Why is this course necessary?

Clear and accurate drafting is essential for a document to be readable and effective. But lawyers still neglect style and language, particularly when drafting contracts between business parties.

Traditional legal drafting and fear of moving away from it are among the obvious reasons for this this neglect.

A less obvious but key reason is lawyers' tendency to write instinctively. Like other British-English speakers, they are not used to analysing the style and grammar aspects of their writing. In England we are generally taught grammar in depth when we learn a foreign language: we lare generally not when we learn our own language.

Benefits of attending

Our lawyer-linguist trainers will take you through the linguistic and some connected substantive law issues. They will also provide you with guidelines to improve your contract drafting skills.

You will:

• increase your awareness of style and language in legal writing

• learn to spot and overcome common drafting problems

• improve your skills in drafting clearly, concisely and precisely

• bring your drafting into the 21^st century

• take away a set of drafting guidelines

We promote the use of plain language that is suitable for commercial drafting.

What does the course cover?

A brief review of

• the history of traditional drafting and reasons for its survival

• the pros and cons of using plain English in commercial and consumer contracts

• drafting objectives

Guidelines for drafting clearly and precisely

• structuring the document, a clause, a paragraph and a sentence;

• relevant grammar, including syntax and use of the active voice;

• use of provisos and exceptions (e.g. "provided that", "notwithstanding);

• use of words, including
  (i) replacing archaisms and legal jargon
  (ii) language of obligation and discretion ("shall", "must", "will", "may")

• other problem areas, including ambiguity and time provisions.

Exercises

Exercises throughout in restructuring of poorly or traditionally drafted clauses and in drafting.
 

Our two day course also includes

• a brief review of interpretation of contracts

• drafting from case scenarios

• more in-depth analysis

Trainers

Our trainers have many years’ legal professional experience. They are  also linguists, with relevant teaching qualifications and expertise in legal  skills and language training. All focus on training in contract drafting and have delivered courses to lawyers from England and around the world.