They are very aware of how they are speaking, and in person, they are the most precise people you will ever meet.  I recently had occasion to speak with a patent attorney, and not only did he explain the patent in plain English, but I was floored at how unambiguous he was.  We spoke over the phone and he was able to guide several people through the details of the patent quickly and clearly.<p>I do agree though, the way these are written is almost completely unreadable.  Almost like how we use English words in programming languages, but without the domain knowledge, it is meaningless.