Legal profession in the USA

LEGAL PROFESSION IN THE USA

Today, the number of lawyers in the United States exceeds 675,000. This translates to one lawyer for every 364 people. Twenty-five years ago, there was one lawyer for every 700 people. The rate at which the legal profession is growing will probably continue to outpace the rate of population growth through the end of the century.

Why is a career in law so popular? Market forces account for some of the allure. Lawyers' salaries are substantially greater than those of many other professionals. A starting salary may be about 40,000 dollars; some firms offer additional bonuses for clerkship experience in the federal courts and state supreme courts. The glamour of legal practice strengthens the attraction of its financial rewards.

There are other reasons for the popularity of the legal profession and the demand for legal services. Materialism and individualism in American culture encourage dispute. Federalism provides separate legal systems for each state plus the national government. Advertising can now create demand for legal services, too. Finally, the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances make governing difficult. The expression of group demands in a culture that encourages lawsuits makes the courts deal with all kinds of disputes and interests. Is it any wonder that America needs all the lawyers it can train?

The Justice Department is responsible for execution of the laws. The main administrators of federal law enforcement are 94 US attorneys, appointed by the president with the consent of the Senate. Unlike federal judges, these lawyers serve at the pleasure of the president and are expected to relinquish their position when the government is changed.

There is a US attorney in each federal judicial district. Their staffs of assistant attorneys vary in size with the amount of litigation in the district. They have considerable discretion, which makes them powerful political figures in any community. Their decision to prosecute or not affects the wealth, freedom, rights and reputation of individuals and organizations in the district.

US attorneys are political appointees who often have political ambitions. Their position commands media attention and can serve political goals. This kind of public exposure can help an attorney launch a successful career in elected office.

Vocabulary Notes:

1. to exceed – превышать

2. to outpace −опережать

3. allure − привлекательность

4. substantially − значительно

5. clerkship experience – опыт в должности секретаря

6. supreme court – верховный суд, суд первой инстанции

7. glamour − привлекательность

8. advertising − реклама

9. checks and balances – сдержки и противовесы

10. to encourage lawsuit – поощрять судебные тяжбы

11. Justice Department − министерство юстиции

12. law enforcement − правовое принуждение, применение закона

13. attorney – атторней, юрист, прокурор

14. to relinquish – отказываться (от права)

15. litigation – тяжба, процесс

II. Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Find the information in the text to prove your answer.

1. The legal profession is very popular in the USA.

2. Lawyers earn more money than many professionals.

3. The demand for legal services is so great in the USA because of materialism and individualism in American society.

4. The Senate is responsible for execution of the laws.

5. Only some of the federal judicial districts have a US attorney who is a powerful political figure in any community.

III. Find the words close in their meaning.

1. rate a) number, b) principle, c) speed

2. allure a) attraction, b) need, c) importance

3. salary a) work, b) financial reward, c) qualification

4. demand a) need, b) interest, c) consent

5. to affect a) to give, b) to attract, c) to influence

6. to vary a) to differ, b) to unite, c) to be the same

7. to encourage a) to appoint, b) to stimulate, c) to command

IV. Find the words opposite in their meaning.

1. to strengthen a) to improve, b) to encourage, c) to weaken

2. difficult a) easy, b) interesting, c) different

3. consent a) disagreement, b) execution, c) ambition

4. powerful a) strong, b) important, c) weak

5. separation a) service, b) integration, c) organization

V. Match the words as they occur together in the text.

1. career a) balances

2. legal b) political goals

3. population c) in law

4. lawyer’s d) growth

5. substantially e) greater

6. separation f) profession

7. checks and g) judge

8. the federal h) the president

9. at pleasure of i) salary

10. to serve j) of powers

VI. Find the best alternative to fill in the gap.

1. Lawyers’ … are greater than those of many other professionals.

a) principles

b) salaries

c) demand

2. Materialism and individualism in American culture encourage ….

a) dispute

b) financial rewards

c) clerkship experience

3. There are a lot of … for the popularity of the legal profession.

a) kinds

b) reasons

c) demands

4. The … is responsible for the execution of the laws.

a) government

b) Justice Department

c) Congress

5. Each federal judicial district has ….

a) an attorney

b) the Justice Department

c) one lawyer

VII. Match the words with their definitions.

1. a person whose work is to know about laws and help others concerning the law;

2. engagement in a lawsuit;

3. the highest court of the most states in the USA;

4. fixed regular monthly payment for work;

5. the upper house of the two law-making bodies in some countries.

a) salary; b) lawyer; c) litigation; d) the Senate; e) supreme court

VIII. Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence.

1. popular is in a career very law

2. people there one is lawyer 346 for

3. an has each district federal attorney

4. make checks difficult and balances governing

5. higher than lawyers professionals have salaries other

IX. Answer the questions.

1. How many lawyers are there in the USA today?

2. Why is a career in law so popular?

3. Why is the number of lawyers growing in the USA?

4. What strengthens the attraction of the legal profession?

5. How can clerkship experience influence a starting salary of a lawyer?

6. What are other reasons for the popularity of the legal profession?

7. Do the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances make governing easy?

8. Who are the main administrators of federal law enforcement?

9. What kind of ambitions do attorneys often have?

10. What makes an attorney a powerful political figure?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04