Finding your way around LegalEasy - a simple tutorial on what it offers and how to make use of itLegalEasy Nigel Bruce Updated July27th, 2016

What does LegalEasy do? LegalEasy was developed to help students who are non-native users of English become more independent 2 nd language writers. LegalEasy shows convincing frequency-based evidence of how terms are used, rather than offering rules or instructions on correct use. LegalEasy is designed to be used in 2 complementary ways: 1) Proactively: users look for which expressions in a disciplinary database most commonly combine with their search term; they are exploring experts’ (model) writing to see how legal terms are most often used & so are an appropriate choice; 2) Reactively: users are directed to the database by writing feedback that identifies certain key or repeated errors; tutor feedback on student writing can guide students to better use LegalEasy proactively. LegalEasy – as a specifically legal database – offers students expert- written models of advisable (high-frequency) legal expression.

This is how the current LegalEasy looks; Database on the left (at first) & search engine on the right – and then whole-screen displays of search results

Some tips for using these slides Using the simple “Search” will either give you the pattern examples you need, or lead you to other options. E.g., with phrases like “draw attention”, it’s best to separate the terms in the “Combination” (split) search – you will then see the many ways those 2 terms combine. This is especially useful in highlighting active v passive forms - who does what to whom, or what is/was done. Wondering what the difference is between 2 terms? – then try the “Comparative” search – e.g. “damage” v. “damages”, or “consideration” v “considerations”

First: tick the database (“Corpus”) that you want to use; Then enter your search term(s): e.g. “contract” Using LegalEasy: the Basic Search

When “Search” is clicked, the Corpus menu disappears, leaving the most frequent patterns of the use of contract, also showing the different forms of the verb or noun searched; the highest frequency form is displayed first, but the other forms remain a click away…

Combination searches “Contract” on its own is too broad – it’s usually the subject of processes, problems or conditions. And this is when the Combination search comes in useful:

When searching a noun, try a split with a process verb - Note the rich variation in tense forms

Another comb’n search: Contract + Void (quality)

Combination search: Contract + Void Users select examples that match their search purpose – again, they should trust the most frequent patterns – which always appear in descending order of frequency

Value of grammar/tense differences: “is void” – general/principle or “still to be decided”

Value of grammar/tense differences: “was void”: application or decision [already determined]

Value of grammar/tense differences: “was void”: application or decision [already determined] ESL writers need to work out the relationship between grammatical form and legal/argumentative function

The final step – a full example Once the user spots a closely relevant example, s/he just clicks on the red search term… this offers the whole sentence, “bookended” by the prior and following sentences – all providing a meaningful disciplinary context, as in this example. The source text is also identified, allowing the user to follow up on content issues.

Note the choice of verb form + the frequency of results

Reacting/Responding to writing feedback The alternative use of LegalEasy is in pointing out errors in student writing. Users here are reacting to comments on their writing. The expressions teachers/editors highlight here should feature verbs or nouns/adjectives (not just the “in”, “the”, “was” errors): Verbs: e.g. allow/owe/express/hold Nouns: e.g. negligence/duty/void Identify & circle common examples of incorrect usage and refer the student to LegalEasy to seek answers… as to how the terms are most commonly used. Let’s give this a try with a writing feedback sample:

Reacting/Responding to writing feedback The next few sides are aimed at your law teachers, but it is useful for students to see how the feedback they are getting from those teachers can help them. Your teachers have been asked to signal certain repeated misuses of legal or other academic terms in their writing – but without trying to explain to you how to fix them. That can be done by students making sustained use of LegalEasy. Take a look at these slides, which show annotated extracts from actual law student scripts….

The key is to give just the right focus and quantity of language/style-related feedback. With experience, subject teachers will recognise the classic usage errors that are common to most NNS (non-native-speaker) users of English. In this example, the keywords we have selected for attention are verbs and nouns, but the problems are grammatical – how to use appropriate tenses, prepositions and verb forms.

Some errors don’t lend themselves to clarification through LegalEasy – e.g. “too”, used in a negative sense instead of “either”, or the clumsy expression “by conduct”, which requires explanation rather than examples of its more common use via LegalEasy. Teachers need to try out

Teachers learn, over time, which kinds of errors of usage are most common and thus need addressing; those centred on verbs are most effectively addressed through LegalEasy

“Express” is often misused - search the whole corpus for most examples

“Express” is often misused as a verb - Chinese users tend to follow it with “that”

“Express” is most often used as an adjective in Contract law – as shown below

For “Express” as a verb, try “expressed” - mainly used with “the view/opinion that…” … and of course passive forms: is/was/may be expressed

But LegalEasy also throws up special uses: - humbling for an English teacher with no legal training

Use a Combination search for allow(ed) + believe [even a very few examples can be useful]

Use a Comparative search to distinguish similar terms or contrasting forms

This type of search is useful for comparing “false friends”: terms which look similar but have very different uses in the discipline. ESL Law Sts in HK constantly confuse these 2 legal concepts – not least for pronunciation reasons.

& comparing contrasting forms: e.g. active vs. passive

Closing summary LegalEasy is intended to place the focus on how legal meaning are expressed, but without resorting to an overt focus on grammar rules. LegalEasy can be used reactively - to fix problems identified by others – or proactively, we writers work out how to check their own usage. LegalEasy prompts users to reflect on why high-frequency patterns differ from their expectations – but each will do this in their own way, making individual sense of their own “mismatch” with the evidence of current usage. Now try it out here: Legaleasy.hksyu.eduLegaleasy.hksyu.edu