A Legal French Glossary out of an Event You Expected to Be as Boring AF? Yes.

The Académie de Belgique is an institution, dedicated to promoting science, arts, and literature in Belgium, and on that day they were hosting a talk on Belgian administrative law.

As a law graduate, I still remember how dreadful the classes on administrative law were - even more so because they were about Italian administrative law. Even for those passionate about law and fascinated by all things judicial, administrative law remains not very palatable for most law school students, regardless of their enthusiasm for legal studies

So why did I register for a conference about the issues between French-speaking and Dutch-speaking administrative law in Belgium? I mean, what was wrong with me?

Can Administrative Law be Fun?

I don't know why either, but this was one of the most entertaining events I've attended since moving to Belgium.

Ultimately, the reason I decided to join, beyond a momentary lack of lucidity where I thought "Why not?", was that one of the speakers was Pierre-Yves Dermagne, one of Belgium's Deputy Prime Ministers. I was definitely not fully capable of understanding while I was filling out the form. There's no other way to explain what happened. 

The second reason I decided to attend was my curiosity about the legal professional environment in Belgium. I wanted to see if it was as snobbish as in Italy, particularly in Milan where I studied.

The third reason was that I left university with a strong sense of resentment, hatred, and disdain towards the whole discipline. I was genuinely curious to see if, after more than five years since graduation, something had perhaps changed and could potentially heal those feelings.

Only in Belgium

Especially, I think that the third reason is the pure merit of Belgium and the Belgians

If I was able to sort of forget all the negativity I brought with me after that university experience, it's only thanks to the atmosphere and attitude of Belgians towards other humans, and in general, the ambiance you can perceive while living in Brussels.

For me, that's a slogan that could work for Brussels.

It would be like the tourism slogan from some years ago—I don't know if it's still the same—of Spain. They were saying "Smile, you're in Spain".

I would say, "Smile, you're in Brussels."

So, thanks to the Belgians, I decided to register and surrender to this crazy idea.

I felt like an outsider, yet I couldn't quite describe my emotions. On one hand, I came from that environment academically, having studied law. On the other hand, I felt completely detached, never having worked in the field. It was a mix of conflicting feelings—almost like returning to something familiar, but not quite. The experience was both foreign and oddly recognizable at the same time.

Little did I know that I would have one of the best experiences of my stay here.

The event turned out to be quite unforgettable, thanks once again to the unique Belgian spirit—or "belgitude," as it's affectionately known

Reality vs Expectations (on a positive note!)

I've always found law terribly boring, but in this case, I was able to spend two hours without even thinking about taking my phone out of my bag

I listened with great concentration and took notes—something I could barely ever do during my classes in Italy.

What I appreciated was the constant flow of wordplay and subtle jokes peppered throughout, often referencing current events or cultural touchstones. Sometimes I could catch these references, sometimes I couldn't.

The way the speakers dealt with the topic was honestly very enjoyable. You could see that they were there to communicate and give something to the audience, not just to listen to their own voices—which often happens with many professors in Italy. I'd say this was different from the majority of my experiences there. It was something absolutely unexpected that I'd never experienced before. Wow, how great is that!

The ambiance was quintessentially Belgian. I vividly recall that the dress code was practically non-existent. However, this didn't mean everyone was wearing pajamas, sportswear, or other casual attire.

If the World Minded its own Business a bit More...

The thing was, Brussels is known as a non-judgmental city where everyone's accepted regardless of their outfit. As I queued for the entrance, I had to give my first name—not my surname—which is something I've experienced more than once here. They love calling people by their first names. 

The guy in front of me was wearing a jogging outfit. In Italy, he would've been completely isolated, and someone might've even called the police to report him to a mental hospital or something like that. But here? Nobody cares.

In the room, I remember seeing some elderly women who, if they had taken out some wool to start knitting, it would have been a perfectly logical extension of their appearance and attire.

However, they didn't knit during the conference, what a pity.

Then you could see the normal outfits of legal professionals. The students were pretty cool in their attire, and some lawyers were wearing suits and the like. But everybody was mixed; there was no uniform group. It was just a very, very Brussels experience.

2-Hour Notes Taking - WOW

And what did I take note of

Well, the content of my notes was, of course, more related to my current identity as a language professional—as we can call it.

I'll never want to define myself as a teacher; I'll make another post about that.

Anyway, one of the pleasures of that event was the opportunity to hear very formal French. Gosh, what a pleasure for the ears!

And actually, I want to share them with you. Some were technical expressions, some others were things I just wanted to note down to hopefully remember to use them later on. Some others were new. 

