ESL Podcast 1016 - Doing Pro Bono Work
firm - a company that offers professional services, especially a company formed by lawyers who offer legal services
As a law student, Francine got a summer internship with a law firm specializing in family law.
to get the hang of (something) - to learn how to do something and become comfortable doing it
How long did it take you to get the hang of the new software program?
under (one's) belt - having a certain amount of experience or skills
With a few more projects under your belt, you'll be eligible for a promotion.
pro bono - for the public good, especially providing consulting or legal services for free to people who need them but cannot afford them
This nonprofit organization depends on pro bono services from attorneys to help immigrants with immigration problems.
community service - time spent volunteering to help others in a community through labor and/or professional services
Phoebe developed her leadership skills through her community service working with low-income populations.
to hit the target - to meet a goal; to achieve the amount of something that one is expected to achieve
Brent is trying to lose 50 pounds, and if he can hit the target by June 30, his wife is going to reward him with a trip to Hawaii.
billable hours - time spent working that one can bill to a client at an hourly rate
Your time spent checking email can be considered billable hours if those emails are related to your client work.
to rack up - to get a large number of something; to increase the amount of something that one has
The best players are able to rack up thousands of points in this video game.
to bill (oneself) as - to characterize oneself in a particular way; to advertise oneself in a particular way; to present oneself as being a certain way
The professor bills himself as an expert in corporate finance, but he doesn't actually have any experience in the business world.
social conscience - knowing that one is part of a larger community and an awareness of how one's actions affect others, which makes one want to participate in the community and help other people
If the company had a social conscience, it would not have fired so many workers without warning and without giving them a proper severance pay.
to set (someone or something) apart - to differentiate someone or something from others; to make something unique or better than others
What sets our swim lessons apart is our policy of small class sizes.
to fall short - to underperform; to not do as well as one is expected to do; to get or earn less than one should have
If you don't practice every day, your performance at the next concert will fall short of your teacher's expectations.
believe me - a phrase used to emphasize one's words and tell another person to pay attention and trust what one is saying, because it is definitely true
Believe me, these tickets are worth every penny. The show is fantastic!
to hear about it - to be reprimanded; to have one's actions be criticized; to receive the negative consequences of one's actions when someone else becomes aware of what has happened
If these children are hurt while they're under your care, you'll hear about it.
refreshing - new, interesting, and exciting, different from what one normally does
After working in an office for years, it was refreshing to start a new job that involved working outdoors.
the bottom line - profitability; a company's ability to make money (have more income than expenses), or the amount of money that it makes
If we can find a way to increase sales or reduce costs, it will really help the bottom line.
to get carried away - to get too excited about something; to take something to an extreme; to do too much of something; to take an idea too far
Sure, we can paint the interior, but don't get carried away with bright colors.
unheard of - extremely uncommon; not typical; not seen or found elsewhere
Language immersion schools were almost unheard of when I was a child, but now they're opening all over the country.