TOLES 1:1 Classes
Build your legal English in the right order. Step by step, with a language trainer who also understands the law.
Private online classes for legal professionals who want a solid base in the must-know vocabulary and concepts of civil and commercial practice. So you read contracts, write emails and follow calls knowing the words mean what you think.
Free · 20 minutes · Online
How many times have you thought
I’ve read contracts in English for years. But I learned it piece by piece, and I don’t know what’s missing.
I’m comfortable with the English of the contracts I see every week. But if the question moves a little outside them, I don’t have the words.
I’m not always sure about the difference between “shall”, “should” and “must”, and in a contract, that difference matters.
I wrote “eventually” in an email, meaning “if needed”. Later I found out it means “in the end”.
AI translates the contract in a few seconds. It sounds right. But I can’t tell if it really says what I think it says.
My CV says “good English”. If someone asked me what that means, I couldn’t tell them.
If you recognise yourself in these lines, you’re not alone. Most of the legal professionals I work with said the same things before we started.
You’re already good at your job. You’re used to being the person others ask for answers, so not being sure about a word you use every week is uncomfortable.
You don’t need to work internationally for this to matter. English reaches every practice: a foreign client, a supplier’s contract, a document from abroad.
It isn’t surprising. Most legal professionals learn their English at work, one word at a time, with nobody to check the meaning. Some words stay. Some are learned with the wrong meaning. And studying alone is hard to continue when you have a lot of work.
You don’t need to start from zero. You need a clear, organised base of legal English for the situations you’re most likely to meet in civil and commercial practice, one that puts what you already know in order, and fills the gaps you can’t see.
Claudia builds confidence and the ability to engage with international clients.
I found these Legal English sessions to be such an interesting and enriching experience.
What TOLES 1:1 Classes give you
TOLES (Test of Legal English Skills) is an exam made for legal English. Its materials teach the language legal professionals use at work.
In these private classes, we work through the official materials together, in order. They're built on real legal texts, so what you learn is what you meet in your work.
The exam is optional. Take it only if you'd like recognised proof of your level.
There are three levels: Foundation, Higher and Advanced. I teach all three.
Working through the materials together means I can:
Point out false friends
When a term looks familiar but means something different, I tell you at that moment. So you learn it correctly the first time.
Answer your questions straight away
When a sentence doesn't make sense, you ask, and you get an answer. So you understand the text before you move on.
Show you your own mistakes
Mistakes in tone and register (how formal you sound) are very hard to notice alone. I give you clear feedback on your writing, so you know what to change, and the same mistake doesn't appear in your emails at work.
Check your pronunciation
We practise saying the words, not just reading them. So when you use a term on a call, you say it with confidence, and the other person understands you the first time.
Help you remember what you learn
You keep reviewing the vocabulary from earlier chapters. So when we reach the last chapter, you still remember the words from the first one.
Help you continue
A fixed time in your week helps you keep studying, even in your busiest weeks. So you finish the course, instead of stopping halfway.
Hello, I'm Claudia
I know what a solid base in legal English can do, because it’s how I started. I’m a former lawyer, trained in Italy. English was always part of my life (my mother is Canadian), but the English I grew up with didn’t include the vocabulary of the law.
So I prepared for the ILEC, the Cambridge legal English exam at the time, with a trainer to guide me. Looking back, having someone follow my progress is what made the difference. I passed, and I had something even more useful: a solid base in the key terms and concepts of civil and commercial law.
That base was all the legal English I had when I arrived in London for my traineeship at a firm of solicitors. And it was enough: I attended hearings, took notes in client meetings, wrote memos and talked with barristers (the lawyers who represent clients in court). Experience did the rest.
In these classes, I give you the same foundation and the same guidance I had: the key legal vocabulary, learned in order, with someone following your progress.
- 10+
- years teaching legal English
- 2017
- the year I became a TOLES authorised provider
- VP
- of EULETA, the European Legal English Teachers' Association
What changes in your work
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Legal English learned piece by piece, from whatever reached your desk | The key vocabulary of civil and commercial practice, organised in one place |
| Confident only with the contracts you see every week | The words you need when a question moves into a nearby area |
| "I think this word means..." | You know what it means, and why |
| Hoping the AI translation is right | You can check what AI writes, and notice when it's wrong |
| "Good English" on your CV, with nothing to show it | If you take the exam, a certificate that shows your level |
Before
Legal English learned piece by piece, from whatever reached your desk
After
The key vocabulary of civil and commercial practice, organised in one place
Before
Confident only with the contracts you see every week
After
The words you need when a question moves into a nearby area
Before
"I think this word means..."
