Legal Portfolio

Angie Catalina Mojica Becerra

Law faculty, Libre University

Fourth semester
4A
Dra. Mónica Cuellar
Bogotá DC
2022

My Introduction

My name is Angie Catalina, and my last name is Mojica Becerra. I’m from Duitama

Boyacá, but I’m living in the last five years ago in Bogotá with my mother and my uncle. I’m a

law student now I am in my fourth semester at the Libre University. In my free time my

hobbies are read, sing, watch the series and spend time with people that I love. My contact
details are my e-mail address is [email protected] and my cell phone number is

three (3) two (2) two (2) six (6) one (1) six (6) two (2) four (4) one (1) four (4).

My Expectation

Some of my expectation for this class mainly is to learn to use this language in my

career in the best possible way. I would also clearly like to develop a better pronunciation and

something very important that is to improve my level in English, tis would also help me to look

at new paths in my career to develop in another country as an attorney, that helps me in

matters of trials using English, and finally have a integral development.

 Basic Legal Terms

2. Read the text and complete the table using information from the text.

Person Role or Job

1. Plaintiff is a person is a person who Files a complaint

who…… is a person who is accused of a crime

2. Defendant is a person who speak on behalf of

3. Attorneys their clients

4. Paralegal is a person w is a person who Assist the attorney

5. Judge with legal training

is a person who Resolves the

complaint

3. Match the words (1-7) with the definitions (A-G)

 Verdict

 Legal system

 Court

 Complaint

 Paralegal

 Plaintiff

 Civil

a. The methods of interpreting laws and putting them into effect is a (legal

system)

b. A legal conclusion is a (verdict)

 c. A written document that states the reason for the legal action is

a(complaint)

d. The place where people go to conduct legal business is a (court)

e. A person who accuses another person of a wrongdoing is a (plaintiff)

f. An attorney’s assistant with specialized legal training is a (paralegal)

g. Occurring between citizens is a (civil)

4. Check the correct sentence that use the underline parts correctly

√ The judge listened to the attorney’s arguments

√ The jury decided that the man was no guilty

√ The defendant hired an attorney to prove that he was innocent

√ Mr. Meaner’s attorney represented him during the trial

5.Before you read the passage talk about these questions

 What are some different jobs in the legal profession?

In the legal profession we found these jobs, plaintiff, attorney, jury, judge,

paralegal, defendant.

 Which legal job would you prefer, and why?

From these positions I would choose to develop the job of defending someone for

their actions, that is, an attorney, because I would like to fight to protect and enforce the

rights of people

PARTIES IN THE PROCEEDING (CIVIL COURT)

 (judge) no spaish criminal court???????

  (attorney)

 (Plaintiff)

 (attorney)

 (defendant)

PARTIES IN THE CRIMINAL COURT

2. Read the brochure and mark the following statements as true o false

I. Butler and Evans associates helps people who have been hurt (true) because this is the

job of the attorneys

II. The firm’s clients are responsible for bringing proof to the attorneys (false) because this

evidence is obtained both by the investigation of the attorney’s and those delivered by

the clients

III. The firm does not charge clients whose cases are not won or settled (false) because

regardless of whether the case is won or not charged is for carrying out the process

3. Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the underline part

1) Jane received money as compensation for the accident (damages)

2) The law firm helps people involved in an argument or conflict with their neighbors (a

dispute)

3) Ms. Harris wants to start the process of legal action (initiate)

4) Everyone in the court has the right to receive justice according to established rules (due

process)

5) Mr. Tan initiate a legal course of action against his neighbor because her dog barks too

much (lawsuit)

Judge Jurisdiction Final Observaciones

Decisio
n
Civil Civil judge Civil Jurisdiction Final La profesora usó "desition"
decision
Labor Labor judge Labor Jurisdiction Final
decision
Commercia l Commercial Civil judge Final
judge decision
Administrative Administrative Administrative Final Ley 2080/2021
judge jurisdiction decision
 Family Family judge Family Law Final
decision
Disciplinary Disciplinary Disciplinary Final Ley 1592/2019 Comisión
judge jurisdiction decision Nacional de Disciplina
Judicial
Criminal Criminal Judge Criminal Sentence
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiccion

Different jurisdictions and posible proceedings:

• Civil law. Between persons, companies.
○ Contracts (lease contract, sale contract)
○ Property
○ Successions

• Administrative law (conflict between persons and the State)

○ Administrative contracts
○ Actions (acciones legales) Nulidad, Restablecimiento de derechos,
Reparación directa

• Criminal law. Conducta típica, antijurídica y culpable.

○ Theft, shoplifting (hurtos menores en establecimientos comerciales)

○ Crimes: Murder, kidnapping, homicide, sexual harassment, sexual assault,

fraud,
embezzlement (malversación), extortion…
• Labor law
○ Labor contract
○ Severabilities (the rights that you have when you finish working).
Prestaciones laborales.

• Family law
○ Divorce
○ Adoption
○ Cohabitants (UMH)
○ Dissolution of marriage (cesación de efectos civiles del matrimonio
religioso) L 25/1992
○ Successions
○ Everything related to minors

• Commercial (in Colombia is included in civil law).

○ Instruments = Títulos valores. i.e.
 Bill of exchange (letra de cambio),
 promisory notes (pagaré),
 stocks (acciones),
 check (cheque) cheque (Br.).
 Invoice (factura).
 Inicia un proceso ejecutivo = Attachment proceeding.
 Encumbrance (embargos)
 Lien (embargar)
 Impound (secuestro)
• Constitutional law. The most important thing is to protect Human Rights.
○ Guarantee = Constitucional law.
 Warranty = Stipulation in law (particularly in Commercial Law)
 Guaranty = Promise (with items you can purchase)
 Garanty = Fianza en criminal law.
○ Due proceeding
○ Wardship = Acción de tutela
 ○ Right to petition = Derecho de petición
○ Unconstitutional action.
• International law
○ Human Rights
○ International Contracts or International agreements.
• Disciplinary law
○ Public Employers - State
○ Public Employees - Workers
• Procedure law
○ Oral procedure, oral trial. Like criminal law.
○ Blended procedure (mixto).

