Legal Writing Course
How to buy a course
Overview
CPD Certified Course
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 50 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 commit to the set times and days of the live 50 minute broadcasts. Both courses teach the essential skills of writing clear, concise and precise letters, documents and contracts.
Both versions of the course present key written communication skills in an easy to follow style.
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 exercises.
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:
- Communicate legal concepts and information in writing confidently and easily in real-life work situations confident in their ability and knowledge
- Write precise and persuasive legal texts in real-life work situations confident in their ability and knowledge
- Use correct English grammar and appropriate tone for written legal communication in real-life work situations confident in their ability and knowledge
- Receive a certificate upon completion of the Exit-test
Legal Writing 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
- 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 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
Legal Writing Course Lesson 1
The general principles of plain English writing. Duration of the lesson: 14 min 20 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 2
How to keep your sentences short and avoid old-fashioned legalese. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 20 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 3
How to write using the active voice - General principles. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 00 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 4
How to use bullet points in legal writing. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 00 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 5
How to write with verbs rather than nouns for precision in your legal messages. Duration of the lesson: 7 min 30 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 6
How to improve accuracy by using precise vocabulary. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 40 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 7
How to avoid using multiple negatives by writing instructions in the positive form. Duration of the lesson: 13 min 45 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 8
The five situations when you should use the passive voice. Duration of the lesson: 13 min 10 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 9
How to use parallel grammatical structures to assist the reader to understand the message Pt 1. Duration of the lesson: 15 min 25 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 10
How to use parallel grammatical structures to assist the reader to understand the message Pt. 2. Duration of the lesson: 12 min 30 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 11
How and when to use definite, indefinite and zero articles Pt. 1. Duration of the lesson: 13 min 35 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 12
How and when to use definite, indefinite and zero articles Pt. 2. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 10 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 13
Using punctuation to change the meaning of the words in a sentence. Duration of the lesson: 18 min 40 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 14
How to write restrictive and non-restrictive adjectival clauses by adding or removing a comma. Duration of the lesson: 14 min 30 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 15
Cohesive writing - how to construct your paragraphs so that the ideas flow from one sentence to the next. Duration of the lesson: 20 min 10 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 16
The principles of persuasive writing. How to persuade the reader/judge to give you what you want. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 17
The most effective structure of a persuasive text. Duration of the lesson: 9 min 40 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 18
How to create greater impact by being specific with your vocabulary. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 10 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 19
How to use the active voice to shorten sentences and improve understanding - a detailed examination of its use. Duration of the lesson: 15 min 25 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 20
The use of Latin in legal writing - some essential words and phrases. Duration of the lesson: 12 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 21
How to avoid writing with cliches and legal jargon. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 30 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 22
How to type your writing and give it greater impact by avoiding long wordy expressions. Duration of the lesson: 15 min 35 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 23
How to shorten your sentences by avoiding unnecessary words and duplication of information. Duration of the lesson: 6 min 20 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 24
The meaning and use of the words hereby, thereby and whereby. Duration of the lesson: 9 min 01 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 25
How to avoid the use of provisos - phrases beginning with the words 'provided that...'. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 40 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 26
Do not overuse the verbs to be and to have. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 45 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 27
How to use and avoid legal prepositions part 1 - Frequently used legal prepositions. Duration of the lesson: 9 min 35 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 28
How to use and avoid legal prepositions part 2 - Frequently used prepositional phrases. Duration of the lesson: 6 min 15 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 29
How to use and avoid legal prepositions part 3 - Five techniques to avoid using prepositions. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 30
How to emphasise a particular piece of information in a sentence. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 25 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 31
How to emphasise a particular piece of information in a paragraph. Duration of the lesson: 14 min 01 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 32
How to write without using the ambiguous word 'shall' in your legal writing and documents. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 25 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 33
Left-right writing technique – using the inductive writing structure to avoid confusion. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 20 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 34
How to organise the information in a paragraph. Duration of the lesson: 14 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 35
The seven most commonly used paragraph structures and which to choose to deliver different types of information. Duration of the lesson: 12 min 35 sec.
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. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 45 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 37
Making your writing easier to follow by avoiding changing the verb tenses abruptly. Duration of the lesson: 14 min 15 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 38
How to create paragraph unity - choose just one topic per paragraph. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 50 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 39
Do not unbalance the paragraph by the repeated overuse of a particular word - when to use synonyms. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 40 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 40
How to short sentences and edit paragraphs for greater impact. Duration of the lesson: 17 min 30 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 41
11 words to cut from your legal writing. Duration of the lesson: 12 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 42
Power words to use in your legal writing 1. Because. Duration of the lesson: 9 min 35 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 43
Power words to use in your legal writing 2. Although. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 10 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 44
Power words to use in your legal writing 3. But. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 45
Persuasive writing – adding some spice and dramatic flourish, Part 1. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 05 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 46
Persuasive writing – adding some spice and dramatic flourish, Part 2. Duration of the lesson: 9 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 47
How to use the power of suspense in litigation and arbitration writing, Part 1. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 00 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 48
How to use the power of suspense in litigation and arbitration writing, Part 2. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 00 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 49
How to use strong verbs, nouns and adjectives to create impact. Duration of the lesson: 17 min 35 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 50
How to improve your present legal writing style - Six essential points for effective legal writing. Duration of the lesson: 22 min 00 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 51
Phrasal verbs - what they are and how to use them in legal writing. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 52
Letter writing for specific purposes - Letters of complaint. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 05 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 53
Letter writing for specific purposes - Letters of apology. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 50 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 54
Letter writing for specific purposes - Letters before action. Duration of the lesson: 10 min 20 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 55
Litigation and arbitration texts, Part 1. – How to write so that judges will like you. Duration of the lesson: 12 min 25 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 56
Litigation and arbitration texts, Part 2. – How to build credibility with the court and arbitrators. Duration of the lesson: 13 min 45 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 57
Litigation and arbitration texts, Part 3. – How to Use brackets to best explain your case citations. Duration of the lesson: 21 min 55 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 58
Five steps towards persuasive legal writing. Duration of the lesson: 13 min 35 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 59
General rules of vocabulary, sentence and paragraph length. Duration of the lesson: 8 min 25 sec.
Legal Writing Course Lesson 60
60 tips for effective legal writing. Duration of the lesson: 11 min 25 sec.
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 50 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.
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 classesSyllabus |
15 private lessons/ 50 min | Twice/week following each class | To be confirmed individually |
US$ 1200 |
|
Group* Live Broadcasts+Homework+ ConversationSyllabus |
15 group lessons/ 50 min | Twice/week following each class |
Tuesday 14th January 2025 5:00 pm (UK time) |
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 |
* 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.