After
You know what it means, and why
Before
Hoping the AI translation is right
After
You can check what AI writes, and notice when it's wrong
Before
"Good English" on your CV, with nothing to show it
After
If you take the exam, a certificate that shows your level
Price
€60 per class, or less when you book a pack. Choose 5, 10 or 20 classes: the bigger the pack, the more you save. If you choose a pack, you pay for it only after your first class, once you decide to continue.
For the full Foundation course, most students need 20 to 30 hours. We find the right pack for you in the free call. Full conditions: Terms and Conditions.
What you get back
Learning legal English takes time and money. Here is what it can give back, in your work, for years:
Time
Less time checking every word of a contract or an email in English, and less time searching for the right term.
Work you can say yes to
A foreign client, a contract from abroad, a question outside your usual area: work you can take on yourself, instead of passing it to someone else.
Less risk
Fewer misunderstandings on the words that carry legal weight, so fewer surprises for you and your clients.
A base doesn't expire. Every new word you meet later has a place to go.
How to start
-
Book your free assessment call
Choose a time that suits you.
-
We talk about your goals
You tell me what you want from TOLES and where you are now, and we discuss it together.
-
I send you a proposal
Based on our call, I send you a proposal with the TOLES level I recommend and the packs available.
-
Take your first class, then decide
If you choose a pack of 5, 10 or 20 classes, I send the invoice only after your first class. If you want to continue, that class is already part of the pack. If it is not right for you, you pay only for that class.
Is this right for you?
These classes are made for you if:
- You're a legal professional, and English reaches your work from time to time, even if you don't work internationally.
- You manage with legal English, but you learned it piece by piece, and you'd like an organised base.
- You'd like to feel at ease in the areas of civil and commercial practice you don't see every week.
- You've tried studying alone, and you'd like someone to guide you and check your work.
- You have a basic level of general English (around A2 CEFR), and one hour a week to give it.
You don't need to recognise yourself in every line. If most of them sound like you, let's talk.
Questions you may have
My English isn't very strong. Can I still start?
Yes. To start, you need a basic level of general English (around A2 CEFR). In the free call, we look at where you are now, and you'll know what to expect before you decide anything.
I don't work in civil or commercial law. Are these classes useful for me?
Yes. The materials teach the core language of civil and commercial practice: contracts, companies, employment and disputes. These topics reach almost every area of law, so most legal professionals meet them sooner or later. In the free call, we look at your work and check that the classes are right for you.
How much time do I need each week?
One class a week (one hour) works well, plus some time for homework and review. Regular practice matters more than long sessions. We choose a fixed day for your class and try to keep it, but the calendar is flexible: if your week changes, we look at your schedule and find another time.
Are the classes online?
Yes. Classes are private and online. You can join from your office or from home.
Do I have to take the TOLES exam?
No. You can use the classes to build your legal English without taking the exam. If you'd like recognised proof of your level, you can take it. TOLES isn't pass or fail: your certificate shows your score, your level, and what someone at that level can do in legal English.
Which level is right for me?
TOLES has three levels: Foundation, Higher and Advanced. In the free call, we look at where you are now and what you want to achieve, and we decide together which level is right for you.
If I decide to take the exam, how do you help me prepare?
We add practice tests to your classes. I send you a test, you complete it and send it back, and I check your answers. Then we have a call to go through your mistakes, make sure every point is clear, and work on extra activities where you need them. So on exam day, you know what to expect. If you still have classes left in your pack, we use those. If not, smaller packages are available just for exam preparation.
Do I have to decide during the call?
No. After the call, I send you a proposal, and you decide in your own time. There's no commitment until you choose to start.
What can I do after the course?
You can continue with the next TOLES level. Or you can keep your legal English active with Legal English News Bites, a live online class every Friday built around a real legal news story.
Ready to build your base in legal English?
The first step is a short assessment call. We look at your level and what you want from TOLES. Then I send you a proposal with the TOLES level I recommend and the packs available, and you decide in your own time.
Free · 20 minutes · Online