THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF ENGLISH IN TODAY'S LEGAL PRACTICE

In today's ever-connected society, English has emerged as the universal language of trade, diplomacy, and, perhaps most prominently, law. This article analyzes one aspect of legal practice: the significance of English in contemporary legal practice, and discusses English role’s in legal practice, both in international relations including international litigation and arbitration, in accessing legal materials from different jurisdictions, and in interaction among different legal systems. It addresses negative aspects and advantages of a single dominant language policy for practitioners, particularly focusing on how they must navigate the complex contemporary legal landscape which requires different language levels of proficiency with English.