Legal Writing Course
How to buy a course
Overview
Your ability to write clearly and correctly is the basis upon which clients will assess your professional ability. Lawyers must master accurate legal writing to progress their careers. Every document you write should demonstrate that you are a professional, clearheaded, knowledgeable and accurate lawyer - just the type that clients want to deal with.
There are 2 versions of the British Legal Centre’s legal writing course. The first is the live broadcast course of 15 lessons of 45 minutes each, followed by written home-tasks with individual feedback from the trainer. The second version is provided in a set of 60 recorded videos lasting for around 12 minutes each, followed by inter-active exercises after every lesson. The recorded course is for busy lawyers with changing work patters who are unable to comit to the set times and days of the live 45 minute broadcasts. Both courses teach the essential skills of writing clear, concise and precise letters, documents and contracts.
Both versions of the course presents key written communication skills in an easy to follow style.
All the teachers are either practicing British lawyers, working in the area of Commercial and Contract Law or experienced teachers of Law and Legal English.
The 60 unit recorded course has the benefit of being more suitable for lawyers who have little time to study but can find 15 - 20 minutes during the day to watch a lesson and then complete the inter-active exerciss.
Course includes
- Letter writing practice
- Contract Drafting practice
- General Document drafting practice
- Instruction on structure style layout and content
- Inter-active writing exercises
- Exercises to practice brevity and conciseness and accuracy
- Grammar Exercises
- The practical language of contract formation
- Legal vocabulary
- Course certificate upon successful completion of the course
The essential basic vocabulary and phrases which are most often used in legal documents, providing explanations of the meaning and use of archaic legal English, including Latin and Norman French.
Course contents
Legal Writing Course Lesson 1
The general principles of plain English writing.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 2
How to keep your sentences short and avoid old-fashioned legalese.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 3
How to write using the active voice - General principles.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 4
How to use bullet points in legal writing.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 5
How to write with verbs rather than nouns for precision in your legal messages.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 6
How to improve accuracy by using precise vocabulary.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 7
How to avoid using multiple negatives by writing instructions in the positive form.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 8
The five situations when you should use the passive voice.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 9
How to use parallel grammatical structures to assist the reader to understand the message Pt 1.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 10
How to use parallel grammatical structures to assist the reader to understand the message Pt. 2.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 11
How and when to use definite, indefinite and zero articles Pt. 1.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 12
How and when to use definite, indefinite and zero articles Pt. 2.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 13
Using punctuation to change the meaning of the words in a sentence.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 14
How to write restrictive and non-restrictive adjectival clauses by adding or removing a comma.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 15
Cohesive writing - how to construct your paragraphs so that the ideas flow from one sentence to the next.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 16
The principles of persuasive writing. How to persuade the reader/judge to give you what you want.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 17
The most effective structure of a persuasive text.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 18
How to create greater impact by being specific with your vocabulary.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 19
How to use the active voice to shorten sentences and improve understanding - a detailed examination of its use.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 20
The use of Latin in legal writing - some essential words and phrases.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 21
How to avoid writing with cliches and legal jargon.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 22
How to type your writing and give it greater impact by avoiding long wordy expressions.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 23
How to shorten your sentences by avoiding unnecessary words and duplication of information.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 24
The meaning and use of the words hereby, thereby and whereby.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 25
How to avoid the use of provisos - phrases beginning with the words 'provided that...'.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 26
Do not overuse the verbs to be and to have.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 27
How to use and avoid legal prepositions part 1 - Frequently used legal prepositions.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 28
How to use and avoid legal prepositions part 2 - Frequently used prepositional phrases.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 29
How to use and avoid legal prepositions part 3 - Five techniques to avoid using prepositions.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 30
How to emphasise a particular piece of information in a sentence.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 31
How to emphasise a particular piece of information in a paragraph.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 32
How to write without using the ambiguous word 'shall' in your legal writing and documents.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 33
Left-right writing technique – using the inductive writing structure to avoid confusion.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 34
How to organise the information in a paragraph.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 35
The seven most commonly used paragraph structures and which to choose to deliver different types of information.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 36
How to use themes and rhemes in the sentences and in a paragraph for the ideas to flow sentence to the next.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 37
Making your writing easier to follow by avoiding changing the verb tenses abruptly.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 38
How to create paragraph unity - choose just one topic per paragraph.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 39
Do not unbalance the paragraph by the repeated overuse of a particular word - when to use synonyms.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 40
How to short sentences and edit paragraphs for greater impact.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 41
11 words to cut from your legal writing.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 42
Power words to use in your legal writing 1. Because.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 43
Power words to use in your legal writing 2. Although.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 44
Power words to use in your legal writing 3. But.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 45
Persuasive writing – adding some spice and dramatic flourish, Part 1.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 46
Persuasive writing – adding some spice and dramatic flourish, Part 2.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 47
How to use the power of suspense in litigation and arbitration writing, Part 1.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 48
How to use the power of suspense in litigation and arbitration writing, Part 2.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 49
How to use strong verbs, nouns and adjectives to create impact.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 50
How to improve your present legal writing style - Six essential points for effective legal writing.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 51
Phrasal verbs - what they are and how to use them in legal writing.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 52
Letter writing for specific purposes - Letters of complaint.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 53
Letter writing for specific purposes - Letters of apology.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 54
Letter writing for specific purposes - Letters before action.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 55
Litigation and arbitration texts, Part 1. – How to write so that judges will like you.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 56
Litigation and arbitration texts, Part 2. – How to build credibility with the court and arbitrators.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 57
Litigation and arbitration texts, Part 3. – How to Use brackets to best explain your case citations.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 58
Five steps towards persuasive legal writing.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 59
General rules of vocabulary, sentence and paragraph length.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 60
60 tips for effective legal writing.
The course covers essential basic vocabulary and phrases which are most often used in legal correspondence and documents such as contracts and other agreements. It provides explanations of the meaning and use of archaic legal English, including Latin and Norman French.
The 15 lesson course is delivered over an 8 week period by 15 lessons of 45 minutes each, plus a further 10 hours of inter-active home exercises. There is a test at the end of the 15th lesson to assess writing ability.
Each lesson of the 60 unit inter-active recorded-video course can be viewed whenever it is convenient for the participant, up to 6 months after the purchase of the course.
On-line exercises.
Access to the archive of past lessons to assist participants review progress and revise.
Course prices
| Course type | Video lessons with a lawyer | Homework | Start of a new course | Course price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Private Live one-to-one classes |
15 private lessons/ 45 min | Twice/week following each class | To be confirmed individually |
US$ 950 |
|
Group Live Broadcasts+Homework+ Conversation |
15 group lessons/ 45 min | Twice/week following each class |
On request |
US$ 450 |
|
Pre-recorded Pre-recorded webinars |
60 lessons/ 8-22 min |
Inter-active quiz following each lesson. Additional exercises with feedback |
Any time |
US$ 249 |
|
Separate lesson Pre-recorded lessons |
60 lessons/ 8-22 min | Inter-active quiz following each lesson | Any time |
US$ 10 each |
|
Free trial lesson Pre-recorded lessons |
1 lesson | Inter-active quiz | Any time |
Free |