Licencié en: Graduate in

Fort à parier: It's very likely that

Entamer: To begin, to start

Relever de l'État fédéral: To fall under the jurisdiction or responsibility of the federal state

À tout le moins: At the very least, at minimum

Arriéré: In this context, likely used to refer to a backlog or judicial arrears

De sorte que: So that

Or: However, nevertheless (used to introduce a contrast)

Greffier: Court clerk, an official responsible for assisting magistrates

Le justiciable: Any person subject to the law, who can be brought to justice

Encombre: "Encombre" is a French word that can be translated as "hindrance," "obstacle," or "impediment." In the context of legal or administrative language, it often appears in phrases like "sans encombre," which means "without hindrance" or "smoothly." For example, it might be used in a sentence like "La procédure s'est déroulée sans encombre" (The procedure went smoothly, without any obstacles).

Connu du grand public: Known to the general public, familiar to most people

Voir le jour: To be born, to appear, to be created

Arrêt: In legal context, this usually refers to a court decision or ruling.

Ancrage constitutionnel: This means "constitutional anchoring" or "constitutional basis".

Veiller à la stabilité: This phrase means "ensure stability" or "watch over stability".

S'en tenir: This means "to stick to" or "to abide by".

Les arcanes: This refers to "the mysteries" or "the secrets", often used in context of complex systems or procedures.

Confrère et consoeurs: These terms mean "colleague" (male) and "colleague" (female) respectively, mostly meaning people who practice the same profession, regardless of the workplace.

Maison de justice: This translates to "House of Justice", likely referring to a court or judicial institution.

En clair: This phrase means "in clear" or "in plain language".

Enclos: This word means "enclosure" or "enclosed space".

Soit: This can mean "either", "or", or "let it be", depending on the context

Dans le prétoire: In the courtroom

Un regard farouche: A fierce or wild look

Débrosser un tableau: To paint a picture (figuratively, to describe a situation)

Corset trop étriqué: Too tight corset (metaphorically, a restrictive framework)

À l'issue de: At the end of, following

En vos titres et qualité: In your titles and capacity (formal way of addressing someone)

Le tournant du millénaire: The turn of the millennium

Un élément tient au fait: The phrase "Un élément tient au fait" is a French expression that can be translated as "An element relates to the fact" or "A factor is due to the fact". It's used to introduce an explanation or a key point in an argument.

Porter en étendard: To carry as a banner, to champion

S'en est resté là: It stopped there, it didn't go any further

Un nœud gordien a dénouer : This expression refers to a complex or seemingly unsolvable problem. It originates from the legend of the Gordian Knot, which was supposedly impossible to untie until Alexander the Great simply cut it with his sword.

Coûteux: Expensive, costly

Égayeur: This word means "brightener" or "one who cheers up". In the context of a legal conference, it might be used metaphorically to describe someone who lightens the mood or makes dry subjects more engaging.

Huile sur le feu: Oil on the fire (to make a situation worse)

Tel que l'on voudrait qu'il soit: As one would like it to be

Terre à terre: Down-to-earth, practical, or matter-of-fact

Ô combien : This expression is used to emphasize the intensity or importance of something. It literally means "to what extent" or "how much" and is often used as an exclamation to stress a statement.

Homme femme politique: Male/female politician

Moment boule de cristal: Crystal ball moment, referring to predicting the future

Échéance: Deadline or due date

Cocasse: Funny, comical, or amusing

Prévisible: Predictable or foreseeable

Detricoter: To unravel or undo (often used metaphorically)

Grappiller: To gather bit by bit, to glean, or to pick up small amounts

Attabler: To sit down at a table (often used reflexively as "s'attabler")

Crions le: Let's shout it

Casse-tête: Headache or puzzle (literally "head-breaker")

Gare au: This means "Watch out for" or "Beware of"

D'or et déjà: This is likely a misspelling of "D'ores et déjà," which means "From now on" or "Already"

Qui ont à trancher: This means "Who have to decide" or "Who must make a decision"

Introduire un recours: This means "To file an appeal" or "To lodge a complaint"

Bien entendu: This means "Of course" or "Certainly"

Le nerf de la guerre: This is an idiom meaning "The sinews of war," often used to refer to money or resources necessary for an endeavor

Échiquier: "Chessboard"

Par flagornerie: This means "Through flattery" or "Through sycophancy". Actions done to curry favor or ingratiate oneself with someone.

Avec délectation: This means "With great pleasure" or "With delight"

Justice comme pacification sociale: This means "Justice as social pacification"

Ne sonne pas la fin de la récréation: This means "Doesn't signal the end of recess," likely used metaphorically

Ne vaut-il pas mieux: This means "Isn't it better" or "Wouldn't it be better"