Lawbility AG began its journey in 2010 with a legal professional language course offering in English (Professional Legal English Language and Practical Skills). Over the years, the vision “train your professional language, demonstrate your lawbility” evolved into a broad range of training and coaching services, which fostered the language and practical skills of hundreds of lawyers, legal professionals as well as aspiring practitioners and students. This was later followed by professional language courses and practical training offerings in French (français juridique) and German (Rechtsdeutsch).
About us
The company history
Since 2012, Lawbility also built the first Swiss-German law school (“prepare for the bar exam, demonstrate your lawbility”). At times, up to 50 coaches were on duty at the vocational school for aspiring lawyers. In 2018, Lawbility sold the law school to a competitor in order to be able to focus on promoting the professional language and on the new legal service offering “Rechtsatelier®”.
«Swiss Law Student Competition Program»
With the vision of preparing the next generation of lawyers for the future, Lawbility launched its student training program in 2012 under the motto “train your lawyer skills, demonstrate your lawbility”. Lawbility has since been a member of the two international student competitions “International Legal Negotiation Competition” and “International Client Consultation Competition” and established the Swiss Competitions program for Swiss law students. Lawbility took the lead in training law students in Switzerland in negotiation, legal advice and negotiation, and in running the competition’s own Swiss competitions. The head of the law studio, Jean-Luc Delli, is a member of the international programs, where he serves as a judge of the international student competition. The Swiss Competitions program is voluntary and free of charge for the participating law students.
Based on this experience, another milestone in the company’s history was created in 2013 with Lawbility Publishing (www.legalenglishexperts.com). In the same year, the first book was published, the bestseller The Legal English Manual, available in bookstores and as an ebook. This was later followed by two more Legal English publications (Course Book Volume One / Two) and the Compendium on Swiss Law. All four publications were published in co-edition with partner publishers in Switzerland, Germany and the United States, where they are also very popular.
In recognition of its professional legal language program, Lawbility won the U.S. Global Legal Skills Award in 2016.
Since opening the Rechtsatelier® in spring 2018, Lawbility has focused on providing legal services and has since successfully supported and advised hundreds of customers. In a novel store concept, the Rechtsatelier® sells legal services over the counter, by phone and online (Swiss.Fokus reported). Our dedicated legal service providers advise and accompany solution-seeking private individuals, entrepreneurs and companies in difficult decisions and different life situations from a legal and entrepreneurial perspective and design value-added solutions with them (legal information, legal advice, legal representation, legal coaching), thus creating measurable added value for our customers. With a holistic approach and out-of-court solutions, our approach and range of services differ from conventional providers.
Publications*
In 2013 (2nd edition 2017), The Legal English Manual was produced under the auspices of Lawbility in co-edition with Helbing Lichtenhahn/Basel, C.H.Beck/Munich and BarWrite® Press/USA. It contains professional legal language, legal English terminology, and examples of use in everyday professional situations and helps lawyers, attorneys, and practitioners in English-speaking professional situations to use their professional skills confidently and competently.
With The Legal English Course Book Volume One / Volume Two, two course books were published in 2018, which Lawbility has developed and used since 2010 as part of its “Professional Legal English & Practical Skills Training”. The practical materials for self-study and interactive classes teach professional professional language and legal terminology in their application in practice situations. They also prepare efficiently and professionally for the Professional Legal English and Practical Skills Exam “PLEPS“.
Finally, in 2018, the Compendium on Swiss Law was published, developed by lawyers and edited by the Head of the Legal Atelier, Jean-Luc Delli. It offers a general overview of relevant areas of law and is an ideal compact introduction to Swiss law. Published by Lawbility Verlag in co-edition with Helbing Lichtenhahn/Basel and C.H.Beck/Munich.
* All author teams are composed of Lawbility coaches as well as nationally and internationally practicing lawyers.
Our team
Jean-Luc Delli
Managing Partner
Jean-Luc Delli is the founder and director of the Rechtsatelier. He advises solution-seeking entrepreneurs and private persons in difficult decisions and different life situations in accordance with the law and with an entrepreneurial spirit and guides them (“coaching”) and creates with them valuable solutions (legal advice, legal representation). He is the editor of the law book “Kompendium zum schweizerischen Recht” that was published by Lawbility in co-edition with the publishers Helbing Lichtenhahn (Switzerland) and C.H.Beck (Germany) in 2018 (bookstore). Jean-Luc Delli (MLaw University Freiburg i.Ue. 2006) has worked for several years in business law and project management. In 2011 he founded Lawbility and one year later the first Bar Exam School in the German part of Switzerland to create training and coaching services that promote the professional language, examination and practical skills of lawyers, trainees and students. He works for Lawbility as Managing Director, Program Director and Coach (personal profil). Jean-Luc Delli is well connected and member of different international programs.
Nataša Hadžimanović
Consulting attorney
Nataša Hadžimanović completed her law studies at the University of Zurich, where she received her doctorate (Dr. iur.). She was admitted to the bar in the Canton of Zurich and completed her post-doctoral studies at the University of Lucerne (lecturer). She has several years of experience in the field of national and international arbitration and teaches private law at the University of Zurich. Nataša Hadžimanović works as a consulting attorney (not registered in the bar register) and legal coach in the Rechtsatelier. She drafts contracts, prepares expert opinions and advises clients on conflict prevention and resolution. She advises in German, English, Spanish, French and Serbo-Croatian.
Peter Bernhauser
Consulting attorney
Peter Bernhauser graduated from the University of Zurich with a law degree and was subsequently admitted to the bar of the canton of Zurich. He gained his professional experience while working at Zurich courts, in the legal services of Swiss banks, in the legal service of an industry-specific employers’ association and as an independent practising attorney. This broad spectrum of experience enables him in his current work as a consulting lawyer and as a legal coach in the Rechtsatelier (not registered in the bar register), to specifically address the respective client needs and to develop client-oriented solutions. He advises in German, English and French.
Olivia Andira
Office manager
Olivia Andira has many years of experience in client communication, marketing and project management. At the Rechtsatelier she supports our legal service providers in organizational and administrative activities.
Sarah Hotz
Content manager
Sarah Hotz completed her teacher training in Germany with a second state examination. She has been working as a German teacher for several years, at Lawbility she is a coach for the Legal German program. She also has a commercial education and further training in marketing and sales. Sarah Hotz has been with the Rechtsatelier since its foundation and assists in administration and communication.
