EC130_Guide.pdf

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 130

TOPICS

How to become a lawyer in the U.S.; five most famous lines from U.S. movies;

proper versus appropriate

_____________

GLOSSARY

attorney – lawyer; a person whose job is to practice law; a legal professional

* I need to find a good attorney to help me write legal contracts for my business.

state bar – a state-level organization of all the people who are allowed to work

as lawyers in a particular state

* I cannot practice law in Idaho, because I am a member of only the state bar for

Nevada.

admission – entry into an organization; permission to join an organization or

participate in a group

* The university offers admission to only the best-qualified students.

bar exam – a difficult state-level test that people must take and pass in order to

work as professional lawyers in a particular state

* If you don’t pass the bar exam the first time, can you take it again?

to hurt (someone’s) feelings – to do or say something that makes another

person feel bad or sad

* Kristy hurt his feelings when she told him that she thought his new haircut

looked very strange.

to beg – to ask desperately for someone to do or not do something

* The children begged their parents to buy them a new computer.

frankly – basically; honestly; without any additional information; with just the

truth

* I’d like to help you with that project, but frankly I just don’t have enough time.

black market – the unofficial part of the economy where things are bought and

sold without paying taxes, outside of the laws

* If medicines continue to become more expensive, many people will start to buy

them on the black market.

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 130

to refuse – to say no; to deny; to reject; to not accept

* Lila refused to go to the dance with her cousin.

class – style; finesse; status in upper society

* Suzanne has so much class! She always dresses well, speaks well, and

seems to know all the right people.

contender – a person who is competitive and is able to compete with other

people

* You’ll never be a contender for a scholarship to a good university if you don’t

improve your grades in high school.

bum – a person who does not have a job, money, or a home

* I was living with my aunt until she told me, “Stop being a bum and get a job!”

unconscious – unaware of what is happening around oneself and unable to

hear or see for a period of time, usually because one has been hit on the head

very hard

* Stephan was unconscious for a few minutes after the skiing accident, and when

he woke up he couldn’t remember what had happened.

kid – child; a word used to address someone of any age in a friendly, informal

way

* No problem, kid, don’t worry about it.

proper – correct; with the right words and actions for a particular situation

* Under Kevin’s leadership, the company took all the proper steps to avoid the

lawsuit.

appropriate – suitable; fitting; correct for the situation

* I don’t think it would be appropriate for you to wear that old dress to the

wedding.

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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 130

WHAT INSIDERS KNOW

Famous TV Lawyers

Many popular American television shows are about lawyers. The shows are

about not only their professional work, but also their personal lives.

One famous TV lawyer is Perry Mason. The TV show, Perry Mason , “aired” (was

shown on television) from 1957 to 1966. Mason was a “defense attorney” (a

lawyer who helps the people who have been accused of a crime). In most of the

“episodes” (shows), his client was accused of having committed a murder.

Mason usually conducted a “thorough” (detailed and in-depth) investigation and

found out that someone else was “guilty” (responsible for having committed a

crime). Mason always “won the case” (argued successfully in the courtroom).

L.A. Law is another famous legal drama that aired on television from 1986 to

1994. It was about a “law firm” (a company of many lawyers) in Los Angeles.

The show “dealt with” (covered, or related to) legal issues, but also many social

and cultural issues that were important during that time.

Another famous TV lawyer is Ally McBeal. The show, Ally McBeal, aired from

1997 to 2002 and was very different from Perry Mason . McBeal was a young

lawyer working in Boston. She and the other lawyers worked on very unusual

cases, but the show did not really focus on their legal work. Instead, if focused

more on their personal lives and their romances.

Although these shows are “entertaining” (interesting and/or fun to watch), many

real lawyers “criticize” (say negative things about) them. They believe that TV

shows about the law and lawyers give the American “public” (ordinary people) the

wrong idea about how law is practiced in the country.

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 130

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

You’re listening to ESL Podcast’s English Café number 130.

This is ESL Podcast’s English Café episode 130. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff

McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in –

where else – the beautiful City of Los Angeles, California.

