Overview - 5. Legal Writing

Question 1

How long is the legal writing assessment?

Answer 1

30 minutes

Question 2

What is the most basic description of the task in the legal writing assessment?

Answer 2

Write a letter/email to a client or other third party setting out legal advice

Question 3

What is the assessment objective for the legal writing assessment?

Answer 3

Demonstrate ability to produce a letter or an email as the solicitor acting in a matter

Question 4

What are the assessment criteria for the legal writing assessment?

Answer 4

1. Clear, precise, concise, and acceptable language #
2. Include relevant facts #
3. Advice is client/recipient-focused #
4. Logical structure
5. Legal content legally correct and comprehensive, and ethical/professional conduct issues #

Question 5

Advice is client/recipient-focused

If not obvious from the facts, what five things will the recipient need to understand?

Answer 5

1. What has triggered the need for advice
2. What must be done
3. Pros and cons of different options
4. Any action required of the client
5. If recipient is the other side, the client’s instructions and anything to be conveyed, e.g. counteroffer

Question 6

Logical structure

What is the typical structure of work product in the legal writing assessment?

Answer 6

• Letter/email heading (name, address, etc.)
• Heading
• Greeting
• Introductory paragraph
• Brief section summarising facts
• Legal section, with headers if multiple issues
• Conclusions and next steps
• Closing sentence and sign off

Question 7

Time management

What should you do as soon as you read the question?

Answer 7

Copy the relevant facts and issues into an already topped and tailed template

As well as saving time, this will allow you to systematically deal with facts and issues in logical order, and mark off when you have covered something

Question 8

Time management

Of the 30 minutes, how much time should you leave at the end to check sense, spelling, and grammar?

Answer 8

3 minutes