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 AfricaTraining 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.zaNB:
When filling the online application form; please take note of your desired Training Month, Duration in Weeks and Training Session. This will give us the exact dates you will be attending your classes.Also note that Tuition Fees must be paid upfront on or before training start date. This is to ensure that all resources are made availabe for you before you start. You will not be allowed into training if fees are not paid and verified.
Also note that Tuition Fees Cancellations must be made 14 business working days before the starting date of training. This will allow us to do a 50% refund of the total amount paid. If cancellations are made thereafter note that no refund will be made to delegates.
Tuition Fees include teas and lunch as well as either a laptop or tablet which a delegate will take home free of charge.
Tuition Fee DOES NOT include Accommodation, Dinners and other Extra Curricular Activities or Incidentals. Delegates are expected to fund this on their own. AATICD will not be held accountable for any incidents to delegates.
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