Contract and Legal Document Drafting Course
How to buy a course
Overview
CPD Certified Course
The course teaches the essential skills of writing clear documents and contracts, explaining essential legal vocabulary and phrases, including Latin and old Norman French.
This is a 15-unit, interactive, online course, covering both drafting skills and the key elements of English contract law and terminology. The course includes the drafting, use and legal effect of basic contracts, non-competition and confidentiality agreements, assignments and third party rights, guarantees, indemnities, warranties, conditions and other contract terms. Rights, remedies and enforceability are all covered in online lessons. The course exercises teach the techniques and vocabulary through testing and feedback. The students must produce a large quantity of written material to expand their legal drafting ability.
The content of the course has been assessed and certified by The CPD Certification Service as confirming to continuing professional development principles. Earn 15 hours of CPD on completion of the course.
Learning Objectives:
- Be able to write contract documents to a high professional standard
- Approach contract drafting confidently and knowledgably
- Write precise, concise, clear contracts which are easily understood and achieve their objectives
- Use appropriate technical legal English vocabulary to impose obligations whilst protecting the client’s interests
- Understand the legal effect and use of many standard contact provisions
- Advise on key elements of English contract law and terminology
- Advise on the use and legal effect of essential contract clauses and provisions, including: confidentiality agreements, assignments and third-party rights, guarantees, indemnities, warranties, conditions and other contract terms
- Advise on contractual rights, remedies and enforceability
- Receive a certificate upon completion of the Exit-test
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Course Syllabus:
- Course types: Private lessons, Group lessons;
- Course type: Pre-recorded lessons.
Trainer – Richard Brady
Navigation Guide for going through the pre-recorded versions of our courses - click here.
Course includes
- reading, writing, listening and speaking exercises
- vocabulary quizzes
- authentic contracts
- the practical language of contract formation
- contract drafting practice
- contract remedies vocabulary
- course certificate upon completion of an on-line Exit-test with a result of 60% and above. Please, note the following:
- The Exit-test button will activate automatically in the student’s personal account 7 days after purchase of the course.
- Copy of certificate for self-printing will be sent by e-mail within 5 days after successful completion of the on-line test. For more information about sending types click here.
Course contents
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 1
Parallel writing structures and using the active voice to assist understanding when imposing obligations. Duration of the lesson: 41 min 00 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 2
Plain English writing techniques for contract drafting, how to use bullet points in contracts, avoiding the word ‘Shall’ in contracts, expressing obligations in the positive instead of negative for greater clarity. Duration of the lesson: 60 min 20 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 3
The power of punctuation, using restrictive and non-restrictive adjectival clauses, Meaning and use of Hereby, Thereby, Whereby, Herein, Therein, Wherein, etc. Duration of the lesson: 47 min 20 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 4
The standard structure of a commercial contract, using the recital to outline the background and reasons for the contract, writing the contract using verbs rather than nouns to assist understanding of clauses. Duration of the lesson: 47 min 10 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 5
The differences in meaning, effect and use of warranties and representations in a contract. How to write and use them plus using warranties as a price adjustment mechanism to protect the client. Duration of the lesson: 41 min 05 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 6
The differences in meaning, effect and use of covenants, indemnities and third-party guarantees. How to write and use them to ensure the contract achieves its objectives whilst protecting the clients' interests. Duration of the lesson: 47 min 20 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 7
Liquidated damages clauses – what they are, when and how to use them, how to write them and when they may not be appropriate. The doctrine of concurrent delay in construction contracts. Duration of the lesson: 43 min 25 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 8
Boilerplate clauses – what they are and how to write them with an explanation of the meaning and effect of the 20 most frequently used clauses plus some tips and advice on the dangers of using some of these clauses. Duration of the lesson: 34 min 25 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 9
Increasing and decreasing the strength of the obligations. 3 general contract drafting principles to improve your contract writing style: a) strength in simplicity; b) writing contracts on the basis of what can go wrong; c) avoiding irrelevant confusing legalese. How to order and write the information in a clause. Don't use provisos. Duration of the lesson: 47 min 55 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 10
Drafting conditions precedent and subsequent. Drafting termination clauses – voluntary termination and termination for cause. Drafting and complying with the 'Notices' clause. Material Adverse Changes Clauses. Duration of the lesson: 42 min 15 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 11
Techniques for writing clauses and contracts with Clarity to improve understanding. Rules of Judicial Contract Interpretation. Duration of the lesson: 45 min 05 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 12
Non-Disclosure Agreements - Confidentiality clauses and agreements - 11 points to be included in each clause/agreement. Legal Prepositions and Prepositional phrases. Legal Phrasal verbs. Duration of the lesson: 44 min 15 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 13
Software as a service (SAAS) Contracts and service level agreements (SLA's) - essential points to be included in the SLA’s. How to negotiate SLA’s. Duration of the lesson: 45 min 25 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 14
Drafting and use of protect, defend and hold harmless clauses. Contract remedies for breach. Duration of the lesson: 35 min 50 sec
Contract and Legal Document Drafting Lesson 15
Drafting Force Majeure Clauses – points which must be covered in the clauses. Duration of the lesson: 45 min 02 sec.
The course covers the essential vocabulary and phrases most often used in contracts and other agreements including Latin and Norman French.
The live broadcast course is delivered over an 8 week period by 15 lessons of 45 minutes each, plus a further 15 hours of inter-active home exercises. There is a test at the end of the 8th week to assess contract writing ability.
The recorded version of the course covers exactly the same material as the live broadcasts, however, each recoded lesson is immediately followed by inter-active exercises on the computer. The lessons can be viewed any time up to 6 months after the purchase of the course.
A downloadable workbook with text and exercises.
On-line texts and materials.
On-line exercises.
Course prices
| Course type / Syllabus | 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$ 1200 |
|
Group* Live Broadcasts+Homework+ Conversation |
15 group lessons/ 45 min | Twice/week following each class |
Tuesday 14th January 2025 |
US$ 450 |
|
Pre-recorded Pre-recorded webinars |
15 lessons/ 45 min |
Inter-active quiz following each lesson. Additional exercises with feedback |
Any time |
US$ 249 |
|
Separate lesson Pre-recorded lessons |
15 lessons/ 45 min | Inter-active quiz | Any time |
US$ 35 each |
|
Free trial lesson Pre-recorded lessons |
1 lesson/ 45 min | Inter-active quiz | Any time |
Free |
* Kindly note that the Group lessons course will only take place if the minimum number of participants has been reached. The course schedule is subject to change.