Visit our website at eslpod.com. While you’re there, you can download the 8 to

10 page Learning Guide for this episode. You can also take a look at our ESL

Podcast Blog, where several times a week we provide you with even more help

in improving your English.

On this Café, we’re going to talk about how to become a lawyer in the United

States. We’re also going to talk about some of the most famous lines from

American movies. And as always, we’ll answer a few of your questions. Let’s

get started.

Every country has its own system of education and professional training. Today

we’re going to talk about how to become an “attorney” (attorney), which is just

another word for a “lawyer,” someone who works in the legal system. In the

United States, traditionally, being an attorney was very prestigious. When we

say something is “prestigious,” we mean that it is a job that brings people a lot of

respect from other people. Lawyers are usually thought to be intelligent and hard

working. Being a lawyer is a prestigious job, however many people don’t like

lawyers; they make jokes about attorneys. That has been happening for many

centuries, of course!

Lawyers have to study many years to earn their degree and they spend a lot of

money on their education. Like doctors, however, they also “earn,” or receive, a

lot of money once they begin working as lawyers. When you work as a lawyer,

we use the expression “to practice law.” “To practice law” means to work as an

attorney. Normally, “practice” is a verb that means to learn something, to be

training to do something. “I am practicing on the violin” – I am trying to learn to

become better. But when we talk about law, “to practice law” means to actually

be working as an attorney.

To become a lawyer in the United States, first you need to “earn,” or receive, an

undergraduate degree. Undergraduate education is usually the first four years

that you go to college or university after you complete high school. Your

undergraduate degree is usually called a “bachelor’s degree.” After you get your

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

English as a Second Language Podcast

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ENGLISH CAFÉ – 130

undergraduate education, if you want to continue studying, then you go to

graduate school. In graduate school you can earn a master’s degree and a

doctorate, or PhD. If you go to medical school, you can earn a medical degree,

an MD. For example, I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of

Minnesota, then I went to graduate school and got a master’s at the University of

St. Thomas. Finally, I received my PhD from the University of Southern

California. People who become lawyers earn an undergraduate degree in many

different topics; you can study politics, you can study history, you can study

literature, and then become a lawyer. The most popular things that are studied,

however, are English, communications, business, and history.

After you get your undergraduate degree, the next step is to apply to law school.

“To apply” means to fill out the “paperwork,” the forms, in order to ask for

permission to study at that particular college or school. The place where you

study law is usually called a “law school” rather than a “law college,” but it’s the

same. Most law schools are very “competitive,” meaning there are many people

who are trying to enter into the program, many more than they have places for.

So, you have to be very well qualified; you have to have good grades and be

intelligent in order to study in these schools. Most “applicants,” people who try to

enter a university, have to take the LSAT to get into law school. The “LSAT” is a

test that is specifically for those who want to go to law school.

Most law school programs last, or take, three years. They require very intensive

study. “Intensive” (intensive) means, here, very serious, so intensive studying is

studying very hard, for many hours every day. Once you finish law school, you

receive a professional degree called a “Juris Doctor,” or “JD” “Juris” comes from

the word “jurisprudence,” which is a general word describing the law. So, you

study hard in law school and you graduate with your JD, or Juris Doctor, now you

have finished your legal education but you are not yet officially a lawyer.

To become a working lawyer, someone who can practice law legally in a state,

you must become a member of an organization called the “state bar.” The “bar”

(bar) is a state organization of lawyers who have permission to practice law in

that state. It is not related to the bar where you go drinking, although if you have

ever spent time with an attorney, you probably would want a drink! A person with

a JD has to apply for admission to the bar of the state where he or she wants to

work. So, if you work in California, or want to work in California, you have to

apply for admission to the bar, or organization of lawyers, in California.

Admission is usually dependent upon, meaning it depends on, your experience

and your ability to pass a very difficult examination, or test, called the “bar exam.”

The bar exam is very difficult in most states. In California, only about 50 percent

These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of

these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.

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