Written
Writing and drafting for motions, legal briefs and contracts.
STRATEGIC GLOBAL LEGAL ENGLISH
Legal English, taught by a lawyer.
One-to-one coaching for international law students, LLM candidates and foreign attorneys, bridging civil law and common law through the spoken and written English of the global legal market.
CREDENTIALS
New York AttorneyAdmitted to the Federal BarFormer Fulbright Fellow20+ Years in Language InstructionTESOL Teacher TrainerProfessionally Bilingual English & Spanish
Meet the educatorMARTIN M. HOWFIELD, ESQ.THE MISSION
Bridging the gap between everyday English and the language of the law.
Civil law meets common law.
Every lesson is grounded in the differences between both legal systems.
ONE-TO-ONE
Speaking and drafting, one on one.
Exercises built around your real legal work, online or in person.
NOT REMEDIAL
Beyond the ABC's of English.
Vocabulary and terminology always attach to the legal issues you face.
PEER TO PEER
A lawyer teaching lawyers.
Strategic language instruction between legal peers.
IN ENGLISH
Taught in English, fluent in Spanish.
English is the primary teaching language. Spanish is spoken at a professional level.
20+Years of formal language instruction
2Bar admissions: New York & Federal
50+Years in New York City
1Fulbright Fellowship, Managua
STRATEGIC SERVICES
Legal English for the moments that matter.
Legal English coaching for international law students, LLM candidates and international lawyers.
In-person or online sessions with individuals or legal teams developing effective legal oral advocacy skills in English.
Review and critique of written legal work for English proficiency and accuracy (not for legal accuracy).
Mentoring in taking and defending depositions in a common law jurisdiction.
Linguistic strategies in jury trial preparation.
One-on-one mentoring for the TOLES exam or TOEFL exam.
Coaching for bar preparation.
Analysis of fundamental differences between civil law and common law grounded in linguistic competencies.
EDUCATIONAL AND LINGUISTIC SERVICES ONLY. NOT LEGAL ADVICE.
THE CONCEPTS
Language becomes power when the concept is understood.
01Stare decisis
How common law courts follow precedent, and the language used to argue it.
— note: precedent
DISCUSSED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSESIN PRACTICE
Where Strategic Legal English is put to work.
Spoken
Advocacy for both in-court and out-of-court proceedings.
Professional
Conversing with English-speaking legal peers and corporate members.
BEYOND EVERYDAY ENGLISH
From everyday proficiency to effective briefs, depositions, trial strategy and client communication.
Request a SessionTHE PROCESS
Five steps, one stronger voice.
01
Start a conversation
Share where you are and where your legal work is taking you.
02
Set the goal
LLM, bar, TOLES or TOEFL, practice, or a team program.
03
Speak and draft
One-to-one speaking and drafting exercises on real legal issues.
04
Revise
Written revision of your legal projects for English proficiency.
05
Advocate
Practice the art of oral advocacy in a common law setting.
THE EDUCATOR
Martin Michael Howfield, Esq.
NEW YORK ATTORNEY · LEGAL ENGLISH EDUCATORI have been blessed in my life with two overlapping careers between language acquisition/instruction and the practice of law, on both the state and federal level. I have traveled fairly extensively and spent a great portion of my career working with brilliant beautiful people who are extremely knowledgeable and highly skilled in both their native language and English. From my time as a practicing attorney and in visiting international attorneys abroad I realize there is a genuine need to close the gap and build a stronger bridge between everyday proficient English and the challenges of English used in legal settings around the globe.
I myself am a life-long learner and have been fortunate to complete and study for degrees in Spanish Literature & Civilization, TESOL, and have completed doctoral studies in Bilingual Special Education at New York University. I spent more than 50 years living in the great cosmopolitan center of New York City.
I have trained undergraduate and graduate students to become effective TESOL teachers. I am a former Fulbright Fellow who prepared a curriculum in English for Special Purposes for university administrators and carried that out in Managua, Nicaragua.
New York State BarFederal BarFulbright Fellow, ManaguaTESOL Teacher TrainerSpanish Literature & CivilizationDoctoral Studies, Bilingual Special Education, NYU50+ Years in New York City
INTERNATIONAL REACH
Built for lawyers working across borders.
A peer-to-peer model of strategic language instruction for law students in Latin America, Europe and beyond, LLM students in the USA, and law schools and corporations abroad looking for a professional language educator well-versed in New York law and federal practice.
International law studentsLLM candidatesForeign attorneysLaw schools abroadInternational boutique law firmsCorporations
Preferential focus: Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador), Latin America, Spain and the Dominican Republic.
ONLINE
One-to-one online meetings
Individual coaching from anywhere.
IN PERSON
Individual sessions
Face-to-face speaking and drafting work.
LEGAL TEAMS
Group sessions
Oral advocacy training for legal teams.
ABROAD
Week-long seminars
For foreign schools of law and international boutique law firms engaged in transactional law.
FAQ
Everything you were about to ask.
While not strictly mandatory for every global role, passing a major commercial bar exam significantly enhances your marketability. It validates your understanding of common law concepts and allows global firms to utilize you across standard international transactions.
Focus on mastering the doctrine of stare decisis and developing rigorous common law legal writing skills. Pay close attention to case law analysis, synthesize judicial opinions efficiently, and practice drafting precise, objective legal memoranda.
High cultural intelligence, active listening, and adaptive communication are essential. You must navigate varying business etiquettes, manage client expectations across different legal traditions, and present complex legal arguments clearly to diverse panels.
No. Coaching and services are offered with the understanding that they cover linguistic competencies and not legal advice. No client-lawyer relationship will attach, and anything related to the legal field is anecdotal and not prescriptive, and should never be taken as legal advice.
Yes. Use the EN | ES switch or the globe menu at the top of the page to translate the site. Sessions are taught primarily in English.
CONTACT
Tell me where your legal English needs to go.
Share your background and goals, and we'll find the right starting point.