This course will enable you to develop the core skills and techniques required to draft agreements, which reflect best practice and protect clients’ interests, whilst also achieving their commercial objectives.
Audience
This course is suitable for trainee, newly qualified and junior lawyers, who wish to refresh their knowledge, improve their drafting skills in the context of commercial contracts, or are planning to move into this practice area.
Key Benefits
- Improve your drafting skills, whether using precedents or drafting agreements from scratch
- Produce clauses and agreements which address relevant legal and factual issues
- Use clear, accurate and succinct language in your drafting
- Have opportunity to get feedback on your drafting from an experienced former practitioner.
Live Online – 23 January 2025
Live Online – 17 April 2025
Live Online – 15 July 2025
Live Online – 29 August 2025
Live Online – 27 October 2025
Drafting
- The Key Principles – what good drafting is and why it is so important
- Recap on Terms and Terminology – the meaning of Warranties, Representations, Indemnities, Undertakings, Covenants and Conditions, and guidance on how and when to use them
- Getting the Full Story – how to uncover the key factual and legal issues in each matter
- Getting to the Point – making your drafting concise and snappy
- Drafting from Scratch – how to plan, structure and draft new and revised clauses
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Obligations – the basic rules and language of obligations and key considerations for qualified obligations (Best Endeavours, Reasonable Endeavours, etc.).
Whilst there are no formal knowledge or practice pre-requisites, delegates with at least some previous drafting experience and familiarity with the main elements of commercial law and practice will derive the most benefit from the course.
Preparation
Everyone attending this course must complete the preparation work in advance. The preparatory exercises will be used as reference and discussion points during the day, facilitating group discussions and enabling you to move on to explore important concepts in greater detail.
Post-Coursework
The post-coursework for this course requires you to complete an exercise based on free drafting, which you have undertaken during the course. You are also required to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP). By completing both of these exercises, you will reflect on the knowledge and skills you developed by attending the course, and plan and record ongoing learning and development needs, as required by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority’s continuing competence regime.
B4 Draft documents which are legally effective and accurately reflect the client’s instructions.