often kill. Laws are written to provide penalties for lying and cheating, stealing and fighting and killing. Courts are established to hear charges of such conduct and impose the penalties if the charges are proved. Lawyers are trained and licensed to help people obtain the full protection of the laws, on the one hand, and, on the other, to make sure that if a person does violate the law, he/she is convicted only of the offense he/she actually committed and that the penalty imposed on such a person is no greater than the law provides.

The lawyer's duty is to employ every proper method of asserting personal rights. Every person accused of having committed a crime, every person whose civil rights have been violated, is entitled to legal advice and legal representation.

The demand for lawyers’ services of all kinds is steadily growing. There is scarcely an area of American life in which social, political and economic developments are not increasing the demand for lawyers.

6. Match the following English and Russian equivalents:

1) competitor 2) to resolve 3) to counsel 4) to contribute 5) to steal 6) to commit 7) to impose 8) to violate 9) to accuse 10) demand

a) нарушать b) спрос c) конкурент d) красть e) разрешать f) обвинять g) вносить вклад h) совершать i) консультировать j) налагать

7. Say if the following is true:

1) Most lawyers spend their time talking to their clients trying to help them with their legal problems. 2) There are a lot of areas in which social, political and economic developments are not increasing the demand for lawyers. 3) Every person accused of having committed a crime, every person whose civil rights have been violated, is not entitled to legal advice and legal representation.

SPEAKING

Discussion:

2 Why do people lie, cheat, steal, fight and often kill even in an organized, “civilized” society?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14