FAQ

Why can’t I just search for these terms with Google or another search engine?

Searching for English legal terms using the typical Internet search engine will get you plenty of results but they are often unreliable and time-consuming to go through. Our search tool gives quick, accurate answers written by our British and American lawyers. Plus, our search results give you clear explanations and usage examples as well as language exercises and lessons so you actually learn as you work.

What makes TransLegal different?

We are attorneys who are passionate about the language of law and helping law students, lawyers and other legal professionals communicate effectively in English. As attorneys we know how to successfully communicate complex legal matters. And every year, we help tens of thousands of lawyers and law students all over the world improve their Legal English. The proof: more bar associations, law firms and universities rely on TransLegal than any other provider of Legal English.

We have British and American law dictionaries in our library. Why do we need TransLegal as well?

British and American law dictionaries are written for Anglo-Saxon lawyers. Our dictionary is the world’s only law dictionary designed for non-native speakers. Lawyers who are non-native speakers of English use a law dictionary differently than native speakers. A British or U.S. lawyer looking up the word “decree” might want to know the difference between a “decree in equity” and a “judgment at common law” (something relevant only to the common law system). Our dictionary gives non-native speakers of English the definitions they need, plus notes on how to use the word in a sentence, how to pronounce the word, and what common mistakes to avoid.

How are subscriptions billed?

We accept major credit cards. Subscriptions are billed every month or year. Your subscription will be renewed automatically, and you will be charged in advance of each billing cycle unless you cancel.

Is it possible to purchase a group license?

Absolutely. Contact us to get started.

What’s included in TransLegal for Groups?

With TransLegal membership you get unlimited searches of our database of 5,000 legal terms, 5,000+ legal documents, 1,000 exercises and quizzes, and 8,000 audio and video recordings. Plus access to our catalogue of online Legal English courses: Basic Legal English: The Legal English 500©, Contract Law, Company Law, IP Law, English for LLM Students, English for Legal Support Staff.

What are the benefits of TransLegal for Groups?

With TransLegal for Groups, you get as many licenses as you need, discounted prices, invoicing via a single centralized bill, IP-based access, and world-class support.

Can I have an invoice for my TransLegal subscription?

Yes. You can find your invoices and transaction history on the payments section of your account settings.

Course certificates

After successfully completing each course, you may request a certificate evidencing that you have studied with TransLegal. To request a certificate, please fill out our contact form and choose the subject “Certificates” and tell us which course you would like a certificate for. Once we receive your request, we will verify successful completion of the course(s) and issue a certificate in PDF format within approximately 90 days.

What is the Legal English Audit (“LEA”)?

LEA is an online diagnostic test of english in a legal context set at levels B1 – C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Who is LEA for?

LEA is a test for lawyers and law students and which gives a quick and accurate assessment of language skills.

LEGAL EMPLOYERS – LEA is designed to help legal employers to make decisions regarding:

hiringlanguage training needswork allocation

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS – LEA adds value to the services provided and helps language schools to make decisions regarding:

group placementstudent needstraining strategies

What is the level of English necessary to take TransLegal’s online courses?

Our Introduction to Legal English course is designed for B1 level learners. Our other online courses require at least a B2 on theC ouncil of Europe’s Common European Framework of References for Language (CEFR)scale. If you are unsure of your CEFR level our Legal English Audit (LEA) gives instant results setting out your language levels within the CEFR scale.

How long are the courses (course duration)?

Basic Legal English: The Legal English 500© – 20-25 hours of online self-study.

Contract Law – 20-25 hours of online self-study.

Company Law – 20-25 hours of online self-study.

IP Law – 20-25 hours of online self-study.

English for LLM Students – 15-20 hours of online self-study.

English for Legal Support Staff – This flexible course provides at least 15 hours of Legal English training in total. We appreciate how busy support staff can be, so we have designed the course so that it can be taken in ten-minute chunks (two tasks a day) providing 20 weeks of essential Legal English exercises.

PLEAD – 30 hours of online self-study. The course book, International Legal English, provides a further 90-110 hours of self-study material. An additional 30 hours of Internet research tasks and vocabulary quizzes related to the course book is also included. To find out the duration of live courses, please contact your local PLEAD language school directly.

What is in the courses (course contents)?

All of TransLegal’s courses are aimed at training Legal English vocabulary, rather than providing an in-depth introduction to common law systems. However, as all of the texts used in the courses are authentic, these do tend to reflect English as used in common law jurisdictions.

While the content may, in some units, focus more on one particular jurisdiction, the words are generally in use throughout English speaking jurisdictions (and by English speaking lawyers from other jurisdictions). Where there are differences in the use of vocabulary in, e.g. the UK and the US, these are noted.

To view the course contents, visit the Academy. The contents of the PLEAD course are listed here.