Entering the Profession

How does someone become a lawyer? In some countries … order to practice as a lawyer it is necessary to get a university degree … law. In others, a degree may be insufficient; professional examinations must be passed. In Britain, it is not … fact necessary to have a degree, although nowadays most people entering the profession do. The main requirement is to have passed the Bar Final examination (…barristers) or the Law Society Final examinations (… solicitors). Someone … a university degree … a subject other than law needs first to take a preparatory course. Someone … a degree at all may also prepare … the final examination, but this will take several years. In most countries, lawyers will tell you that the time they spent studying … their law finals was one … the worst periods … their life! This is because an enormous number … procedural rules covering a wide area … law must be memorized. A solicitor … England, … example, must spend two years as an articled clerk, during which time his work is closely supervised … an experienced lawyer, and he must take further courses. A barrister must spend a similar year as a pupil.

Task 25. Practise the following for pronunciation.

candidate /'kxndIdIt/ fingerprints /'fINgq"prInts/

employment /Im'plOImqnt/ search /sE:C/

equivalent /I'kwIvqlqnt/ seizure /'sJZq/

aptitude /'xptItjHd/ photography /fq'tPgrqfi/

agility /q'GIlIti/ auto /'LtqV/

psychological /"saIkq'lPGIkql/ larceny /'lRsni/

polygraph /'pPlIgrRf/ arson /Rsn/

procedure /prq'sJGq/ surveillance /sE:'veIlqns/

technique /tek'nJk/ probationary /prq'beISnqri/

circumstance /'sE:kqmstxns/ canine /'keInaIn/

defensive /dI'fensIv/ explosives /Ik'splqVsIvz/

Task 26. Read and translate the text

Virginia State Police Academy

Candidates for trooper positions in Virginia must be 21 years of age by the time of employment, possess a high school education or equivalent, must demonstrate competent driving skills, and pass a general physical examination. Applicants must pass an oral interview, background investigation, aptitude¹, agility², psychological, drug, and polygraph³ test.

Trooper trainees enter the State Police Academy for 32 weeks of extensive training including 26 weeks of classroom instruction followed by no less than 6 weeks of post classroom field training⁴. At the Academy the students are provided with a quality program to develop their knowledge of the police profession, criminal justice procedures and related techniques so that under any circumstances they could perform their duties in a professional manner.

The students have lectures and practical exercises in 114 subjects: Physical Training (122 hrs), Firearms (96 hrs), Accident Investigation (76 hrs), Motor Vehicle Code (55 hrs), Defensive Tactics (52 hrs), Criminal Investigation (50 hrs), Criminal Law (20 hrs), Police Report Writing (16 hrs), Fingerprints (12 hrs), Laws of Arrest (10 hrs), Raids (10 hrs), Rules of Evidence (8 hrs), Search and Seizure (8 hrs), Police Photography (8 hrs), Constitutional Law (8 hrs), Auto Larceny (6 hrs), First Aid (6 hrs), Arson Investigation (4 hrs), Identification of Narcotics (4 hrs), Interrogation of Witnesses/Suspects (4 hrs), Police Professionalism (4 hrs), Surveillance (4 hrs) and many others.

Upon graduation, students spend 6 weeks with a field training officer in their newly assigned area, followed by a six-month probationary period.

The State Police Academy also provides advanced training⁵ for experienced officers from different police agencies. This training is available in specialized skills such as arson investigation, accident reconstruction, canine handling⁶, crime scene investigation, handling of explosives and motorcycle training.

_____________

¹aptitude - пригодность

²agility – ловкость, быстрота

³polygraph – детектор лжи

⁴field training – практика

⁵advanced training – повышение квалификации

⁶canine handling – служебное собаководство

Task 27. Find the English equivalents for the following words and word combinations; memorize them.

1. кандидаты на должности полицейского

2. показать хорошие навыки вождения

3. пройти общий медицинский осмотр

4. пройти проверку биографических данных

5. пройти проверку на детекторе лжи

6. шестинедельная практика

9. при любых обстоятельствах

10. выполнять служебные обязанности на хорошем профессиональном уровне

11. обыск и выемка

12. шестимесячная стажировка

13. обращение с взрывчатыми веществами

14. расследование поджогов

Task 28. Make up a list of subjects in which students at Virginia Police Academy have lectures and practical exercises; translate them into Russian; say which of them are taught at Law Institutes in Russia and which are not.

Task 29. Fill the gaps with the words from the box; translate the text into Russian.

handcuffs to investigate force handling

hit-and-run injury tactics to execute

self defense criminals methods offence

Classroom instruction on accident investigation provides the students with a basic knowledge of how … a motor vehicle accident. Emphasis is placed upon proper investigation of … accidents both as a traffic crash and a criminal … .

Defensive … acquaints the students with disarming methods and … tactics against violent …, the proper and safe … of prisoners and double locking of … . It is also explained how … an arrest properly, what amount of … may be used and what are the best … of making an arrest with the least chance of … to the officer or the criminal.

Task 30. Answer the questions.

1. What requirements must candidates for trooper positions in Virginia meet?

2. What must they pass when they apply for a job in police?

3. How long is the term of training at the Police Academy?

4. What does training consist of?

5. What kind of a program are the students provided with at the Academy?

6. How many subjects do the students take at the Academy? Name some of them.

7. What type of knowledge are they given in the course of Accident Investigation?

8. What are they taught in the course of Defensive Tactics?

9. How long is the probationary period for the graduates of the Police Academy?

10. In what skills is the advanced training provided at the Police Academy in Virginia?

Task 31. Practise the following for pronunciation

indispensable /"IndI'spensqbl/ budgeting /'bAGItIN/

comprehensive /"kPmprI'hensIv/ influence /'InflVqns/

curriculum /kq'rIkjVlqm/ psychology /saI'kPlqGi/

management /'mxnIGmqnt/ sociology /"sqVsI'PlqGi/

behavioral /bI'heIvjqrql/ techniques /tek'nJks/

forensic /fq'rensIk/ seizure /'sJZq/

science /'saIqns/ entrapment /In'trxpmqnt/

essential /I'senSl/ liability /"laIq'bIlIti/

effective /I'fektIv/ juvenile /'GHvqnaIl/

concept /'kPnsept/ technology /tek'nPlqGi/

theory /'TIqri/ dormitory /'dLmItri/

Task 32. Read and translate the text.