Languages and law: a school of precision

I studied languages and law in France. These studies were a source of pride for my parents, who were not French and who understood better than anyone what it means to master a language and its rules.

Two disciplines, one standard

On the surface, a translation exercise and a case commentary have nothing in common. In reality, both teach the same thing: meaning often hangs on a single word. A poorly chosen term betrays a thought; a misplaced comma can change the scope of a clause. Precision here is not an affectation; it is a form of respect.

Understanding what goes unsaid

To speak someone's language is to agree to enter their way of thinking. An accurate translation is not always enough: one must also grasp the context, the customs, what remains implicit. The travels of my childhood had prepared me for this; university gave me the method.

What remains today

This standard stays with me in each of my activities, whether designing a website or an application for a client abroad, or running my real estate holding company. Care for the right word and for a well-understood rule remains, for me, the foundation of any relationship of trust.

— Jean Cardelli