District Court Advocacy Skills

Description

Are you engaged in District Court Advocacy? Are you confident in your skills to make speeches and question witnesses at hearings?

This highly interactive and experiential one day course will enable advocates to learn new and enhance existing skills fostering confidence in their ability to perform in court. The afternoon session provides a supportive forum during a mock trial skills session facilitated by an experienced lawyer and followed by feedback.

Advocacy skills form a fundamental part of the skillset of solicitors or other advocates with many having to “learn on their feet”. This course is open to solicitors/advocates with varying levels of experience from beginners to the more seasoned advocate with an interest in developing their advocacy skills resulting in increased confidence.

A consultation with the trainer will be organised prior to the training to assess specific group needs.

What you will learn

This course is an interactive and highly practical day. The morning session is designed to cover all aspects of district court advocacy including:

• Fundamentals of court procedure,
• Considerations in assessing evidence,
• Preparing for hearing and legal case analysis,
• Court etiquette,
• Basic principles of examination in chief and cross examination,
• Questioning techniques and compiling skeleton arguments.

The second half of the day will involve a mock trial which is an important public speaking experience allowing delegates to implement their relevant and practical knowledge.

Even if you have a wealth of experience a confident and competent presentation is vital. It is an opportunity to overcome nerves and hone advocacy skills before a supportive audience.

Key Learning Points
This intensive one-day course is aimed at covering all aspects of District Court advocacy, including:

• Overview of the law and rules of evidence,
• Case analysis, strengths and weaknesses,
• Advocacy techniques,
• Conducting both a direct and a cross-examination of witnesses,
• Development of a personal style.