Courses for lawyers / non-native speakers of English
Effective contract drafting and legal writing in English
This course will help you to draft and write confidently and effectively in English. You will develop your skills in drafting clearly, simply and accurately, whatever the governing law. You will also learn how to use (or avoid using) terms that have a specific meaning under English law. And you will take with you a set of guidelines for reference in the office.
Key details
Course length
Three days
(Six training hours each day, plus a one-hour lunch break and two 15-minute refreshment breaks)
Course length may be varied for In-house training.
Who should attend?
- Lawyers from private practice, industry and government
- Others whose work involves legal writing, or drafting contracts in English
What level of general English should you have?
Intermediate to advanced
Content
The course covers:
1. Problems related to using English when English Law does not apply.
2. Guidelines for drafting clearly, simply and accurately, including:
- structuring clauses, paragraphs, sentences and particular documents
- relevant grammar, including syntax
- use of provisos and exceptions (e.g., ‘provided that’ and ‘notwithstanding’)
- replacing archaisms and legal jargon
- language of obligation and discretion: “shall”, “will”, “must”, “may”
- avoiding verbal clutter
- avoiding ambiguity
- understanding traditional legal terminology
- writing letters and e-mail
- reading clauses from an international contract
- analysing and redrafting poorly drafted or unclear clauses
- drafting from case scenarios
Exercises throughout including analysing style and redrafting clauses, and drafting from case scenarios
3. Grammar in a legal context
4. Comparisons of US and British English
Trainers
Stella Styllis, Alan Simmons, who have for many years been delivering drafting and legal writing training to both English lawyers and non-native speakers of English worldwide.
Dates & fees
Dates and venues
London, Cambridge and cities outside the UK.
Dates of next courses will be posted shortly. Please contact us in the meantime if you are interested in this course.
The course is available as tailored in-house training and one-to-one training. Please contact Stella Styllis to discuss the options and for a quote.
Testimonials
"The training was very good – all my colleagues said that this is the first time they have got real practical benefit from an English language course. Alan was great: very patient, responsive and helpful. He paid attention to all our questions and comments, and at the same time he managed to control the group and stick to the timeframe. And, of course, we had a lot of fun with some of the exercises!"
Boryana Boteva, Partner, Sabev & Partners Law firm, Sofia, Bulgaria
"It has been one of our best ideas to ask Axia Training when looking for effective and efficient language courses.Alan Simmons' dedication to the task and his professional expertise are exceptional. His creative methods and the well adapted materials made everyone benefit from the courses."
Cornelia Weber, attorney and partner, Sibeth (Attorneys, Tax advisers, Certified Public Accountants)