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Where am I?  Home > Our courses > Practice skills electives

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Practice skills electives

The Law Firm as a Commercial Enterprise

This one-day course provides an introduction to commercial awareness, the business dimension of legal practice. This interactive course focuses on the business of law. It explores how law firms make a profit and how good and bad business practices can affect profit margins. The course also considers how clients choose their lawyers and what they expect from them. It highlights the importance of strategic thinking and marketing to gain a competitive edge and demonstrates how good management of people also has a positive effect on success and profitability. Delegates will undertake a number of practical activities which have been designed to help them achieve the learning objectives of the course.

Effective Written Communication

This one-day course is a practical workshop designed to improve the accuracy, style and structure of your professional writing. You will examine the principles of effective writing, identify and remedy problems with grammar and spelling, and learn how to write with clarity and precision.

Advanced Written Communication

Aimed at delegates who have already attended a foundation course on effective written communication, this one-day course offers the opportunity to move beyond the basics and practise the craft of writing. It encourages you to consider the requirements of readers and recipients of written communications and to examine assumptions about readers. Different styles, tones and approaches will be considered and you will be encouraged to flex your styles to address different contexts.

The contexts and situations explored all relate to legal practice, but are broader than the standard client letter or document. You will be invited to review selected written communications and to engage with exercises on report writing, e-mails, conveying bad news and writing marketing materials to promote your organisation.

Advanced Communication Skills

This one-day elective builds on the Advocacy and Communication Skills PSC core module. It uses neuroscience and psychology to examine subjects including effective thinking and decision making, the importance of emotional and social intelligence in communication, using differences in male/female brains to communicate more effectively, understanding how groups function, recognising the impact of authority on humans, and reading non-verbal communication. By the end of the course, you will be able to use the skills learned to enhance your thinking, decision making and communication skills – both inside the office and with clients.

Dealing with the Media

This one-day course will provide you with the basic tools required by lawyers who find themselves confronted by broadcast or print media. It covers the basics of the law of defamation, contempt of court and breach of confidence/privacy. It will also provide you with practical guidance on how to deal with the media, contribute to interviews and draft press statements.

The Skilled Negotiator

Topics covered in this one-day course include proper preparation for a negotiation, the qualities of an effective negotiator, and negotiation styles and tactics. It is an eminently practical course giving you the opportunity to practise and develop your negotiation skills in both contentious and non-contentious scenarios.

Presenting to Persuade

This is a practical one-day course which considers the qualities of a persuasive presentation in the context of both style and content, and allows you to develop your presentation skills by practise.

Is it Enforceable?

It is vital to ensure that commercial contracts and other agreements are enforceable. In considering recent developments, including changes introduced by the Companies Act 2006, this one-day course deals with all the issues to be addressed whenever parties, such as companies and individuals, are about to execute documents. You will gain an understanding of the legal and practical requirements for an enforceable agreement regarding form, authority, capacity and due execution. A mistake in any of these areas might render a contract worthless. Making use of highly practical fact scenarios and statutory extracts, you will amend and draft a range of clauses in relation to contracts and deeds.

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