English is an essential tool for any lawyer working with international matters. It is the lingua franca of the legal profession, of business and international affairs.
Employers need to know that their appointed legal staffs have a sufficient level of English to be able to communicate with clients and professionals in other countries, and to handle information written in English. At the same time, law students and lawyers need to be able to show employers that they have these skills. ILEC (International Legal English Certificate), designed in collaboration with Translegal - Europe's leading firm of lawyer-linguists, was created to meet these needs.
ILEC is an examination set at levels B2 and C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. ILEC is equivalent in level to the world famous Cambridge First Certificate in English and Certificate in Advanced English, and assesses language skills in a legal context. Examinations at the C1 level may be used as proof of the level of language necessary to work in an international legal context or to follow a course of legal study at university level.
ILEC is for law students and practising lawyers who:
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are employed in an international legal environment (commercial law context, company legal departments, government agencies) |
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intend to study law where the course includes a significant English language content, either in their own country or abroad |
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learn English as part of a training programme. |
ILEC is already recognised by leading international associations of lawyers including:
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Test of Reading - 1 hour and 15 minutes -there are six parts that test candidates' knowledge and control of the language system, candidates' understanding of the meaning of written English at word, phrase, sentence and paragraph level. |
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Test of Writing - 1 hour and 15 minutes - the paper consists of two law-related writing tasks - a letter and a memorandum. |
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Test of Listening - 40 minutes this test consists of four parts - monologues and dialogues which include presentations, lectures, announcements, discussions, interviews, etc. |
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Test of Speaking - 16 minutes - the test examines candidates' ability to exchange personal and factual information, expressing and finding attitudes and opinions. |
ILEC can be taken in May and November each year. Check out the Dates and Prices page for further details on exam dates and fees as well as the How to Register page to download an entry form and to get further registration details.
The four ILEC papers total 200 marks - each of the papers is weighted to 50 marks. Results are reported in three passing grades (C1 Pass with Merit, C1 Pass and B2 Pass) and two failing grades (Narrow Fail and Fail). Candidates' total score is based on the candidates' performance in all four papers. Candidates can compensate their poor performance in one part by performing well on the other components.
Statements of results are issued approximately six weeks after the examination has been taken. All candidates receive a statement which shows their performance on each of the four papers and an overall grade, and candidates who achieve passing grades will receive an official certificate awarded by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations about one month later.
It is expected that preparation courses for ILEC will be offered by language schools and possibly English Departments of Law Faculties in many countries.
Cambridge University Press has published an ILEC course book "International Legal English", authored by Amy Krois-Lindner and Translegal, which can be borrowed from the Oton Zupančič Library.
On line resources are available here.
You can also download the ILEC Sample Papers.
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