Hi! I'm Claudia
AKA SpeechLex
Hello, everyone!
My name is Claudia, and I help law professionals improve their legal English skills and boost their career prospects.
But let me walk you through my professional path.
Born in Italy to a Canadian mom and an Italian dad, I've always felt like a bridge between two worlds.
School days were spent soaking up Italian culture, while summers were all about Canadian fun – visiting grandparents, exploring bustling malls, and relaxing by cozy lakes.
My mom was an English teacher, and I often found myself at the language school where she worked.
One day, I stumbled upon Japanese characters on a whiteboard.
This mysterious language fascinated me and ignited a lifelong passion for the East.
With my mother's support, I began studying Japanese and I continued for six years.
Although my language skills have faded over time, that experience shaped my personality and ignited a passion for teaching.
A key moment was my school's "autogestione", a period of around one week where students design their own curriculum. On that occasion I decided to teach a Japanese class.
To my surprise, the classes were packed, and we had to organize additional sessions.
That experience solidified my belief that teaching was my true calling.
When I finished high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next.
I'd always been interested in Japanese culture, but I also wanted to try something completely new.
So, I made a rather unconventional decision. I grabbed a university course flyer, took a coin from my wallet, and flipped it.
The coin landed on "Law." Without hesitation, I walked straight to the registration desk and signed up.
It was a bold move, but it led me to a challenging and rewarding academic journey.
I've always enjoyed studying law and the unique way it trains your mind to think critically and analytically.
However, as I approached the end of my university studies, I still wasn't sure what career path to pursue.
Then, during my final year, I had to study Italian civil procedure and our professor also assigned us some sections of the US civil procedure code.
To my surprise, while many of my classmates struggled with the US code, I found it easy to understand and fun to translate.
I realized that I had an affinity for legal English and so I began to see the potential in combining my love for law with my English language skills.
After graduation, I was committed to using every possibility I had to gain expertise in legal English.
I first won a scholarship to take private legal English classes to prepare myself for the ILEC exam, the only exam run by Cambridge ESOL that would test my English knowledge in the legal area. I sat my exam in Milan and got the top score.
After that experience, I won another scholarship with my university that allowed me to work for an entire year in London at a solicitor's firm.
This experience was truly transformative, and I returned to Italy determined to build a career that would allow me to work with both the English and Italian legal systems.
But I still didn't know how.
2016 was a pivotal year for me.
I passed the Italian Bar exam, a significant achievement that I was proud to add to my career.
Although my part-time role as a consultant at the court prevented me from practicing law, it allowed me to gain valuable experience in the legal field.
Working closely with the court, I was asked to take on some legal English courses for lawyers and judges.
That’s when I decided to start my own teaching business as a side hustle.
2020 was a difficult year for many people.
Courts were closed and only essential services were allowed to operate.
As my work primarily involved seizure proceedings, which were suspended by the government to protect people from losing their homes during the pandemic, my job was considered non-essential.
This meant I was made redundant.
While initially unsettling, this experience ultimately proved to be a catalyst for positive change.
I saw for the first time the potential of my freelance work and took steps to further develop my skills.
In 2020, I enrolled in and successfully completed a postgraduate specialization course in Legal English Translation organized by my university.
This was a great opportunity to refine my skills, gain valuable insights, and connect with other professionals in the field.
We were assigned weekly translation tasks and received personalized feedback from experienced instructors, which was particularly beneficial for me as I had primarily worked independently up until that point.
This experience boosted my confidence and motivated me to pursue freelance work more seriously.
So, in 2022, despite having regained my previous position, I decided to start a new -very challenging- chapter of my professional life.
This shift in focus has allowed me to achieve a greater sense of fulfillment and control over my professional life.
So, what has happened during these years?
I started to get out of my comfort zone, i.e. I began speaking at conferences.
My first presentation was in 2021 in Warsaw at the EULETA conference, an association of European legal English teachers. In that occasion I talked about how TV series can help improve legal English.
Later, I spoke at the GLS Conference in Bari, sharing the results of an independent survey I did with over 400 Italian lawyers to understand their legal English skills.
In September 2024, I presented the same survey in Brussels to explore the possibility of similar research in other EU countries and compare lawyers' English levels across Europe.
As a legal English teacher, my goal is to empower law professionals with the language skills they need to make a real impact.
Whether it's understanding a client's complex needs, providing clear legal advice, or advocating for justice, English is the key to unlocking these opportunities.
By mastering English, lawyers can become more effective problem-solvers and contribute to a more just and equitable world.
My mission is to help them achieve this goal and make them feel confident and empowered.
How do I support lawyers in mastering Legal English?
I offer a range of training programs tailored to your professional needs
- The Legal English Power Start - A foundational course that teaches essential terminology for international law practice—designed to get you up to speed in just two weeks.
- The Legal English Confidence Boost - A series of mini-courses that help you speak confidently about legal topics in English, perfect for building fluency and ease in professional conversations.
- The Lawyer's English Language Toolkit - A comprehensive program that equips you with the language skills needed to work effectively in a law firm or as an in-house lawyer.
Beyond these courses, I also host a weekly Legal English Book Club to keep you motivated and continuously developing your skills in a relaxed, engaging environment.
Finally, check out my podcast, "Law is Everywhere", where I dive into legal terminology found in unexpected places, bringing real-world context to your learning.
Boost your Legal English and unlock new career opportunities
