Contracts, correspondence and advocacy — for lawyers working across jurisdictions in English.
| Level | CEFR B2–C2 |
|---|---|
| Guided learning hours | 48 hours |
| Duration | 12 weeks · 1 × 2 hours per week |
| Independent study | 36 hours recommended |
| Delivery | Live online, small group or one to one |
| Entry requirements | CEFR B2 or above, and a legal qualification or current work in a legal role. |
| On completion | ELOQUA Certificate in Legal English. Aligned to the TOLES and Cambridge ILEC skill sets. |
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
| Unit | Focus | Language | Skills | Assessment | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The language of the common law | Sources of law, court structures and the vocabulary of legal systems. Why the terminology is what it is. | Core legal lexis; Latin and Law French survivals | Reading, Speaking | Terminology diagnostic | 4 |
| 2. Contract anatomy | Recitals, definitions, operative provisions, boilerplate — what each part is for and what goes wrong without it. | Shall, will, must and may; defined terms | Reading | Clause identification exercise | 4 |
| 3. Drafting obligations and conditions | Expressing obligation, discretion, condition precedent and warranty without ambiguity. | Modality in drafting; conditional structures; the "shall" problem | Writing | Draft three operative clauses | 4 |
| 4. Plain English in practice | Rewriting archaic drafting without losing precision. Where plain language is now expected or required. | Nominalisation; sentence length; the passive; doublets and triplets | Writing | Redraft a clause into plain English | 4 |
| 5. Client correspondence | Advising a lay client, managing expectations, and writing to a client who is not a native speaker. | Hedging and qualification; register control | Writing | Client advice letter | 4 |
| 6. The legal opinion | Structure, assumptions, qualifications and the conclusion. Saying what you mean without over-committing. | Impersonal structures; degrees of certainty | Writing | Short written opinion | 4 |
| 7. Negotiating terms | Marking up, conceding, holding a position and closing. Negotiating with counsel whose English is also a second language. | Concession; conditional bargaining; softening | Speaking, Listening | Recorded negotiation of a term sheet | 4 |
| 8. Litigation documents | Pleadings, witness statements, disclosure and correspondence between opposing solicitors. | Narrative in the third person; reported speech; precision in dates and facts | Reading, Writing | Draft a witness statement extract | 4 |
| 9. Reading judgments | Finding the ratio, distinguishing obiter, and summarising a judgment for a client in one page. | Judicial register; citation conventions | Reading | Case summary, 400 words | 4 |
| 10. Oral advocacy | Structuring a submission, answering the bench, and dealing with an interruption without losing the thread. | Courtesy formulae; signposting; emphasis and stress | Speaking | Five-minute submission | 4 |
| 11. Ethics, privilege and confidentiality | The language of conflicts, privilege, undertakings and professional obligations across jurisdictions. | Formal registers of obligation and undertaking | Reading, Speaking | Scenario discussion | 4 |
| 12. Integrated transaction simulation | A full matter from instruction to signature: correspondence, drafting, negotiation and a closing note. | Full-course consolidation | Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking | Transaction file and closing note | 4 |
| Total contact hours | 48 | ||||
| Format | Package | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Small group | Full course — group of 6 | $1,890 |
| Small group | Firm rate — 3 or more from one practice | $1,650 |
| One to one | One to one — per hour | $165 /hr |
ELOQUA · Level 3, 120 Edward Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 · study@eloqua.edu
This document is generated from the live course record on 2 September 2026 and supersedes earlier versions.