Legal English

Rupert Haigh graduated from Cambridge University in 1992 and qualified as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales in 1997. He also holds an LLM in Public International Law from Helsinki University and a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. After completing his legal training, Rupert worked for several years as a practising solicitor in England, specialising mainly in litigation work, before moving to Finland in 2000 since when he has been continuously involved in training legal professionals in Finland and across Europe.

1. Introduction to Legal English 2. Grammar for Legal Writing 3. Punctuation for Legal Writing 4. Sentence Structure 5. Legal Writing Standards: Dates, Numbers, Citations and Headings 6. Terminology and Linguistic Peculiarities 7. Elements of Good Style: Clarity, Consistency, Effectiveness 8. What to Avoid 9. British and American English 10. Contracts: Structure and Interpretation 11. Contract Clauses: Types and Specimen Clauses 12. Drafting Legal Documents: Language and Structure 13. Correspondence and Memoranda 14. Self-Study Exercises 15.Aspects of Spoken English 16. Meeting, Greeting and Getting Down to Business 17. Interviewing and Advising 18. Dealing with Difficult People: Ten Point Guide 19. Court Advocacy 20. Negotiation 21. Chairing a Formal Meeting 22. Making a Presentation 23. Telephoning