Languages indispensable within legal branch

In the legal profession, it’s becoming more and more important to be able to speak other languages. That explains why Regina Coeli has been accredited by the Netherlands Bar Association as an approved training institute for its members. Lawyers who do language training at Regina Coeli can earn twenty study points which contribute to their mandatory continuing professional development.

“In an internationally orientated country such as the Netherlands, it is important to be able to speak other languages,” says Rogier van Kessel of Van Rooy | Van Kessel Advocates. “If a foreign company is involved in a dispute in the Netherlands, then that company is going to need a Dutch advocate. An increasing number of international law firms are opening offices in the Netherlands. Our country attracts many foreign companies and the demand for legal services is therefore high. The other side of the coin is that a lot of Dutch companies do business abroad and they may find themselves having to deal with advocates or notaries in those countries.”

“In France, you can’t get by with English when you’re dealing with the older generation”

Van Rooy | Van Kessel Advocates in Boxtel is a law firm that offers its services to both individuals and business enterprises. Company law is one of Rogier van Kessel’s specialisms. “Our clients are Dutch and we fulfill the role of intermediary in their dealings with advocates, notaries and accountants in other countries. I have built up a good network in France and can give solid advice to my clients if they have dealings with the French. Being able to speak good French comes in very handy because you can’t get by with English, especially with the older generations. Into the bargain, I regularly receive texts in French which I have to read and fully understand.”

Three years ago, Rogier van Kessel did his first language training course in French at Regina Coeli. “That was a very intensive week but it worked better for me than any other kind of course. The big advantage, I find, is that, after the intake interview, you get private tuition at your own level of proficiency. During the intake I told my interviewer that I mostly communicate with advocates, notaries and accountants. So my programme was put together with that in mind. I noticed, too, that the language trainers showed expertise in the subject.

“Two years later, we continued where we had left off”

My plan was to spend a week once every two years improving my French with the Nuns. So last year I did my second week. What was great was that I had the same team of trainers and we just continued where we had left off two years earlier!”