Jurisprudence as a Career

1. When young men and women enter jurisprudence they enter an exciting field. Other professions and jobs have their excitement, their fascination^*, their frustrations^* but I cannot imagine any more rewarding way of life than jurisprudence. Now I am a third-year student of the State University Law Department. When I entered the University I had no idea of what I should do in future. Having studied a lot of legal subjects, such as Theory of Law, State and Law, Criminal and Public Law I could outline the profession I’m engaged in. Now it is obvious to everyone, that in a community such as the one in which we live, some kind of law is necessary because every day of our life we are restrained and guided by law. It protects us while it restricts us. Sometimes it punishes us.

2. The work of a lawyer is something much wider than I have imagined. He must give the explaining and true interpreting of the events^*, providing eye-witness descriptions^* of scenes and happenings, conjuring up the atmosphere^* in which events are taking place. The lawyer must have the nose for the news^* and keenly developed sense of event values^*, he must be a good listener who can get other people to favour him with their confidences*.

3. The lawyer may also serve in the agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as investigator or detective. They are to handle serious problems of life and perform well under operational conditions. Their main aims are to maintain law and order, to provide security for the society, to fight crime. The investigator is also responsible for the prevention of crime, that is why knowledge of special means, methods and forms of crime prevention and crime detection is quite necessary for them. Besides they must have some additional professional skills and abilities. They must be able to drive a car, to use weapon, to interview and interrogate witnesses and criminals.

4. That’s what I know about my future profession now. And it makes me think that in some years I’ll be able to find the job in accordance with the knowledge I am getting because our department trains specialists for working in court, Office of Public Prosecutor, Notary, other juridical bodies and also in legal service of national economy.

5. Of course the general assignment lawyer^* should know at least two foreign languages, apart from its own. One must remember that to know a language means to be able to follow conversations, to speak on the telephone, to read foreign newspapers and magazines. The lawyer must get thorough knowledge of modern history, current affairs, manners, customs, political system etc. If he is to work authoritatively he must himself be an authority.

Notes:

Task 2. Complete the dialogue using hints in brackets.