Building on existing foundations of knowledge and skill, this 5-hour course is specifically designed to help you deepen and/or re-focus your understanding of selected core advocacy skills, to reflect upon your experiences and to understand how to improve your performances as an advocate. It is sufficiently flexible in covering a range of experience of those who attend the training.
Comprising of three main areas; General Advocacy, Interim Applications and Trial Advocacy, the course has been developed to meet the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement that states that 5 hours of advocacy is required in each year of your first 5 years of qualifying as a Higher Court Advocate.
Taught by specialist advocacy trainers, the learning experience is highly interactive and includes elements of trainer-led presentations, free-associated thinking, discussions and group exercises.
Audience
This course is suitable for trainee, newly qualified and qualified solicitors.
Whilst this course was initially designed for post-Higher Rights advocates, it should benefit any lawyer in an advocacy role, whether in the higher or lower Courts.If you are a Higher Rights advocate, you no longer have to undertake mandatory annual post Higher Rights advocacy CPD hours, but the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority does require you to continue to “reflect on your work and complete learning and development that helps you to remain competent”. This course is designed to help you to achieve this and to develop and enhance your skills.
The context for this course is Civil Litigation but, since the focus is on Advocacy Skills, much of the content is transferable and applicable to Criminal advocacy.
Key Benefits
- Small class numbers conducive of a better learning experience through more personalised feedback and collaboration.
- Experienced tutors who are all former or current practitioners.
- Practical advice on advocacy related matters.
- Highly interactive session using specialist techniques to embed learning.
- Condensed timetable (10am – 4pm), specifically designed for busy practitioners.
TBC: Please contact us for future course dates
Taught by experienced advocacy trainers, training comprises elements of trainer-led learning, free-associated thinking, discussion and group work. The course is an interactive blend of short demonstrations coupled with relevant practical exercises and facilitated brainstorm discussion sessions.
The core of this course typically covers the areas below, but the emphasis and to a degree the content will be tweaked depending on the balance of delegates’ experience and needs on any given course:
- Preparation
- Presentation skills (including Court etiquette)
- Dealing with nerves/anxiety
- Listening carefully and taking an accurate note
- Keeping the Judge happy
- Applying for and responding to Interim Applications (including telephone advocacy)
- Citing and using authorities
- Applying the evidence to the law
- Dealing with vulnerable or difficult witnesses.
Some Interim and/or Trial Advocacy experience is desirable but not essential for this course. Delegates will be encouraged to discuss their own practical experiences.
Pre-Course Work
There is no pre-course work for this course.
For those with little advocacy experience, there are books about advocacy available if you wish to gain a little insight into these skills before attending the course.
Post-Course Work
There is no post-course work for this course, however, you may benefit from watching other advocates and/or performing your own advocacy (if/as appropriate) to enable you to further reflect on your own experiences and what you have learned on the course and to continue your personal development.
B5 Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy.