Legal English International

Mission Statement

     The goal of Legal English International (LEI) is to offer a highly personal service, providing intensive, professional-level Legal English tutoring in a very relaxed and informal setting, to lawyers who are native speakers of other languages.

     To achieve this goal, LEI programs use instructors who are trained and experienced in both law and language teaching, and offer a choice of subjects so that the curriculum is always tailored to the needs of the particular student. Our standard classes are organized into one-week or two-week plans with many optional features.

     To maintain both flexibility and professional competence, LEI is a small-scale, personally-run operation and an independent entity, unaffiliated with any large institution.

     LEI courses are primarily designed for lawyers working in countries where English is not the dominant language of commerce, who need to improve their English for professional purposes, whether to communicate with clients or with other professionals.  The LEI curriculum can also be adapted for lawyers working temporarily in the U.S.A. or planning to study for an L.L.M. or similar degree at a university in the U.S.A.  The standard curriculum is most appropriate for students with general English skills at the high intermediate to advanced level, but in some circumstances it is possible to accommodate lower level English.

Letter from the Director

Thank you for visiting the website of Legal English International, a very small company (sole proprietorship) that I started in early 2008, based near Berkeley, California, U.S.A. 

I have worked with lawyers and other professionals from Austria, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and Turkey.  I am always hoping to add more countries to that list.

Since 2007 I have been collaborating with Stephen Dillon Weston, the Director of Loquitur, a similar Legal English training program based in London, U.K. (www.loquitur.net) We teach private classes in London and group classes for the Academy of European Law in Brussels, Belgium and in Trier, Germany.  We also teach Human Rights English for the Protection Project of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, using an original curriculum that we developed in 2009.

In the California program, a remodeled and fully-equipped room in my house in the Berkeley hills serves as a dedicated classroom for lessons. Students have found that this quiet and comfortable environment, with expansive views of the San Francisco Bay and coastal hills, plus all the conveniences of a private home, enhances their learning experience.

On a personal note, LEI fulfills my dream of combining my interests in the law, languages, and cross-cultural communication in a socially useful way.  I developed this business while in the process of winding down my law practice in California, where I have worked as a lawyer since I was admitted to the State Bar in December 1982.  In December 2007 I became certified as a Teacher of English as a Second Language by the University of California at Berkeley Extension program.  I am almost retired from my law practice, expecting to close my final case by June of 2011, and I now devote most of my time to teaching Legal English. 

I hope that you will find a Plan to meet your needs, whether you choose to come to California or want a class In Your City anywhere in the world. And if you have any questions or if you are interested in something that does not appear on the website, please contact me to discuss your English language training needs.  I am always open to exploring new possibilities.

Irene Kiebert
February 2010
Questions?  Contact Legal English International Director Irene Kiebert