4. Fill in the blanks with the correct words and phrases from the word bank

 Legal action

 Proof

 Settle

 Trial

 Appeal

I. Hopefully Mr. Wilton will be able to settle this problem without going to court

II. Mrs. Janson decided to appeal after the judge ruled against her.

III. In this trial, the defendant is accused of stealing from a bank

IV. Ms. Britt wants to take legal action against her employer for not giving her a promotion

V. Attorneys don’t win cases when there is not enough proof to support their arguments

Exercise 1 (Basic legal concepts)

1. Why do people decide to take legal action?

Because there are people that have been injured because of someone else’s carelessness.

2. What do people need to do in order to start a case?

The people must call an attorney and then they are going to get the damages of they’re entitled

also the investigators are going to get the proof that the people needed for their trial.
9

Legal Terminology
A
 Accused – acusado
 Administrative law- derecho administrative
 Amend the law- corregir la ley
 Appeal: interponer un recurso de apelación
 Alimony: alimentos debidos entre cónyuges, hijos, padres
 Attachment proceeding: proceso ejecutivo
 Attach: embargo
 Attorney: abogado
 Administrative contracts: contratos administrativos
 Adoption: adopcion
B
 Bring a prosecution: denunciar (criminal law y court law)
 Bring an action: demandar
 Blended procedure: procedimiento mixto
 Bodies of the Public Ministry who ensures the process legality
(Procuraduría, Defensoría, Contraloría).

C
 Citizens: ciudadanos
 Civil law: derecho civil
 Commercial law: derecho commercial
 Comes into a force: entrar en vigencia
 Constitutional law: derecho constitutional
 Criminal law: derecho penal
 Complaint: demanda o problema
 Court: corte
 Cohabitants: compañeros permanentes
 Carelessness: deber objetivo de cuidado
 Case: proceso (procedure, proceeding)
 Contract: contrato
 Crimes: delito
 Criminal law: Conducta típica, antijurídica y culpable
 Check: cheque
 Crown Prosecution Office: The person is the prosecutor. (Fiscal)
 Criminal judge: juez penal

D
 Deposition: interrogatorio
 Derogate the law: derogar la ley
 Draft: letra de cambio
 Defendant: demandado
 Due process: debido proceso
10

 Damage: physical compensation

 Damages: monetary compensation
 Dispute: problemas o conflictos
 Divorce: divorcio
 Dissolution of marriage (cesación de efectos civiles del matrimonio
religioso) L 25/1992
 Decree: decreto
E
 Evidences: pruebas
 Entlitled: titular de algo
 Embezzlement: malversacion
 Extortion: extorsion
 Encumbrance: embargos
 Enacted: promulgar

F
 Family law: derecho de familia
 Final decisión: sentencia
 Fraud: fraude
G
 Guilty: culpable
 Guarantee: garantía derecho ocnstitucional
 Guaranty: promesa (con artículos que puede comprar
 Garanty: fianza en criminal law

H
 High judge: juez
 High court: corte suprema de justicia
 Hired: contratado
 Here in after: de aquí en adelante
 Homicide: homicidio

I
 International law: derecho internacional
 Interpreting law: interpretar la ley
 Innocent: inocente
 Injured: injuria
 Invoice: factura
 Impound: secuestro
J
 Jugde: juez
 Jury: jurado
L
 Labor law: derecho laboral
11

 Law report: jurisprudencia

 Legal english: ingles jurídico
 Legal system: sistema legal
 Legal training: entrenamieno legal o conocimiento legal
 Legal conclusión: conclusión legal
 Legal business: negocios jurídicos
 Legal action: acción legal
 Lawsuit: igual a demanda
 Labor contract: contrato laboral
 Lien: embargar
M
 My honour: juez
 My lordship: juez
 My collegue: colega, compañero abogado
 Manutencee: demanda por alimentos
 Minor: menor de edad -18
 Murder: asesinato
N
 Notice of evioton: restitución del inmueble

O
 Organization: compañía o empresa o entidad
 Oral procedure: procedimiento oral
 Oral trial: audiencia oral
P
 Prosecution office: fiscalía general de la nación
 Pass the law: aprobar la ley
 Publish the law: publicar la ley
 Plaintiff: demandante
 Paralegal: asistente de abogado
 Property: propiedad
 Promisory notes: pagare
 Public Employers: empleados del estado
 Preescription: limitación
 Prosecutors: fiscalía


R
 Represented: representado
S
 Supreme court of justice: corte suprema de justicia
 Speak on behalf: hablar en representación de alguien
 Successions: sucesiones
 Shoplifting: hurtos menores en establecimientos comerciales
12

 Sexual harassment: acoso sexual

 Sexual assault: agresión sexual
 Severabilities: Prestaciones laborales. (los derechos que tienes cuando
terminas de trabajar)
 Stocks: acciones
T
 Trial: audiencias
 Theft: hurtos menores en establecimientos comerciales
 Task attorney: abogado de oficio en caso de que el cliente no pueda pagar
V
 Verdict: veredicto
W
 Wrongdoing: actuar en contra del derecho
 Written document: documento escrito
 Wardship: acción de tutela

Final grade. Portfoloio. 42

Macrh 17th