Accredited Africa Training Institute for Capacity Development

Providing accredited training courses in South Africa
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Legal Writing and Drafting Skills

Why Attend

There is a misconception that legal writing and legal drafting are the same but there is a substantial difference between the two. While legal writing typically deals with persuasive documents such as court briefs and legal letters, legal drafting involves creating documents such as contracts. They are both equally important in legal practice.

Legal writing is an important skill needed in every practice area of law. Words are used to advocate, inform, persuade and instruct.  Are you giving the right impression? Are your clients receiving the right message?

This course focuses on clear legal writing for a global audience. Effective communication with English speaking lawyers is about more than simply words. It entails understanding the unique way these speakers think and approach the legal, political, and business world.

Did you know that most international commercial agreements are drafted in English, irrespective of the nationality of the contracting parties? Drafting contract skills is ideal for lawyers working in English as a foreign language who needs to draft, explain or interpret contract clauses written in English. During the course, delegates will look at a wide variety of commercial agreements through to practical drafting sessions. This course will help participants to draft confidently and effectively in English regardless of the governing law.

This is a practical course with many exercises and examples in order to achieve an interactive and stimulating outcome. The course’s activities involve the production of typical work-place legal documents.

Course Methodology

The course consists of group discussions as well as individual and team tasks. There will be writing practice throughout the exercises.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Apply plain English style of writing to all legal documents
  • Recognize the need for legal clarity in different types of legal documents: legal letters, emails, memorandum and opinions
  • Apply good legal writing practice
  • Demonstrate the register of legal writing
  • Correct common mistakes in legal writing
  • Dispense and deal with pitfalls and issues relating to the use of legal jargon
  • Proofread effectively

Target Audience

This course is for lawyers, legal secretaries, commercial managers, contract managers, and anyone who must draft, amend or update contracts, legal letters and legal opinion. The course is suitable for non-native English speakers looking for a better understanding of English legal terms.

Target Competencies

  • Drafting letters
  • Proofreading
  • Writing in plain English
  • Understanding legal terms
  • Legal writing practice

Location:

South Africa

Training Dates:

Each course starts every Monday of each week. Please book your training on a date that is a Monday.

Course Duration:

Unit Standard:

NQF Level:

Number of Credits:


Course Fees

Note: Please fill in the online application form on the left or bottom if this page to receive a quotation with detailed pricing from AATICD.

How to Apply:

To Apply Simply Fill in the Online Enquiries / Applications form on the Right Sidebar or Bottom of this website https://www.aaticd.co.za

NB: Terms and Conditions for Payment and Refunds

1.1. Full payment for the training workshop must be made at least 5 days before the scheduled workshop date.

1.2. Payment can be made via bank transfer, credit card, or any other agreed-upon method.

1.3. A confirmation of payment will be issued upon receipt of funds.

1.4. Any form of Payment means that trainee / delegate / client receiving the training accepts the training and agrees to these terms and conditions.

2. Cancellation and Refund Policy

2.1. Cancellations made 30 days or more before the workshop date will be eligible for a full refund, minus any administrative fees.

2.2. Cancellations made 15 to 29 days before the workshop date will be eligible for a 50% refund of the total payment.

2.3. Cancellations made less than 14 days before the workshop date will not be eligible for a refund.

2.4. Participants who fail to attend the workshop without prior notice will not be eligible for a refund.

3. Rescheduling

3.1. If a participant wishes to reschedule, a request must be submitted at least 14 days in advance, subject to availability.

3.2. A rescheduling fee may apply.

4. Workshop Cancellation by the Organizer

4.1. AATICD reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the workshop due to unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to low enrolment, trainer unavailability, or force majeure events.

4.2. In the event of cancellation by AATICD, participants will be offered a full refund or the option to attend a rescheduled session.

4.3. AATICD is not responsible for any additional costs incurred by participants, such as travel or accommodation expenses.

5. Refund Processing

5.1. Approved refunds will be processed within 7 business days from the date of cancellation approval.

5.2. Refunds will be issued using the original payment method unless otherwise agreed.

6. Contact Information

For any questions regarding payments and refunds, please contact us at:

Email: apply@aaticd.co.za

Phone: +27 73 016 5042

By registering for the workshop, participants agree to abide by these terms and conditions.

In-House Trainings are also available for 3 or more delegates for any duration. Please consult with our Administration for such In-House training bookings.


Course Outline

  • Legal Drafting
    • Signs of a well-drafted contract: The simple rules!
    • The language of drafting: Will v Shall v Must
    • Identifying the legal formalities for a binding contract
    • Structure and formation of a commercial contract: follow the formula and you won’t go wrong
    • The importance of Boilerplate clauses: overlooking them can cost the business billions of pounds.
    • The preliminary documents- using Heads of Terms effectively
    • Vague words and expressions in commercial contracts- know the pitfalls!
    • Overview of cross border contracts: Distribution v Joint venture v Agency agreements
    • Share Purchase Agreements: allocating risks between the buyer and seller
    • Troubleshooting: trace and correct errors in your contract
  • Plain English in Legal Correspondence
    • Good legal writing practice
    • Moving from legalese to Plain English
    • Unnecessary archaic and meaningless phrases
    • Collocations
    • Pitfalls and issues relating to the use of legal jargon in legal writing
    • Writing short emails
    • Writing long emails
    • Writing formal emails
  • Writing A Legal Letter
    • The layout of a letter
    • Body of a letter
    • Putting a letter together
    • The register of letter writing
    • Typical sentences in legal letters
    • The letter writing clinic: looking at the ten most common problems
    • Rewriting letters
    • Rewriting informal sentences to modern alternatives
    • Correcting common mistakes in letter writing
  • Legal Writing Troubleshooting
    • The problem of English idioms
    • Rephrasing English idioms
    • Easily confused words
    • Cutting unnecessary words
    • Use of consistent terminology
    • Ambiguity: how to avoid it
    • Vagueness: how to avoid it
    • Misuse of a preposition in dates
    • Problem words
    • Constantly litigated words
    • Personal pronouns
    • Choosing the right words
    • Rewriting sentences to remove gender-specific language

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