Professional culture of an international lawyer: features of formation and content

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problems of forming the professional culture of an international lawyer which is distinguished by a set of features that separate it qualitatively from a national law specialist’s culture. The purpose of the article is to specify the features of the formation and content of the professional culture of an international lawyer. The study analyzed specific structural elements of the professional culture of an international lawyer. Particularly, attention is focused on the linguistic culture of an international lawyer which is associated with such concepts as “diction”, “melody”, “speech tempo”. In addition, a system of oral and written business language is established. The authors emphasize that logical thinking, which allows such a specialist to formulate clearly and effectively their position on defending the interests of their state in the international arena while performing the relevant duties (of a diplomatic agent, of a consul, etc.), is extremely important for an international lawyer. An integral part of the professional culture of an international lawyer is psycho¬logical culture which is defined by the this specialist’s ability to create a certain psychological climate in the process of performing their professional duties. Some psychological techniques are analyzed (techniques for skillful listening to the interlocutor, generalization of information, etc.), which contribute to achieving consensus (agreement) on the most complex international problems. It is noted that it is also crucial for an international lawyer to have certain techniques in his arsenal for protecting against incorrect (or unfriendly) statements and actions of interlocutors. The authors argue that an international lawyer who knows how to preserve tranquility in the most difficult situations always has a huge advantage over his opponent and a positive impact on partners. Another component of the professional culture of an international lawyer is etiquette that should be understood as the system of ethical standards and moral principles combined with the particularities of interstate communication, knowledge of a few languages and traditions, namely as its peculiar sphere. In general, the image of a lawyer from the point of view of etiquette includes: physical data and capabilities, education, mental capabilities, personal qualities (neatness, reasonableness, accuracy, sense of responsibility, flexibility, versatility), language habits (both in oral and written language which were discussed above), public opinion, clothing, footwear, appearance, behavior, etc.