Abstract
Legal English is an instrumental language which is quite distinct from ordinary English. After entering WTO, there is a sharp increase of legal affairs involving foreign elements. Legal English, as a customary language of law, has special characteristics. The article analyzes the basic characteristics of the legal English and also demonstrates its lexicon’s learning method and put forward an idea about the legal English lexicon acquisition.

Keywords   legal English   characteristics   learning methods of Lexicon

由于法律学科的特殊性和法律长期在政治、经济、科学、文化和生活中所发挥的强大规范和调节作用,使法律英语在实现其调节、规范作用过程中形成了一些严谨的文体特点。本文先简要介绍了法律英语的含义与来源，以及我国开展法律英语教学的必要性与现状，后从语言结构、词汇特征及二语习得方法入手，分析法律英语的语言特点及法律英语词汇的特殊性，进而探寻对于法律英语词汇习得行之有效的方法，为法律英语研究提供新的视角。

关键词  法律英语   语言特征   词汇特征   习得方法

1 Introduction
Legal English is the style of English used by lawyers and other legal professionals in the course of their work. Legal English has traditionally been the preserve of lawyers from English-speaking countries (especially the U.S., the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) which have shared common law traditions. (Chen li ping, 2000: 37-40) Due to the spread of English as the predominant language of international business, as well as its role as a legal language within the European Union, legal English is now a global phenomenon. It is also referred to casually as law speak or legalese. In view of the above facts, this paper probes into this subject and tries to provide a detailed and systemic study of features of legal English, and endeavors to provide some useful learning methods of legal lexicon for students.
1.1    The Current Situation of Forensic Linguistics

1.1.1 The Significance of Forensic Linguistics
Forensic linguistics, which studies the relationship between law and language, is a sub-branch of linguistics for specific purposes. The forming of forensic Linguistics is due to social needs, especially the need of society of law and order. English is an international language and native language for many countries, like, America, Canada, Australia, etc. Coincidently, the laws of these countries belong to Common Law System, one of the five famous law systems in the world. The other four are: Chinese, Indian, Arabian and Continental Law System. In that way, legal English has become one of the most important subjects of forensic linguistics. So it is necessary or even a must to grasp the main features of legal English and its lexicon. If one can command legal English, he will find it easier for him to read and study the laws of Common Law System, the system adopted by most developed countries.